could use some camshaft sensor help

I had diagnostics run and my exhaust camshaft sensor is bad, i bought the part (12 14 7 518 628), now can anyone help me out with where it goes and how to do it? the more details the better. tia

Originally Posted by DiceyOne

I had diagnostics run and my exhaust camshaft sensor is bad, i bought the part (12 14 7 518 628), now can anyone help me out with where it goes and how to do it? the more details the better. tia

Here's a picture of where it goes - this is the front passenger side corner of the engine, between the radiator and the windshield washer reservoir. The sensor is held on with one bolt on the bottom, and the wires are held with a clip. Undo the bolt, unclip the wires, pull out the sensor. That's all there is to it. Oh, hopefully you also bought a new o-ring for the sensor.

^Slow, meant to update the other thread i had about this. It was $500 to replace total but our extended warranty(not BMW), covered about $250 of the $500.

Originally Posted by Cecil328i

^Slow, meant to update the other thread i had about this. It was $500 to replace total but our extended warranty(not BMW), covered about $250 of the $500.

What did they replace that cost $500? I forget what you had said... An exhaust camshaft position sensor is about $90 and it takes 15 minutes to change. Was something else broken?

Here's the final receipt:

MISC. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - REPAIR
12-14-7-518-628 PULSE GENERATOR $123.84
12-14-1-748-398 O-RING $2.70

ELEC THERMASTAT DEFECTIVE
82-14-1-467-704 ANTIFREEZE $22.00
11-53-0-139-877 THERMOSTAT W/HOUSING $78.77

CHECK FAULT ON DIS - FC18 EXHAUST CAM SIGNAL AND FC146 DMTL MINOR LEAK, AND FC123 ACTIVATION MAP COOLING. RUN TEST MODULE - DMTL PASSED, NEEDS CAM SENSOR AND MAP THERMOSTAT. REPLACED SENSOR AND THERMOSTAT, FILL AND BLEED SYSTEM.

It was $232.00 for LABOR ALONE, which just kills me. Then $227.31 for parts. Took over 3 hours. We paid $226.06 in the final amount.

Dang! If I remember correctly, my dealer sells the sensor for $87, the o-ring for 8 or 9 cents, and the thermostat for about $65. They charge $100/hr for labor, which is insane when you see the retards that actually work on the car...

Slow323ci, thanks you kindly. i owe you one

What was the code you had that determined the faulty camshaft sensor? I currently got a SES light due to code P1347 which I believe to be Crankshaft/Camshaft sensor from the info i got from my330.com. Anyone know what I need to replace based on the P-code I provided.

mine was P1397 Ignition or Misfire

P1347 = misfire cylinder 3 with fuel cut-off

Be careful not to strip the bolt...It looked kind of stripped when I tried to replace this anyway, but I threw it over the edge. I took it to the dealership and they removed the fan assembly and got the part changed. $64.

Originally Posted by slow323ci

Here's a picture of where it goes - this is the front passenger side corner of the engine, between the radiator and the windshield washer reservoir. The sensor is held on with one bolt on the bottom, and the wires are held with a clip. Undo the bolt, unclip the wires, pull out the sensor. That's all there is to it. Oh, hopefully you also bought a new o-ring for the sensor.

Is this the case for the 325i (2001) also? OBDII code is P0369 & seems like the exhaust sensor from info on the forum. Any DIY help will be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Originally Posted by pepsi

Is this the case for the 325i (2001) also? OBDII code is P0369 & seems like the exhaust sensor from info on the forum. Any DIY help will be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Yes. P0369 = exhaust camshaft position sensor intermittent. All the DIY info you need is under the photo.

before you actually change out the sensor, try removing and cleaning the connector first. i, too, had the SES light with the code for exhaust camshaft sensor, that was on for months, that would reappear shortly after i clear the code. when i removed the connector, i notice an oilly residude on the connector, so i took a paper towel, wiped up both end of the connector (male and female), plugged it back it, cleared the code, and the light has not reappeared since. so far it's been almost 2 months, and there's still no sign of the SES light. i guess in my case, the residue was interfering with the signal coming from the sensor.

Edawg-was about to post the exact same thing. Had same residue, cleaned it out, no reoccurance yet in 2 months. Only problem is the sensor will get oily again. Seems the problem is not the Hall effect pick-up, but the ability of the sensor housing to seal out the oil that seeps in. The sensor takes alot of heat cycles and this eventually causes the seepage. Obviously if on warranty, use BMW's nickel, but this "fix" works well enough that you can spend the $80-$90 on something else.

Originally Posted by shortyb

Edawg-was about to post the exact same thing. Had same residue, cleaned it out, no reoccurance yet in 2 months. Only problem is the sensor will get oily again. Seems the problem is not the Hall effect pick-up, but the ability of the sensor housing to seal out the oil that seeps in. The sensor takes alot of heat cycles and this eventually causes the seepage. Obviously if on warranty, use BMW's nickel, but this "fix" works well enough that you can spend the $80-$90 on something else.

Thanks guys. Great responses in a short time frame. I will try all suggestions before putting in the new exhaust sensor. My car has only 31,000 miles at this time - did not expect this problem so soon.

Originally Posted by slow323ci

Here's a picture of where it goes - this is the front passenger side corner of the engine, between the radiator and the windshield washer reservoir. The sensor is held on with one bolt on the bottom, and the wires are held with a clip. Undo the bolt, unclip the wires, pull out the sensor. That's all there is to it. Oh, hopefully you also bought a new o-ring for the sensor.

Is the bolt visible from this picture? I took a look at the sensor in my 323Ci 2000. I see the sensor connector and wire as seen in the picture, but I cannot see the bolt at all, unless it's the one to the immediate left of the sensor connector in the picture.

Originally Posted by asiangear

Is the bolt visible from this picture? I took a look at the sensor in my 323Ci 2000. I see the sensor connector and wire as seen in the picture, but I cannot see the bolt at all, unless it's the one to the immediate left of the sensor connector in the picture.

The bolt is below the connector. You can't see it in the photo.

Originally Posted by slow323ci

The bolt is below the connector. You can't see it in the photo.

Oh I see, it's a pretty cramped area, how can I even get a screwdriver or wrench in there?

Originally Posted by asiangear

Oh I see, it's a pretty cramped area, how can I even get a screwdriver or wrench in there?

Use a 1/4" drive ratchet with a short extension.