Crankshaft pulley

Vibration dampers are made of steel and rubber, and that rubber can degrade due to heat, exposure to engine oil, or simply age. Additionally, the rubber can also wear prematurely if the serpentine belt is over-tightened.

The vibration damper is attached to the crankshaft, and is used as a pulley to transfer rotational power from the crankshaft to the serpentine belt, which drives the engine’s accessories (alternator, AC compressor, vacuum pump, etc.)

Beyond being just a pulley, the primary function of a vibration damper is to minimize the vibrational forces generated by the engine’s crankshaft. The crankshaft experiences torsional vibration (twisting motion) due to the combustion process. If unchecked, these vibrations can lead to damage the engine—thus, the vibration damper is used to absorb and dissipate these vibrations.

There can be multiple, non-exchangeable variations of vibration damper for each engine type.

The best way to determine fitment compatibility of a vibration damper is to match the BMW part numbers from the catalogue. This can be done by decoding your vehicle’s VIN in a BMW EPC (electronic part catalogue.)

If you don’t have access to an EPC, provide our team with your vehicle’s 17-digit VIN—and we’ll check our stock for a compatible match.

Vibration dampers are highly interchangeable between models, but there can also be different non-exchangeable variations within an engine type.