BMW 1600-2 Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement Costs

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Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement Service

How much does a Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement cost?

On average, the cost for a BMW 1600-2 Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement is $142 with $47 for parts and $95 for labor. Prices may vary depending on your location.

Car	Service	Estimate	Shop/Dealer Price
1969 BMW 1600-2L4-1.6L	Service typeSerpentine/Drive Belt Replacement	Estimate$209.95	Shop/Dealer Price$251.19 - $335.54
1966 BMW 1600-2L4-1.6L	Service typeSerpentine/Drive Belt Replacement	Estimate$189.95	Shop/Dealer Price$231.22 - $315.59
1968 BMW 1600-2L4-1.6L	Service typeSerpentine/Drive Belt Replacement	Estimate$189.95	Shop/Dealer Price$231.22 - $315.59
1967 BMW 1600-2L4-1.6L	Service typeSerpentine/Drive Belt Replacement	Estimate$189.95	Shop/Dealer Price$231.18 - $315.52
1970 BMW 1600-2L4-1.6L	Service typeSerpentine/Drive Belt Replacement	Estimate$189.95	Shop/Dealer Price$231.25 - $315.64
1971 BMW 1600-2L4-1.6L	Service typeSerpentine/Drive Belt Replacement	Estimate$189.95	Shop/Dealer Price$231.22 - $315.59

Show example BMW 1600-2 Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement prices

What is a serpentine belt and how does it work?

A serpentine belt is a relatively long, flat, multi-ribbed belt that is driven by the engine’s crankshaft pulley. The belt drives many, and often all, of the engine accessories such as the alternator, air conditioning compressor, power steering pump, water pump, and air pump. The serpentine belt is tensioned by a hydraulic or spring-loaded automatic tensioner. Some older cars use a serpentine belt to drive most accessories but will also have a shorter v-style belt to drive, for example, the power steering pump.

Belts

When to consider replacing the serpentine belt:

Regularly scheduled maintenance. Typically, belt manufacturers recommend belt replacement at 90,000 miles. However, the belt must be inspected for wear or damage at regular intervals prior to this high mileage.
Squealing noise, belt slippage, visible belt damage. Should the belt fail or wear out prematurely, you may hear noise or you may see visible signs of deterioration such as missing chunks of rubber, excessive cracking, or a shredded appearance on the edge of the belt.
Battery Light. A loose belt, perhaps caused by a defective tensioner, may not drive the alternator at adequate speed and thus the battery may discharge, causing the warning light to illuminate.
Engine overheating. Often, the serpentine belt drives the water pump. In those applications, if the belt breaks the engine will overheat in seconds to minutes. If the belt is inadequately tensioned, you may notice higher-than-normal engine operating temperature.

How do mechanics replace the serpentine belt?

Prior to removing the belt, the mechanic must run the engine to determine if the idler pulley and the belt tensioner are noise-free. Those rotating components have grease filled bearings and are subject to wear. In addition, the mechanic will ensure that all pulleys and accessories are turning in the same plane. These steps help make sure your new belt will operate trouble-free for its full-service life.
The belt’s routing path through the various components is noted. The belt tensioner is released, usually with a wrench or lever, to release the tension from the belt. With the tension off, the belt slides off the pulleys.
All rotating components — that is the alternator, air conditioner compressor, etc. — are checked for smooth operation and no noise.
If everything checks out, the new belt is slipped over all of the pulleys while holding the tensioner away from the belt. Once the belt is centered on all pulleys, the tensioner is released and the installation is complete. The engine is run to ensure normal operation.

Is it safe to drive with a serpentine belt problem?

No. Should the belt have visible damage, you risk unexpected and sudden breakage that could potentially leave you stranded. Serpentine belt problems that result in the alternator not charging may cause the battery to discharge, which will result in loss of electrical power to the vehicle. Additionally, if a deteriorated belt breaks and that belt drives the water pump, the engine will overheat in a matter of seconds.

When replacing the serpentine belt keep in mind:

On many cars, the expected service life of a serpentine belt is around 90,000 miles. Should the belt fail well prior to that, a very careful inspection should be performed to check for out-of-alignment pulleys, a possibly out-of-position crankshaft harmonic balancer on which the drive pulley is mounted, binding pulleys, or a defective belt tensioner.
Attention should always be given to serpentine belt routing, since proper routing is critical to proper belt tension, and function of the driven components.
Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish serpentine belt related noise from other engine noises. In these cases, a mechanic will determine the origin of the noise by momentarily running the engine without the serpentine belt attached.

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Andrew

11 years of experience

337 reviews

Andrew

11 years of experience

by Latonya

BMW 535i xDrive L6-3.0L Turbo - Serpentine/Drive Belt - Ellicott City, Maryland

Flexible, great communication, experienced.

John

9 years of experience

12 reviews

John

9 years of experience

by ORLANDO

BMW 535i L6-3.0L Turbo - Serpentine/Drive Belt - Lyndhurst, New Jersey

Great experience. John was very professional and went out of his way to make sure my car was properly fixed. He was on time for the appointment and is very knowledgeable in the automotive field. I Recommend his services and will definetly hire him again for any future repairs my car may need.

Jeff

33 years of experience

441 reviews

Jeff

33 years of experience

by Mark

BMW Z4 L6-2.5L - Serpentine/Drive Belt - Roseville, California

Jeff was prompt. Jeff knew his stuff forward and backward. So much so that I went from my initial brake and rotor job, which turned out great, to setting an additional appointment to have a serpentine belt and a/c belt replacement job to be done by Jeff as well. Both jobs were done at my house. I would definitely recommend Jeff to my friends and I will plan on using him again if the need arises

Damian

11 years of experience

430 reviews

Damian

11 years of experience

by Leonardo

BMW 328i L6-3.0L - Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Great mechanic, knowledgeable and very helpful. He took the time to explain the work to be performed and what to keep an eye on.

Excellent Rating

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