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Vanos seals solution

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vanos
1M views 3K replies 573 participants last post by  wfx32 
#1 ·
As many of you know E46 6-cylinder cars are experiencing a vanos problem. A friend and I diagnosed this problem three years back. Here’s the link where we made our findings public. http://bimmer.roadfly.com/bmw/forums/e39/7494631-2.html

The double vanos in question is part # 11-36-1-440-142, and is found on 6-cyl engines M52TU, M54, M56. These engines are all found on E46 models. If you have an E46 6-cylinder (non-diesel, non-M3) then you have one of these engines and implicitly this vanos.
On M52TU cars, 99-00, the failing vanos is manifesting cold weather cold engine start idle jolts and possible stall. I expect most 99-00 owners have experienced this symptom. On cold mornings the DME utilizes the vanos to help warm up the cats to bring them to operating temperature faster. When the vanos malfunctions the DME reacts badly and causes the idle jolts and possible stall. This scenario was addressed in the subsequent engines M54 and M56 with a software patch to address the DME reaction to the failing vanos. There is also apparently an update to the M52TU software that also addresses the symptom.
The failing vanos will reduce torque and power, particularly in the lower RPM range (< 3K). Hiccups and hesitations are also experienced in the lower RPM range (< 3k). Owners are now also beginning to encounter fault codes caused by the failing vanos. These codes are all related to the vanos exhaust side.
P1520 (BMW 104, 0x68): B (exhaust) Camshaft Position Actuator (faulty reference value).
P1523 (BMW 106, 0x6A): B (exhaust) Camshaft Position Actuator Tight or Jammed (mechanically stuck).
P1397 (BMW 18, 0x12): Camshaft Position Sensor B (exhaust) Circuit.
The Camshaft Position Sensor (CPS) is a common failure. But if replacing the exhaust CPS (w/ OEM CPS) doesn’t work then it’s likely the vanos failure.

The vanos failure is due to deteriorating vanos piston seals. The seals are a combination of outer Teflon seal ring and underneath supporting O-ring. The O-rings are hardening, shrinking, and having flat top and bottom surfaces. This causes them to lose their supporting function to the Teflon seals. This causes the piston seal function to fail and in turn the vanos function to fail.
The OEM O-rings were tested for material makeup and were found to be made from Buna-N (Nitrile, NBR). This material is not compatible with the engine synthetic oil and high temperature. The high temperature in particular is causing its failure.

BMW was engaged for some period regarding this matter but has indicated they have no intention of addressing the issue.
http://bimmer.roadfly.com/bmw/forums/e39/7613395-2.html

The O-rings can be replaced with a better material to withstand the synthetic oil and high temperatures, but to replace the underneath O-rings the outer Teflon seals need to be removed and necessarily damaged. Thus the Teflon seals also need to be replaced in the process. The Teflon seals are significantly more expensive than the O-rings and need to be semi-custom manufactured. This has to be done in large volumes (thousands) to even approach a reasonable cost.
I have taken the initiative in the past two years to pursue this endeavor and have succeeded in reverse engineering the seals and producing a seals repair kit that addresses the vanos failure. Here is the post where I recently introduced this solution.
http://bimmer.roadfly.com/bmw/forums/e39/8705552-2.html

Here is the website for the company I created to vend the product: http://www.beisansystems.com
You will find more information there, including a repair procedure: http://www.beisansystems.com/procedures/vanos_procedure.htm
The procedure currently addressed the E46 with the electric fan. I hope to update it soon to show the E46 mechanical fan. For now the E39 mechanical fan removal can be referenced.

The vanos seals repair kit currently costs $60, plus $5 US shipping. It addresses all the known vanos failure symptoms. Owners have also been quite please with the performance enhancements attained from the repair.
A new (rebuilt) vanos will solve the vanos failure, but a new vanos costs ~$500. Even more problematic, a new vanos still comes with the same failing Buna O-rings. Numerous owners have installed new vanos units only to have them fail again. I inspected my new vanos seals after 20k miles and found them to be significantly degraded.

I will be happy to answer any questions. Please take the time to read the information in the referenced links.
In the future, please direct your questions to the vanos forum referenced by the Beisan website.
 
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#1,011 ·
I am gonna be doing smoke test, as I am having idle issue after supercharger install.
What happens is that once I start up the car, idle is perfect. Then after driving around and once I am coming to stop, with my clutch pressed in, the idle drops below 500 then bounces up and down and finally settles down. Sometimes my car stalls and on occasion I don't even experience idle issue (5%)
 
#1,012 ·
How many miles on your car?

Have you replaced your crankcase vent valve and 4 associate hoses?

Try to isolate the location of the noise.

Here are some other things to try.

Remove and check the idle control valve air intake boot branch. This gets cracks in the outer elbow accordion valleys. Remove and clean the idle control valve while you're at it.

Remove and check the DISA valve. This is a black box 4" high 6" wide on the side of the intake manifold adjacent to the MAF sensor. On 01+ cars the flap can come off its axis. Rotate the flap and release it. It should rotate with resistance and spring back when released. It should have no play.
On 01+ cars the DISA has an orange gasket built in at the base. It deteriorates over time and shrinks causing a vacuum leak. Place a 6" piece of electrical tape over a smooth surface. Cut the tape half width. Warp one layer of half width tape over the DISA base gasket. This will thicken the gasket and create a tighter fit with the intake manifold.
 
#1,014 · (Edited)
Rajae, I haven't replaced CCV yet. My idle issue started after install of SuperCharger but engine being louder started after Vanos seals repair.

Stuart, I am just waiting for PA Soft Scanner to come in and I will reset adaptations and see how that goes
If it doesn't fix it, I'll do a smoke test. I did use brake cleaner and soapy water but didn't find any leaks.

Here's what happens:
1. Start up the car, idle is perfect. This is when car is cold or warm.
2. Go for a drive, and if car is cold, the idle issue starts few mins after.
3. If the car is warm, the idle issue is present almost every time I press the clutch in.
4. So once idle issue occurs, I shut off the car, start it up and idle is solid again
It stays like this til I start driving and press the clutch in and coast to stop
 
#1,015 ·
How many miles on the car?

Check the CPS sensors for a BMW logo.
Have you replaced the DISA?
Have you replaced the idle control valve air intake boot?

With the engine off, carefully remove the vent hose from the valve cover front corner. Blow hard into the hose. Listen for oil to bubble in the oil pan. If you don't hear oil bubbling then you likely have a crankcase vent valve hose broken. The hose that goes from the bottom of the valve to the oil dipstick pipe breaks just below the valve. This causes a vacuum leak.
 
#1,016 ·
- CPS sensors are BMW OEM.
- Disa hasn't been replaced. Louder engine issue started after I did vanos seals
Idle issue started after SC was installed.
- idle control valve air intake boot has been replaced with a new one from SC kit. Verified using soapy water that no leaks are present there.

I will do the crankcase vent valve hose test tomorrow

Rajaie, one more time, thanks so much for your help
 
#1,017 ·
Just one suggestion or rather question.....You do realize that under vac., you can't use "soapy water" to verify vac. leaks. The soapy water would be getting sucked in instead of blown out (at least until the SC kicks in).
 
#1,018 ·
I've replaced my VANOS seals with the Beisan about 6 months ago and have had a persistant SES light since I did the work. What I have done in addition to the VANOS is as follows:


Valve cover gasket
All coils and spark plugs
Intake/Exhaust cam positioning sensors
Engine flush with Redline oil change
cleaned and inspected the idle control valve

My symptoms are as follows:

*SES light on:
VANOS, faulty exhaust reference value
misfire #5
misfire #3
misfire #6
(I'm guessing the faulty exhaust value message is causing the misfires since I've replaced all the coils recently. Anyone have any ideas? Did I screw something up when I replaced the VANOS seals?)

*Rough Idle (not bouncy or erratic, the engine vibrates the whole car....not smooth)
*The engine chokes when letting out the clutch at low RPMs (500 - 1500) from a stop
*General lack of mid range power (2500 - 3500 RPM) but good acceleration at higher RPMs
*When turning off the car, the engine makes a sort of cluck when it completely stops

The car is a manual 2000 323i with 101,000 miles.

Thanks!!
 
#1,021 ·
I presume you have code P1520. This can happen in some cases after the seals install but would go away shortly.

Are the new CPS sensors OEM (dealership). OEM sensors have a BMW logo. Inspect for this with a mirror and flashlight. OEM sensors cost over $100 each. If you paid ~$50 you likely received aftermarket sensors. Aftermarket sensors don't work and can cause problems like you have.

Have you replaced the crankcase vent valve and 4 associate hoses? If not they are likely failed by your miles. Here's a diagnosis method for the valve. With the engine warm at idle, place a plastic freezer storage bag on its side over the oil fill hole. If the bag gets sucked into the hole the valve is failed.
 
#1,019 ·
i have a rather uneducated guess.

Is there a chance you mismatched the coils to their power supply wiring?

I dont know much about the VANOS .. but possibly there is an electrical connector for a sensor (exhaust reference) that you forgot to reattach?

I say these because I hope its something simple for ya! (And I dont know much more..)
 
#1,020 ·
I actually brought the car to an indy BMW mechanic to see if he could figure it out. He decided to replace the coils to rule out any faulty ones which obviosusly didn't fix the problem. I trust he plugged everything in correctly. He mentioned after he replaced the coils that I may have reasembled the VANOS incorrectly somehow. Does anyone know what exactly "VANOS, faulty exhaust reference value" refer to? Does it simply mean there's somehting unplugged?
 
#1,022 ·
I made sure to use the OEM CPS sensors after reading numerous posts regarding the reliability (lack thereof) of the non OEM ones. I posted on a seperate thread regarding the CCV valve and it sounds like excesive oil consumption and smoke out of the tail pipe is one of the symtoms of it failing. My oil level doesn't change and no smoke. Would this count out the CCV?
 
#1,024 ·
I reset the SES light and the "VANOS, faulty exhaust reference value" minus the missfire codes came back. I also removed the oil filler cap while the engine was idling and there was definite suction that I could feel with my hand. The engine idles much more rough when I remove the cap as well. One thing I notices is that when I turn on the AC the idle smooths out. Not sure how that is related. Do you still recomend replacing the CCV?
 
#1,025 ·
You need to perform the test as I specified.
There is vacuum at the oil fill hole if the valve is good or failed. The vacuum is stronger when the valve is failed and that's what the test is attempting to assess. This needs a manometer to measure small vacuum, but the plastic freezer storage bag on its side is an effective alternate method.
Do this test at warm idle without the air conditioning.
 
#1,027 ·
I did the freezer bag test and it was definitely sucking it in. If I left it there it would have eventually sucked the whole bag under the valve cover. I reset the check engine light to see what new codes would come up and sure enough the "VANOS, faulty exhaust reference value" plus all 6 cylinder misfire codes came back. So, according to your calculations, random misfires + freezer bag sucking into the valve cover + the other symptoms I'e mentioned = CCV plus related hoses?
 
#1,028 ·
Your freezer bag test indicates your crankcase vent valve is failed. This causes a major vacuum leak and creates havoc with the car. It can cause your misfire symptoms. You need to replace the valve and 4 associate hoses.

The P1520 vanos exhaust fault is not likely causing your symptoms. The car will drive fine with it. I suggest to fix the valve and hoses first and see what happens with the P1520 code. Once the valve and hoses are replaced and the car is driving well, drive the car hard and see if that resolved the P1520 code. If it doesn't resolve get back a hold of me and I'll walk you through the other possibilities.
 
#1,029 ·
I replaced the CCV valve over the weekend and consensus is accurate: it is a major pain in the @$$. While I was in there I cleaned the throttle body, idle control valve, and mass airflow sensor. The random misfire codes are gone but the "VANOS, faulty exhaust reference value" keeps coming back. The idle is still a little rough though it seems better after the CCV replacement. Any ideas?
 
#1,032 ·
When you replaced the vanos seals did you remove two rings and install two rings for each piston groove?

Remove the vanos exhaust solenoid and the solenoid piston underneath it. You'll need a 32mm deep socket. Spray clean the solenoid piston and the vanos cavity it inserts into. The solenoid piston has a spring at the end of it. While mounted, press the piston in and release it. It should press in smoothly without sticking and spring back smoothly when released.
After you put everything back, clear the code and see if it comes back.

Here are the things that cause a P1520 code:
1. Failed vanos seals.
2. New rough vanos seals.
3. Aftermarket CPS sensor.
4. Sticking exhaust solenoid piston.
5. Wrong engine timing.
 
#1,033 · (Edited)
Yes. I made sure to follow your step by step directions exact. I replaced both seals for each groove, lubricated them with new engine oil, and made sure the pistons moved smoothly in their cylinders during reassembly. I'll remove and clean the VANOS exhaust solenoid and piston and let you know the results.

Number 4 and 5 are the most likely causes. Is it possible to mess up the engine timing when re-attaching the VANOS to the cylinder head?
 
#1,038 ·
This thread is a golden nugget and the OP is very knowledgable and helpful. e46fanatics should have a GOLDEN NUGGET section for threads like this :pimpin: . Very good info and exchange of ideas and scenarios from everyone. I hate to spoil it...

But I hope you dont mind me asking this:

This may be one of the dumbest question, if not The Dumbest, you'll ever read. Well, so be it but I'll be hard pressed if I dont ask this question.
If the vanos issue (low power,rattling) is more pronounced under 2K rpm,
can the rpm be manually or programmatically set to say 2.5-3.0 rpm (to mask the vanos problem), until such time the vanos problem is fixed? The question can be answered by Y or N, the dumb part is why would one waste gas (higher rpm) when you could just fix the damn vanos!.
Anyone know the answer (Y or N) for sure?
 
#1,041 · (Edited)
Hi Rajaie,

I ordered your seals two years ago and never installed them. They have been sitting in a drawer away from light all that time. I took them out of the package, and it still seems pliable. Should I order a new set since this has been sitting around? How long is their shelf life sitting around O2 and not bathed in oil?

Any new changes to the seal compound formula?

Let me know, the Vanos has 98,500 miles on it and I am now seeing a huge drop in mileage, bouncing of the RPMs, hesitation, and Vanos rattle. So time to delve into the project and get those little buggers replaced, but before I do I just want to make sure I can use the new seals from two years ago or if I need to order a new set. I dont' want to have to replace them again down the road.

TIA!!!
 
#1,047 ·
The seals are fine. The concern would be the Viton O-ring (brown). These have a shelf life of 20 years. They should be kept in a sealed container, like the product bag, and kept out of the light.

We changed the Teflon material starting Oct 15 08. We figured out what the OEM Teflon material is. It has a high grade carbon filler. We were using a standard carbon filler. We are having better results with the OEM filler. The seals are taking 200 miles instead of 500 miles to break-in. Also there can be rough running and codes at first. These problems are notably reduced with the OEM filler.
The standard carbon filler we were using is good and there's no need for anyone to be concerned. I have this in my car.

Contact me privately and I can swap out your seals kit with a new one.
 
#1,042 ·
^ good question! I've only had your seals 6 months or so, but also just sitting around on a shelf away from light.

Any problems with lifetime? Should I put a little oil in the bag with them to keep them fresh? Keep them at any specific temperature?

I do plan on putting them in soon but so many other projects with higher priority attached need attention first. Doh!
 
#1,045 ·
It's #13 on this parts diagram.
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=BN33&mospid=47710&btnr=11_2213&hg=11&fg=15

The stud is likely being pulled out of the engine head. The head is soft Aluminum and this can happen. If you decide to repair it you will need a 6mm helicoil. They have this at Autozone. Be sure you get the complete kit as you need the 7mm tap. You will unscrew the stud. Tap the hole with the 7mm tap. Screw in the helicoil. Then screw in the new stud. To screw and unscrew the stud, mount two nuts back to back on the stud and tighten them together. This will give you a hex to use a 10mm socket on.
This is not terrible. Don't be intimidated by it.
 
#1,051 ·
Almost 90,000 views...why isn't this stickied yet? This is a cheap and helpful fix/solution for all e46 owners.
 
#1,058 ·
I just started reading through alot of this, and it sounds like most e46 models will eventually need to have their seals replaced even thought my car is not exhibiting those symptons. Does that sound right? I've got 63000 miles on mines (2002 325cic) and i'm seriously considering getting one of the kits. Or should I just wait until the symptons appear first?
 
#1,062 · (Edited)
I'm glad you're still around, I was weary about purchasing these.

My car has 99,999KM (hehe), (62,000MILES ISH).

Around 2500-3000 RPM, my car "bounces". It literally feels like my car is bouncing. Imagine parked on a bridge, and you can feel it moving up and down.

Additionally, sometimes my car flutters around the 500-750 idle. It will try and stall, hiccup, regain itself, and then be smooth.
 
#1,064 ·
I'm glad you're still around, I was weary about purchasing these.

My car has 99,999KM (hehe), (62,000MILES ISH).

Around 2500-3000 RPM, my car "bounces". It literally feels like my car is bouncing. Imagine parked on a bridge, and you can feel it moving up and down.

Additionally, sometimes my car flutters around the 500-750 idle. It will try and stall, hiccup, regain itself, and then be smooth.
The hiccups are likely the vanos seals.
I'm not sure I understand the bouncing. The failed vanos seals will cause a bog under 3k RPM and a surge at 3k RPM. I guess this can cause the car to bounce.
 
#1,067 ·
Just installed the seal kit in my 99 328i this weekend. Very straightforward and the pictorial instructions on the website made everything nice and clear to understand. Hardest part was finding appropriate pliers to pull out the exhaust side cap (radiator was in the way!)

I DO still have a check engine light on, so I'm going to have to figure that one out (don't have a code reader), but it runs great.

I had the cold idle surge issue for a couple of years, but for some reason it had stopped last winter (I'm at 172K mi now). Either way, I had been planning to do it when I did a cooling system overhaul. Having done it, there was really no advantage to doing it at the same time as the cooling system work.

Hoping for an improvement in low-end torque. Seems like the engine just doesn't pull like it should at low revs and is downright sluggish accelerating with the A/C on. Hard to tell, but I think it's a little better right now, though I've only put on about 50 miles.

AM.
 
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