One of my favourite TH-cam series, when bored I just roll through your older videos and think of new stuff to do to mine. As a Euro mechanic, I approve your work.
Been out of the n54 game for a while, bought one for a steal cause it needs this job done and this guy comes in clutch time and time again for all my n54 needs. Thank you brother!
Literally TODAY I get the follow up from my mechanic telling me "Found the problem, you need new camshaft trays." This is after getting "reduced power" and vanos codes. Mind you this is a N54 in a 535i with only 72,000~ miles... Funny how I come home to this video, lucky me lol
Very lucky how it turns into a $1,000+ fix in parts alone 😭 Did the new ledges solve your issues and it’s been running great since? What Vanos code were you getting?
@@boost7236 Yeup. Started out as 2A98 and somehow turned into 2A99 and been that ever since. I ended up replacing both bearing ledges with new ones and cam seals. Retimed the engine, put it all back together again, runs good for two days then 2A99 and 3001 back again… So now I’m quite sure it’s the crank hub slipping or something going on down below with the crankshaft side of things unfortunately 😪
@@austinmerrival927 dude I don’t understand why these n54s treat us like shit lol literally having the same issue mine started off as simple vanos code but would only come on when I do hard pulls on boost target , the other day I was at a stop sign that’s when something snapped and now I have 2a98 and 99 along side with 3100 limp mode , as of now I removed my valve cover and it’s still off trying to figuring what I should do next , my car wont start unless I keep trying a couple times it will start .. thinking of just resetting the timing first before doing anything else at this point lol can’t even sleep because of how stress this fuckin car has me lol
@@boost7236 Well misery loves company doesn’t it? 😂😅 I really thought I was smart getting a manual transmission that’d be a lot less trouble than the automatics and DCT’s, but evidently the spun crank hubs are prevalent in the manual transmissions 😪 I feel your pain, my 535i xDrive has been down all summer. I have easily over $20,000 into the car and only have got to enjoy it for not even 6k miles.. My issues started when I was just driving home, no pulls or pushing the car at all. Since your’s is having trouble cranking and starting, I would definitely check out the crank position sensor as that is a common cause for that issue. But as for 2A98 being present at the same time I couldn’t tell ya for sure. I’ve retimed the engine before and car ran perfect for 6 days then back to the same shit… Maybe it’s be worth it to have it properly diagnosed by a shop that specializes in Euros before you have to fire off the parts cannon like me.
When reinstalling my cam ledges, I found that zip ties are an excellent substitute for the expensive clamp tools. After everything was hand tight, I just clipped the zip ties and they slid right out from under the cam ledge assemblies. Just make sure you position them so that they don’t interfere with the rockers/valves.
One thing to do when trays are out is test the ring and see if it will seal tight. install the ring in the tray with out the cam with a clamp tight enough to mimic pressure from the bolts. Then put pressure on the seal. Should be nice and snug. If it is it will seal fine and if it slips off it is to worn out.
If you want to remove the top cam tray to exam the rockers, springs, etc do you need to lock the phasers? Do you need to replace the cam bolts and remove outside in?
Please someone tell me how to rotate the crank so that the QR codes are facing upright. I don’t know if it’s supposed to be hard to get to or something but I have no idea how to turn the crank.
Great video OP. I have a couple of questions that hopefully you or one of your viewers can answer. I get intake and boost pressure codes. Cleaned and swapped solenoids over, still get intake and boost pressure code so I'm assuming its the camledge, not the solenoid. Also, only happens when engine is up to full temps so presumably the oil is less viscous and prone to get past the ring....I'm making an assumption if anyone wants to chime in on my theory. Also, when the engine is hot, if I reset the codes they come back in half a mile or less. If I let it cool down they don't come back until the engine is hot again. Someone said to reset adaptations, reflash my MHD stg 2 tune and also get a new battery. My trip gauge and clock keep resetting so I think the battery is nearing end of life. No cranking issues yet. Just adding that in there in case any of that is a potential cause of my Vanos issues. Questions : 1) So is it only the intake camledge given that that is the only side I get an error for ? 2) Do I need to purchase a dummy tensioner if I buy that timing tool set that locks the camshafts ? 3) How do you compress the two valve springs that are all the way closed - there's a tool for it but I don't see you using one. Most other videos on this topic say it's extremely risky to attempt this without all of the tools including the camledge clamp tools....I'm not seeing it myself. 4) The Vanos plate bolts have to be replaced, do the cam ledge bolts as well ? What about the two bolts on the front of the guide ? 5) Should I replace the tensioner ? Car has 91K miles. Would appreciate if anyone has any answers - thanks for reading my tale of woe..... ;-)
just had the same problem things I read and fixed make sure the strainer is still in the oil filter with that little green gasket on the bottom of (it's important for vanos pressure) Vanos solenoids camshaft sensors the two small sensors right by the Vanos solenoids vanos filters crankshaft sensor and make sure the vanos solenoids have the rubber gasket and the plastic ring on it also, your oil BMW recommends 5W-30 I personally use 5W-40... try changing your oil to 30 after you've replaced the parts and reset the adaptations for the vanos(only if you put both new ones in) My code went away after all that was replaced. I'm not sure which one fixed it but something in the list will maybe do it if it isn't your cam ledge. hope this helps
@@dylanellis7923 thanks. I did everything you did, I've always used the BMW oil kit from FCP Euro which is 5w30. I reset the adaptations and ever since I did that I haven't had a code so hopefully that was it.
Do you have some oil comsuption? I have e90 330i with 200000 km and I have to filling oil 1l per 1000km. Thanks about your videos! I learn pretty much it!
I have an 07 bmw 335i. valve stem seals bad not one's do that work in fort worth texas where I live, local mecanic shop they telling me to change my engine would yo do the job for me
FYI My 2012 Z4 with an N54 was throwing vanos codes every day. I thought the cam ledges would be okay because I read they should have the factory teflon seals but I opened it up anyway and found extreme wear WITH the teflon seals at 97k miles. Kinda sucks knowing even with the new seals I still had the issue.
@@VehicularDIY I only did the intake tray a week ago as that was the only code being thrown and I didn't have the extra cash to do the exhaust. After being bolted up though the engine now has a tick and misfires at high RPM so I'm going to have to open it up again and back trace. I have a feeling it might have to do with the vanos plate slipping a bit after torquing and or me guessing the chain pre tension lol.
@@carlosdanger8641 Please can you provide an update when you have one. I also have intake only codes (with boost pressure code) and I'm thinking about only replacing the intake side. The video doesn't show anything about the orientation of the Vanos plates or the "dummy" chain tensioner so I'm not sure whrether these tools are needed or not. I read somewhere that 2mm of deflection on the chain is "close enough" but this isn't the time for guesswork.
@@Mandinka711 So I ended up redoing everything and found one of the rockers came loose from a valvespring. Be VERY careful to double check they're seated on the valve spring before tightening they slide to the sides very easily. You absolutely need the vanos plate alignment tool which came with my cam locking tool and dummy tensioner. Got it off Amazon for $90 I believe and it came with everything. I did however need to shave some material from the flywheel pin with a grinder. You might also want to pickup a took that can hit the 5.3 In-Ibs required for the dummy tensioner and associated adapters. I ended up using a new OEM chain tensioner instead and everything seems okay. If you have any more questions I'm willing to help out just reach out to me.
@@carlosdanger8641 Thanks, appreciate it. So you didn't have a tool to compress the two valves that stick up at TDC, you just slowly and evenly bolted down the cam ledge over the top of it, compressing them as they go ? Did you do both intake and exhaust ? DId you use "used" or new ledges and if so did you re-use your camshafts ? The two Vanos sprocket bolts have to be replaced, what about the ledge bolts ? Thanks !
Nice job! One year ago, when I replaced broken aluminum head bolts in my N52 (common problem), I did not replaced those camshaft bolts. I have made about 10k km since then without problem. Do You think that I may encounter problem in the future because of old camshafts bolts?
Thanks! No you should be fine, I had ordered new bolts but they didn't arrive in time. I did some investigating and found they weren't an absolute must replace type of bolt and reused the old ones. I'm going to just RMA the new bolts I have as they came a week late.
Love watching this series (and your other vids). You expressed some concern about the amount of wear caused by the steel 'Rectangrings' as the Germans call them. But in reality, you'd had no Vanos issues from this level of wear. And there are plenty of owners on the forums running 300K+ mileages from these engines with original rings. Maybe if you hadn't had to access the valvetrain for other reasons, your steel rings would have given many more years of service. Just saying...
Doing it in your pj's sure makes it seem simple lol. I'm a bit nervous but hopefully i wont have unknown issues in this process I can't solve. I'll be most likely going with the same tools you used except I have the stock flywheel so should have the locking pin to use. Any absolute nono's that didn't make the video I should be extra careful or sure of? (Besides everything of course:). Thanks again!
One thing I can think of is the bolts, I had ordered new bolts to hold the trays but they arrived way late. They are steel and they can be reused from what I had read but if you want to be extra careful you could replace the bolts. There are 29 of them.
@@VehicularDIY thanks about the bolts, I'll order new to be safe. My luck it would bite me from using stretched ones. Thanks again, excited to get it done. You notice a difference I now end pick up with the rebuild? Assuming that the vanos will actually shift laterally and do what it should once the ledges and seals are in spec.
One of my favourite TH-cam series, when bored I just roll through your older videos and think of new stuff to do to mine. As a Euro mechanic, I approve your work.
Been out of the n54 game for a while, bought one for a steal cause it needs this job done and this guy comes in clutch time and time again for all my n54 needs. Thank you brother!
Literally TODAY I get the follow up from my mechanic telling me "Found the problem, you need new camshaft trays."
This is after getting "reduced power" and vanos codes. Mind you this is a N54 in a 535i with only 72,000~ miles... Funny how I come home to this video, lucky me lol
Very lucky how it turns into a $1,000+ fix in parts alone 😭 Did the new ledges solve your issues and it’s been running great since? What Vanos code were you getting?
@@austinmerrival927 are you getting codes 2a98 and 99?
@@boost7236 Yeup. Started out as 2A98 and somehow turned into 2A99 and been that ever since. I ended up replacing both bearing ledges with new ones and cam seals. Retimed the engine, put it all back together again, runs good for two days then 2A99 and 3001 back again… So now I’m quite sure it’s the crank hub slipping or something going on down below with the crankshaft side of things unfortunately 😪
@@austinmerrival927 dude I don’t understand why these n54s treat us like shit lol literally having the same issue mine started off as simple vanos code but would only come on when I do hard pulls on boost target , the other day I was at a stop sign that’s when something snapped and now I have 2a98 and 99 along side with 3100 limp mode , as of now I removed my valve cover and it’s still off trying to figuring what I should do next , my car wont start unless I keep trying a couple times it will start .. thinking of just resetting the timing first before doing anything else at this point lol can’t even sleep because of how stress this fuckin car has me lol
@@boost7236 Well misery loves company doesn’t it? 😂😅 I really thought I was smart getting a manual transmission that’d be a lot less trouble than the automatics and DCT’s, but evidently the spun crank hubs are prevalent in the manual transmissions 😪 I feel your pain, my 535i xDrive has been down all summer. I have easily over $20,000 into the car and only have got to enjoy it for not even 6k miles.. My issues started when I was just driving home, no pulls or pushing the car at all. Since your’s is having trouble cranking and starting, I would definitely check out the crank position sensor as that is a common cause for that issue. But as for 2A98 being present at the same time I couldn’t tell ya for sure. I’ve retimed the engine before and car ran perfect for 6 days then back to the same shit… Maybe it’s be worth it to have it properly diagnosed by a shop that specializes in Euros before you have to fire off the parts cannon like me.
When reinstalling my cam ledges, I found that zip ties are an excellent substitute for the expensive clamp tools. After everything was hand tight, I just clipped the zip ties and they slid right out from under the cam ledge assemblies. Just make sure you position them so that they don’t interfere with the rockers/valves.
That is an awesome idea! Thanks!
How come theres no gaskets when he put the cam shaft covers in?
Hands down favorite TH-cam channel! Thank you! 🙏🏻
One thing to do when trays are out is test the ring and see if it will seal tight. install the ring in the tray with out the cam with a clamp tight enough to mimic pressure from the bolts. Then put pressure on the seal. Should be nice and snug. If it is it will seal fine and if it slips off it is to worn out.
how do you know that the cams are phased right when going back together?eyeball the q codes up on the cams?
this is the only "mechanic owned" used bmw I would ever buy
Could you use that flywheel locking tool with the oil pan on?
Hi ,is it ok to just replace new updated plastic rectangring? or do i need to replace everything?
If you want to remove the top cam tray to exam the rockers, springs, etc do you need to lock the phasers? Do you need to replace the cam bolts and remove outside in?
Is it enough when i replace only the input cam seals? Because i got only vanos failure with this side, not with the exhaust.
Please someone tell me how to rotate the crank so that the QR codes are facing upright. I don’t know if it’s supposed to be hard to get to or something but I have no idea how to turn the crank.
Hi , Could you tell me if the cam ledge bolts are one time use ? Or can I reuse them and torque to specks?
Great video OP. I have a couple of questions that hopefully you or one of your viewers can answer. I get intake and boost pressure codes. Cleaned and swapped solenoids over, still get intake and boost pressure code so I'm assuming its the camledge, not the solenoid. Also, only happens when engine is up to full temps so presumably the oil is less viscous and prone to get past the ring....I'm making an assumption if anyone wants to chime in on my theory. Also, when the engine is hot, if I reset the codes they come back in half a mile or less. If I let it cool down they don't come back until the engine is hot again.
Someone said to reset adaptations, reflash my MHD stg 2 tune and also get a new battery. My trip gauge and clock keep resetting so I think the battery is nearing end of life. No cranking issues yet. Just adding that in there in case any of that is a potential cause of my Vanos issues.
Questions :
1) So is it only the intake camledge given that that is the only side I get an error for ?
2) Do I need to purchase a dummy tensioner if I buy that timing tool set that locks the camshafts ?
3) How do you compress the two valve springs that are all the way closed - there's a tool for it but I don't see you using one. Most other videos on this topic say it's extremely risky to attempt this without all of the tools including the camledge clamp tools....I'm not seeing it myself.
4) The Vanos plate bolts have to be replaced, do the cam ledge bolts as well ? What about the two bolts on the front of the guide ?
5) Should I replace the tensioner ? Car has 91K miles.
Would appreciate if anyone has any answers - thanks for reading my tale of woe..... ;-)
just had the same problem
things I read and fixed
make sure the strainer is still in the oil filter with that little green gasket on the bottom of (it's important for vanos pressure)
Vanos solenoids
camshaft sensors the two small sensors right by the Vanos solenoids
vanos filters
crankshaft sensor
and make sure the vanos solenoids have the rubber gasket and the plastic ring on it
also, your oil BMW recommends 5W-30 I personally use 5W-40... try changing your oil to 30 after you've replaced the parts and reset the adaptations for the vanos(only if you put both new ones in)
My code went away after all that was replaced. I'm not sure which one fixed it but something in the list will maybe do it if it isn't your cam ledge.
hope this helps
@@dylanellis7923 thanks. I did everything you did, I've always used the BMW oil kit from FCP Euro which is 5w30.
I reset the adaptations and ever since I did that I haven't had a code so hopefully that was it.
@@Mandinka711 Hello do you have update? I'm facing similar issue and suspect it's the cam bearing ledge.
I got the same Problem, did you change the inside and outside calm seals? Because i got only the failure on inside.
@@CrazO9111 I ended up buying two new solenoids on Amazon.....no problems since.
Does those rings fit n43 cams too?
Are the cam try bolt one time use ?
is it necessary to remove the cam gears and ledges to replace the brown rail guide?
Is there a particular date range of n54 engines with this issue?
Really surprised you didn't do the exhaust lifters, this is highly recommended when doing this job.
My lifters were in great shape, they are quiet and were holding pressure even after sitting for a while.
@@VehicularDIY at 200k!? Almost hard to believe that :)
Hi so did you replace the worn cam ledge? or just replaced the teflon seals and it worked fine?
Hi, Should you warm up your car in really cold weather?
Do you have some oil comsuption? I have e90 330i with 200000 km and I have to filling oil 1l per 1000km.
Thanks about your videos! I learn pretty much it!
Hey there, if I’m just replacing the bolts on the ledge plate do I need to lock the timing?
No, just do one at a time.
I have an 07 bmw 335i. valve stem seals bad not one's do that work in fort worth texas where I live, local mecanic shop they telling me to change my engine would yo do the job for me
Can you do a video on how to code out, the adaptive headlights? 👍🏼
I'll look into it. Thanks
FYI My 2012 Z4 with an N54 was throwing vanos codes every day. I thought the cam ledges would be okay because I read they should have the factory teflon seals but I opened it up anyway and found extreme wear WITH the teflon seals at 97k miles. Kinda sucks knowing even with the new seals I still had the issue.
Wow, I wouldn't have expected that. Thanks for sharing. Did you end up installing new cam trays?
@@VehicularDIY I only did the intake tray a week ago as that was the only code being thrown and I didn't have the extra cash to do the exhaust. After being bolted up though the engine now has a tick and misfires at high RPM so I'm going to have to open it up again and back trace. I have a feeling it might have to do with the vanos plate slipping a bit after torquing and or me guessing the chain pre tension lol.
@@carlosdanger8641 Please can you provide an update when you have one. I also have intake only codes (with boost pressure code) and I'm thinking about only replacing the intake side. The video doesn't show anything about the orientation of the Vanos plates or the "dummy" chain tensioner so I'm not sure whrether these tools are needed or not. I read somewhere that 2mm of deflection on the chain is "close enough" but this isn't the time for guesswork.
@@Mandinka711 So I ended up redoing everything and found one of the rockers came loose from a valvespring. Be VERY careful to double check they're seated on the valve spring before tightening they slide to the sides very easily. You absolutely need the vanos plate alignment tool which came with my cam locking tool and dummy tensioner. Got it off Amazon for $90 I believe and it came with everything. I did however need to shave some material from the flywheel pin with a grinder. You might also want to pickup a took that can hit the 5.3 In-Ibs required for the dummy tensioner and associated adapters. I ended up using a new OEM chain tensioner instead and everything seems okay. If you have any more questions I'm willing to help out just reach out to me.
@@carlosdanger8641 Thanks, appreciate it.
So you didn't have a tool to compress the two valves that stick up at TDC, you just slowly and evenly bolted down the cam ledge over the top of it, compressing them as they go ?
Did you do both intake and exhaust ?
DId you use "used" or new ledges and if so did you re-use your camshafts ?
The two Vanos sprocket bolts have to be replaced, what about the ledge bolts ?
Thanks !
Are these replacements related to codes 2A98 2A99
What are the symptoms of failed cam trays?
Vanos codes due to oil pressure leaking past the seals.
Nice job! One year ago, when I replaced broken aluminum head bolts in my N52 (common problem), I did not replaced those camshaft bolts. I have made about 10k km since then without problem. Do You think that I may encounter problem in the future because of old camshafts bolts?
Thanks! No you should be fine, I had ordered new bolts but they didn't arrive in time. I did some investigating and found they weren't an absolute must replace type of bolt and reused the old ones. I'm going to just RMA the new bolts I have as they came a week late.
@@VehicularDIY thanks for answer, and looking forward for new vids:)
Hey Most of the links aren't working anymore, maybe you can update them ?
The prices on these trays have shot up so much so frustrating.
Your the best on BMW 335i's. Thanks for the content.👍👍 Good job bro
Is any of this camshaft tray hardware or practices transferable to the 6 cylinder diesel? Namely the 335d model?
I do not believe so, the head is pretty different on the 335d motor
Love watching this series (and your other vids). You expressed some concern about the amount of wear caused by the steel 'Rectangrings' as the Germans call them. But in reality, you'd had no Vanos issues from this level of wear. And there are plenty of owners on the forums running 300K+ mileages from these engines with original rings. Maybe if you hadn't had to access the valvetrain for other reasons, your steel rings would have given many more years of service. Just saying...
Thanks, yeah I think running 5W40 was making a difference. The thicker oil probably makes up the difference.
Thanks again dude. I need to do this finally....
What torque wrench is that? Also where did you buy the cam locking tool
Cam lock tool is in the description and the digital torque wrench you can get at harbor freight with their 20% off coupon. It's a 3/8" drive.
Doing it in your pj's sure makes it seem simple lol. I'm a bit nervous but hopefully i wont have unknown issues in this process I can't solve. I'll be most likely going with the same tools you used except I have the stock flywheel so should have the locking pin to use. Any absolute nono's that didn't make the video I should be extra careful or sure of? (Besides everything of course:).
Thanks again!
One thing I can think of is the bolts, I had ordered new bolts to hold the trays but they arrived way late. They are steel and they can be reused from what I had read but if you want to be extra careful you could replace the bolts. There are 29 of them.
@@VehicularDIY thanks about the bolts, I'll order new to be safe. My luck it would bite me from using stretched ones. Thanks again, excited to get it done. You notice a difference I now end pick up with the rebuild? Assuming that the vanos will actually shift laterally and do what it should once the ledges and seals are in spec.
I didn't notice much of a difference as even though I had work ledges I wasn't getting any codes.
Where did you get the 4 upgrade teflon oring seal and part number pls
Sure here is a link that includes the part number:
www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-bmw-parts/camshaft-o-ring-priced-each/11317587757~oeb/
You'd need 4
Note for the home mechanics - you'll need the camshaft timing tool to compete the re assembly.
(the kit is partly shown in the video) 😎
can you reuse the Torx Bolt
It is recommended to replace them but people have reused them.
How do I know I’m on tdc
FYI I think I have issue on my 2011 335is, so the new seal don't help
Vehicular DIY is anyway i can contact you ? I would like to send you a video so you can understand better my situation with my e90 .
my email address is in on the about me section of my channel.
@@VehicularDIY thanks for answering I already checked but your probably have it with the “ hide option “ .
@@VehicularDIY hi your email isnt there. I have a question on the transmission wear dsg code on a auto trans.
So you didn't actually get new trays, right?
Yeah ended up with used.
Have you ever considered opening up your own shop? And can I come work for you?
I've considered it and in an ideal world I start one in a few years.
@@VehicularDIY That's awesome! Can't wait to watch your progress with the car and your career.
Good one.
Do you have an IG?
👍🏼
exhaust cam is far more difficult
zip tie and cut it after...lol