e53 2002 4.4: VANOS or not VANOS, that is the question!

[haydar]

Hi all

My car was giving an uncomfortable vibration at around 4,000rpm and I had the autologic diagnostic tool attached. It reported a DTC
(034) 22 Function, camshaft control, inlet, bank 2

We then followed the VANOS test and it gave the following results:

VANOS advancement time, bank 1, 0.3 seconds
VANOS advancement time, bank 2, 4.7 seconds
VANOS retardation time, bank 1, 0.3 seconds
VANOS retardation time, bank 2, 4.9 seconds

On performance this test several times the results are always roughly then same and the car would remain started.

On a friends similar car the same test would result in the car's engine shutting down and its results were:

VANOS advancement time, bank 1, 0.3 seconds
VANOS advancement time, bank 2, 0.2 seconds
VANOS retardation time, bank 1, 0.3 seconds
VANOS retardation time, bank 2, 0.3 seconds

Lastly we monitored the camshaft position sensors, bank 1 and bank 2 would never give the same results, for example:-

Camshaft position, bank 1 (CR), 35.57
Camshaft position, bank 1 (CR), 0.04
VANOS 1, Duty factor (%), 74.12
VANOS 2, Duty factor (%), 5.10

Again on our friends car the values for bank 1 and bank2 would always be roughly the same.

The vibration turned out to be a faulty gearbox mount and the car now runs perfectly smoothly.

However I'm thinking my VANOS is not working correctly and causing lack of power.

Any ideas what could be causing the problem?

Thanks