A shout out for DrVanos...

[David.X5]

Many tales of woe here, so I thought I would post a story with a happy ending.

Three (maybe four) years ago, I did the whole Beisian VANOS repair thing. Replaced everything, chains, tensioners, guides, the seals inside the VANOS, etc., but my startup rattle never really went away. Definitely better, but not gone. I later changed both the vanos solenoids and solenoid check valves (second set) and that didn't help anything.

So, years go by and I am frustrated enough to go at it again. I decide this time to get expertly rebuilt VANOS from DrVanos. Go through the whole tear down, replace the VANOS, and voila... all the noise is gone. No startup rattle and less noise when running. I did replace the main chain tensioner again just because, but did not replace the guides or chains as I did them first time (around 130000 miles, I'm now around 155000).

And, the weirdest thing -- my transmission is shifting way smoother. I think it must try to adjust the timing as part of the shift algorithm, and the rebuilt VANOS are responding correctly.

Took me exactly 6 days to do the whole tear down and re-assemble, working on it 3-4 hours after dinner each day.

And, to be clear, I have no relationship to the company.