BMW Harmonic Balancer - Genuine BMW 11238638446

Product Information

An Engine Crankshaft Pulley (also known as a harmonic balancer or crank pulley) is a wheel attached to the engine’s crankshaft. It serves two primary purposes:

• Power Transmission: It drives various engine accessories (such as the alternator, water pump, power steering pump, and air conditioning compressor) through the serpentine or V-belt.

• Vibration Dampening: The crankshaft pulley often includes a rubber damper to absorb vibrations created by the engine’s combustion cycles, protecting the crankshaft from excessive vibration and potential damage over time

• Engine Vibrations: A failing or damaged pulley can lead to excessive engine vibrations, particularly at higher RPMs, because it no longer dampens the crankshaft’s vibrations effectively
• Visible Belt Misalignment: If the pulley is damaged or wobbly, it can misalign the serpentine belt, which may be visible on inspection and could result in premature belt wear
• Power Loss to Accessories: A failing pulley can lead to reduced or intermittent power to accessories like the alternator, power steering, or air conditioning due to belt slippage or pulley misalignment

About Genuine BMW

The original parts used by BMW to build your car are available as replacement parts under the “Genuine BMW” brand. When ordering a Genuine BMW part you are guaranteed to get the same part that you would pick up from your local dealerships part department. Genuine BMW parts have been built to BMW’s stringent standards and are the same quality of the original parts used to build your Ultimate Driving Machine.

You may not realize this, but the parts that make up your BMW are not necessarily manufactured by BMW. No cause for concern, as BMW designs the part, hires a manufacturer, and ensures its quality to you. In fact, many of these manufacturers have been making parts for BMW for decades. In our industry these manufacturers are called OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturers), and these are often brands you recognize, including Lemforder, ZF, Sachs, Bosch, Valeo, Zimmermann, Siemens VDO, Corteco, and more. Don’t be surprised to open that Genuine BMW parts box and find an OEM branded part inside, simply with the addition of a BMW logo.

Be sure to keep an eye out for OE tags on our product pages to quickly identify parts coming direct from OE manufacturers. That extra bit of insight could save you some serious money while shopping! Refer to our OE Academy for further information regarding the OE/OEM tags throughout the site.