BMW 228i xDrive Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement at your home or office.

Our mobile mechanics offer services 7 days a week. Upfront and transparent pricing.

Estimate price near me

Service Location

Customer Ratings

(248)

Included for free with this service

Online Booking

Mechanic comes to you

12-month / 12k-mile warranty

Free 50 point safety inspection

Our certified mobile mechanics can come to your home or office 7 days a week between 7 AM and 9 PM.

Customer Ratings

(248)

Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement Service

How much does a Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement cost?

On average, the cost for a BMW 228i xDrive Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement is $179 with $39 for parts and $140 for labor. Prices may vary depending on your location.

CarServiceEstimateShop/Dealer Price
2016 BMW 228i xDriveL4-2.0L TurboService typeSerpentine/Drive Belt ReplacementEstimate$232.40Shop/Dealer Price$258.05 - $320.83
2015 BMW 228i xDriveL4-2.0L TurboService typeSerpentine/Drive Belt ReplacementEstimate$223.39Shop/Dealer Price$245.95 - $306.41
Show example BMW 228i xDrive 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.

Fast and easy service at your home or office

Backed by 12-month, 12.000-mile guarantee


Meet some of our expert BMW mechanics

Real customer reviews from BMW owners like you.

Excellent Rating

(248)

Rating Summary
237
2
4
1
4
237
2
4
1
4

Jimmi

28 years of experience
343 reviews
Jimmi
28 years of experience
BMW 228i xDrive L4-2.0L Turbo - Brake Rotor/Disc Replacement (Rear) - Sanford, Florida
I will only work with Jimmi. Honest mechanic and quality work.

Behrak

10 years of experience
403 reviews
Behrak
10 years of experience
BMW 228i xDrive L4-2.0L Turbo - Oil Change - Duluth, Georgia
Great first experience - will definitely use again!

Damian

12 years of experience
465 reviews
Damian
12 years of experience
BMW 228i xDrive L4-2.0L Turbo - Oil Change - Kensington, Maryland
Damian showed up early to my appointment. He was courteous and friendly.

Kris

17 years of experience
97 reviews
Kris
17 years of experience
BMW X5 L6-3.0L - Serpentine/Drive Belt - Atlanta, Georgia
Prompt and thorough -

Excellent Rating

(248)

Rating Summary
237
2
4
1
4
237
2
4
1
4
Number of BMW Serpentine/Drive Belt Replacement services completed
2728+
services done by our mechanics
TOTAL NUMBER OF EXPERT BMW MECHANICS
1200+
experts on our platform

Recent articles & questions

Symptoms of a Bad or Failing Crankshaft Seal
If your car is reaching high mileage or is experiencing oil leaks, it may be time to replace the crankshaft seal.
How to Replace a Console Shift Indicator Bulb
Console shift indicator bulbs allow you to view your gears in the dark. This bulb can either last the life of the car or break unexpectedly.
The Top 5 Selling Cars in Alabama in 2012
2012 2012 was a great year in Alabama for auto manufacturing, but that wasn’t the only bright spot. Vehicle sales in Alabama were also robust in 2012. Nothing much changed in terms of the vehicle types that were most popular...

How do I reactivate the auto-up and auto-down features?

The auto-up and auto-down features allow you to entirely roll up or down a power window with one press of a button. Sometimes the auto-up and auto-down functions stop working, and need to be reactivated. To do this, pull the...

I have a p0016 code - crankshaft position sensor on FJ Cruiser 2007, how do I replace it

The crankshaft position sensor is located down on the right side (if you are standing facing the engine from the front of the vehicle) of the motor just to the right of the crankshaft pulley. To remove this, disconnect the...

Car dies after warming up restarts right after then dies shortly after

The first thing to check for is air leaks. Any air that gets into the engine without passing through the Mass Air Flow meter (MAF) will dilute the fuel mixture and lead to just this kind of behavior. At your...

How can we help?

Our service team is available 7 days a week, Monday - Friday from 6 AM to 5 PM PST, Saturday - Sunday 7 AM - 4 PM PST.

1 (855) 347-2779 · hi@yourmechanic.com