N52 Shredded belt

jacobpt

jacobpt

Member
Noticed my aux belt is shredded on one side

The ofh is leaking directly onto the belt, it has sprayed a grimey mixture of oil and belt material around the area.

I’m installing gaskets for the oil filter housing + cooler, valve cover, ess and valvetronic - as they’re all perished and leaking and also fitting a new belt kit.

I just wonder if this contact with oil is the sole cause of the shredding (tried to get some pictures) - or if there could be an additional common explanation?

Is there anything I should check or do whilst I’m doing these jobs to make sure my new belt doesn’t get shredded too.
Aside from giving everything a good clean and degrease
 

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The only thing I can think of is that the belt has been rubbing on something - I can't see oil affecting it like that.

Can you follow the path of the belt to see if there is anything in the way? Maybe a clip on a coolant water hose or something similar?
 
That coolant hose Julibee clip looks like it’d be very close, worn engine mounts, bit of movement and it may rub!

I’d agree if it was oil it’d be saturated
 
This was mine a canny few years ago somwhere between 74k-90k miles can’t remember exactly


IMG_0847.png
 
The OFH oil seal can leak onto the belt causing it to slip off / shred as did mine coming across the M48 Severn Bridge. Battery lasted about 15 minutes.
Buy OEM or Mahle replacement gaskets, I bought pattern parts and it was actually a fault on the seal that caused the leak.
New Gaskets , including oil cooler if you have auto, new belt and whilst your at it change the idler pulley. If you are on the Z4 FB group I did a post about it.
 
Got new gaskets on this weekend aswell as a new tensioner and belt - all OE supplier or good quality elring/febi

Looking at the old belt I think it was pretty poor quality, and maybe even too narrow - 4/5 grooves instead of 6

One thing I did notice once the car was running again; my AC pulley isn’t spinning at all when A/C is off - the belt just slides over the pulley.
With A/C on the pulley spins and works as it should

In my mind the pulley should still spin with a/c off, then with a/c on, the clutch engages and spins the compressor too. Is that correct?

The pulley did spin freely by hand before I put the belt on, unsure why it would be not spinning now. Cant imagine the friction is good, any ideas on the cause?
 
Scratch that, I’m just blind - inner pulley is spinning as it should 👍🏻

I’ll go with your explanation Rucky as to why the old one shredded, aswell as a sub standard belt. Will keep an eye on it, but seems to be sorted for now - cheers
 
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