Vanos change on BMW 530i - large pics

Matt Simis

The 530i we recently bought had a disconcerting rattlely noise if you hold it exactly at 2000rpm as well as iffy performance at 60-80mph, it just has no ingear performance and wants to drop 2 gears (damn auto) to move on the motorway. Not good for fuel and not good for smooth driving.

The sound and inconsistant performance sounded a lot like a Vanos problem. Its generally accepted that due to BMWs usage of Buna rubber for Vanos seals only last 20k miles before leaking. The completely reburbed units (or just the replacement seals from Beisansystems) are made from Viton, which has a much longer serviceable life.
So I ordered a "DrVanos" refurbed unit (as I suspected the bearings were also gone, not just the seals).

Started at 1pm on Saturday and was finished at 11ish. Had to stop several times as parts were so seized I broke various tools. A "industrial" grade Socket and Bit were borrowed to use along with my Breaker bar to get the seized on plates off the front of the Vanos unit.
I took some photos of the process for anyone interested:

Starting off


Remove Engine vanity Covers


Remove Fan and Cowel (very annoying to do but you dont have space to get at the bolts on the vanos otherwise)


Remove Rocker Cover (replace gasket when reassembling)


Close up of old one installed, probably not meant to have the hardened oil caked into it like that


Undo 6 mounting nuts, 2 left threaded interior bolts and the plates and it pulls straight out. Timing tool not needed on E39 Dual Vanos, it is on others


Comparison of old vs new out of car



All done




Did it fix the problem? Not quite, performance is better all round, with a more noticeable increase at the low end, pull off etc. Need to fully determine if the noise is gone later. They say it takes 200miles to bed in the new seals anyway, so it will slowly get better over the week. Ill continue investigating the top end performance.

Still, I was happy to successfully pull this off in the extreme wind, rain and darkness yesterday. :pac:

JHMEG

Fair balls to ya, and yesterday of all days.

Quick question, does a vanos malfunction not illuminate the CEL at all? Where I am there are sensors on everything and we get OBD codes P1257 etc., altho the system is very reliable and not known for malfunctions.

slickmcvic

what exactly does the vanos unit do...I've heard of them giving trouble in M3's before..are they in every car or unique to BMW engines?

Muckie

Well done. Big enough job to take on by yourself.
Bet your glad(wallet too) that you didnt go near BMW with it.
Nice photos and step by step too.
Hope your trouble free now for a good while.

Matt Simis

JHMEG wrote: »

Fair balls to ya, and yesterday of all days.

Quick question, does a vanos malfunction not illuminate the CEL at all? Where I am there are sensors on everything and we get OBD codes P1257 etc., altho the system is very reliable and not known for malfunctions.

Bit of a conspiracy theory answer to that one... it does generate a telltale DTC (one of several) however it doesnt usually show a CEL. BMW changed the ECU handling of Vanos errors to.. um mask the problem. I dont know the official line on that one, but after a certain point (or ECU flash), BMWs strangely no longer seemed plagued by Vanos errors, but still physically had broken Vanos units as there are inherent design flaws in the rubber choice. I guess if the Vanos unit was dangerously failing there is a CEL, as there is a "Vanos Failure" type DTC.

@slickmcvic
Vanos is a variable valve timing mechanism, it varies valve timing by moving the camshafts. Double Vanos like this one is continuously variable. It improves torque and emissions and overall smoothness.

Vanos variants are on BMWs since the early 90s and is similar (at least in its goals) to VTEC and VVTI etc.

daveharnett

Good thread Matt. I'm curious to know if Dr Vanos will give a full refund for the original gunky vanos unit. Let us know you find out?
Cheers.

slickmcvic

Matt Simis wrote: »

@slickmcvic
Vanos is a variable valve timing mechanism, it varies valve timing by moving the camshafts. Double Vanos like this one is continuously variable. It improves torque and emissions and overall smoothness.

Vanos variants are on BMWs since the early 90s and is similar (at least in its goals) to VTEC and VVTI etc.

....cool thanks in the process of taken apart a toyota 20V engine myself...gonna clean it up as a display model...it can't be repaired as a piston shot through the block!!

JHMEG

Matt Simis wrote: »

Bit of a conspiracy theory answer to that one...

Jeez, there certainly is!

Are ye an all BMW household now, moved on from VAG? Where's the Supra fuel pump now? Running any E85 these days?

As an aside looking at that vanos mechanism it seems fairly straightforward, and you'd wonder where the problems come from... that is until you mention the type of rubber. I had the opportunity recently to look and a SOHC 16-valve head that shuts down 4 valves to go into a lean burn mode, but can also go into wide open mode for extra poke when required, ie has 3 'stages'. Talk about mind boggling... all that from a single cam! My head hurt trying to figure out what was going on!

Matt Simis

JHMEG wrote: »

Jeez, there certainly is!

Are ye an all BMW household now, moved on from VAG? Where's the Supra fuel pump now? Running any E85 these days?

Yeah, all BMW now, though that wasnt really the plan. The 530i Touring had better MPG (and lower performance) than the Audi Allroad, which was more important atm. A 530d would have been better again, but the EUR3k premium once VRT was put into it made that a non-runner.

No E85 for me right now, might try the 530i on 30% to see if I can find a sweet spot. The Supra fuel pump, along with its fancy direct to battery power line hookup was sold with the Allroad.. major overkill there!

JHMEG

Jaysus lad if you're looking for MPG a 530i Touring isn't the place to start!

I ran 50% E85 there recently and I couldn't really tell any sort of major difference (I've an unconventional starter tho, so hard starting isn't something I'll notice), but am spending a lot of time in Lovely Leitrim of late where E85 is unavailable so the experiments have gone on hold. I'll try 60% when I get back. The balls is having to work out miles per € as opposed to miles per gallon.