Power steering belt- im at a loss

HDdave · 07-28-2026, 06:18 PM

Okay... I have read, re read... Looked at diagrams you name it. I feel like a damn moron- but I cannot for the life of me figure out whats going on here.. My car is March of 08 production date (according to ISTA), the door say 4/08.. But has had a questionable maintenance history.. I am pretty sure the engine is the original and not a replacement at least..

So I noticed some squealing and choppy steering at low speeds especially when starting the car and moving it out of the garage.. Along with another laundry list of stuff I was planning to attack. So I ordered the belt and pulleys for pre 5/15/08. It also appeared to me those were the parts on the car.

Well, if you can see by the pictures of how the idler pulley was attached with a non factory bolt, and two washers tucked behind it to keep it from hitting the water pump pulley (washers also dont appear factory, nor something BMW would do).. So I am wondering... did someone possibly convert my car to the newer pump at some point... As you can see from my pics, the belt was routed for a clockwise pump.. BUT- could this all have been converted and the last person that tried to fix this didnt realize and forced it to work with what they had??? I mean would the power steering pumo even work though? To me it seems like that idler pulley is veyr much installed backwards... Which begs my question- are the oil filter housings different? I dont see how they would not be.. The bolt I recieved with my new idler pulley and belts wont even come close to grabbing threads.. I tried to get a picture of the part # for off the power steering pump- but its hard to see 7693 974 121 is one of the numbers but I cant get it to generate anything online..

Anyone have thoughts on this..? I did order the post 5/08 belt and pulley kit too and express shipped it..

amg6975 · 07-29-2026, 07:41 AM

That is the old power steering pump configuration. The newer one uses a double ribbed belt and the "back side" of the belt spins the power steering pump.

No, the pump will not work if spun backwards.

HDdave · 07-29-2026, 08:17 AM

Exactly.. Sooo- Maybe at one point in the cars history (possibly the front end collision even tho it says minor). The oil filter housing was damaged or something and then replaced? But it was replaced with the oil filter housing from the new style belt system?

Because my oil filter housing is very obviously built to accept the new style Idler pulley. As you can see from my pictures, and how they jerry rigged it with washers and bolted the idler on backwards.

I guess that then leads to the question- can I just substitute for an idler pulley from the later manufacture dates? Or do I need to just get a new style steering pump- OR find an old style filter housing? I'm praying I can figure it out pretty quick. I am about 20 days from a 18 hour round trip planned with this thing..

HDdave · 07-29-2026, 03:13 PM

Well, that’s exactly what it is- This is the wrong style oil filter housing for my year motor. I found this one on eBay and it’s very obvious… So that’s cool.

HairTooLongToo · 07-30-2026, 03:45 PM

Glad you got the OFH figured out.

Quote:

Originally Posted by HDdave

So I noticed some squealing and choppy steering at low speeds especially when starting the car and moving it out of the garage..

Would love to know when you get this sorted. My car does the same thing with the choppiness. No squealing, but chirps until it warms up a bit. I've tried flushing the PS fluid with two new cans using the turkey baster method and I want to say that it did help. There's less chops coming out of the driveway (maybe only 2-3 now) and it's softer and less clunk-like when it does it. It also stays smooth for the rest of the day whereas before the flush it'll be choppy if I'm too aggressive with the wheel while parking it at my destination.

I've got a new PS belt and idler pulley waiting to go in when it's convenient. My car is an Mar '08 build with the single-sided, over the PS pump belt routing too.

HDdave · 08-03-2026, 05:34 PM

So as of now, I did also realize the tensioner pulley on the power steering side of things is also the updated, later one...

I have installed the correct oil filter housing- right now I am gonna just rock the new style tensioner pulley on that side. It seems to work fine with everything else.

Like I said- my main fear here is that MAYBE someone did this conversion with the new style anti clockwise pump- then later down the line someone else tried to do the belts without realizing it- and routed the PS pump belt wrong. But like someone had mentioned- I dont think the pump would work at all if it was spinning the wrong way.. Hopefully test drive sometime soon here and see. I think the chopping and sqealing I was dealign with, was just the incorrect idler pulley on there woerking itself loose.

07-28-2026, 06:18 PM	#1
HDdave Enlisted Member 17 Rep 38 Posts Drives: 03.5 M3 6mt, 08 M3 6mt Join Date: Apr 2026 Location: Wilmington, NC iTrader: (0)	Power steering belt- im at a loss Okay... I have read, re read... Looked at diagrams you name it. I feel like a damn moron- but I cannot for the life of me figure out whats going on here.. My car is March of 08 production date (according to ISTA), the door say 4/08.. But has had a questionable maintenance history.. I am pretty sure the engine is the original and not a replacement at least.. So I noticed some squealing and choppy steering at low speeds especially when starting the car and moving it out of the garage.. Along with another laundry list of stuff I was planning to attack. So I ordered the belt and pulleys for pre 5/15/08. It also appeared to me those were the parts on the car. Well, if you can see by the pictures of how the idler pulley was attached with a non factory bolt, and two washers tucked behind it to keep it from hitting the water pump pulley (washers also dont appear factory, nor something BMW would do).. So I am wondering... did someone possibly convert my car to the newer pump at some point... As you can see from my pics, the belt was routed for a clockwise pump.. BUT- could this all have been converted and the last person that tried to fix this didnt realize and forced it to work with what they had??? I mean would the power steering pumo even work though? To me it seems like that idler pulley is veyr much installed backwards... Which begs my question- are the oil filter housings different? I dont see how they would not be.. The bolt I recieved with my new idler pulley and belts wont even come close to grabbing threads.. I tried to get a picture of the part # for off the power steering pump- but its hard to see 7693 974 121 is one of the numbers but I cant get it to generate anything online.. Anyone have thoughts on this..? I did order the post 5/08 belt and pulley kit too and express shipped it.. Attached Images Last edited by HDdave; 07-28-2026 at 07:23 PM..
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07-29-2026, 07:41 AM	#2
amg6975 BimmerPost Supporting Vendor 865 Rep 893 Posts Drives: '12 M1.5 Join Date: May 2017 Location: Rochester NY iTrader: (0)	That is the old power steering pump configuration. The newer one uses a double ribbed belt and the "back side" of the belt spins the power steering pump. No, the pump will not work if spun backwards. __________________ Help me help you: www.flightmotorsports.com
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07-29-2026, 08:17 AM	#3
HDdave Enlisted Member 17 Rep 38 Posts Drives: 03.5 M3 6mt, 08 M3 6mt Join Date: Apr 2026 Location: Wilmington, NC iTrader: (0)	Exactly.. Sooo- Maybe at one point in the cars history (possibly the front end collision even tho it says minor). The oil filter housing was damaged or something and then replaced? But it was replaced with the oil filter housing from the new style belt system? Because my oil filter housing is very obviously built to accept the new style Idler pulley. As you can see from my pictures, and how they jerry rigged it with washers and bolted the idler on backwards. I guess that then leads to the question- can I just substitute for an idler pulley from the later manufacture dates? Or do I need to just get a new style steering pump- OR find an old style filter housing? I'm praying I can figure it out pretty quick. I am about 20 days from a 18 hour round trip planned with this thing..
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07-29-2026, 03:13 PM	#4
HDdave Enlisted Member 17 Rep 38 Posts Drives: 03.5 M3 6mt, 08 M3 6mt Join Date: Apr 2026 Location: Wilmington, NC iTrader: (0)	Well, that’s exactly what it is- This is the wrong style oil filter housing for my year motor. I found this one on eBay and it’s very obvious… So that’s cool. Attached Images
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08-03-2026, 05:34 PM	#6
HDdave Enlisted Member 17 Rep 38 Posts Drives: 03.5 M3 6mt, 08 M3 6mt Join Date: Apr 2026 Location: Wilmington, NC iTrader: (0)	So as of now, I did also realize the tensioner pulley on the power steering side of things is also the updated, later one... I have installed the correct oil filter housing- right now I am gonna just rock the new style tensioner pulley on that side. It seems to work fine with everything else. Like I said- my main fear here is that MAYBE someone did this conversion with the new style anti clockwise pump- then later down the line someone else tried to do the belts without realizing it- and routed the PS pump belt wrong. But like someone had mentioned- I dont think the pump would work at all if it was spinning the wrong way.. Hopefully test drive sometime soon here and see. I think the chopping and sqealing I was dealign with, was just the incorrect idler pulley on there woerking itself loose.
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