Project 'Modern E36' - My 2009 BMW 128i

[Jake]

Mileage: 57,770

Replaced the drive belt tensioner last night, after having my technician friend at the dealer tell me it was starting to sling grease and not tension as well as it should. He told me that a few months ago, so I figured it might be good to spend the $77 and just get this done before winter hits and my drive to work on cars goes down a bit.

Easiest. Job. Ever.

Four T10 bolts let you remove the "air collector" - the plastic tube that shoots air from the kidneys over to the intake. Take a T60 and remove tension from the drive belt, and slide the belt off the tensioner (it can stay wrapped around the other pulleys). Then use an E14 socket to remove the tensioner. Boom, done.

You're supposed to use a new bolt, as they are aluminum and stretch-with-torque or whatever. So, I did.

Old one looked a little grody: