Help with VANOS Fault Codes?
 

X5, 4.4, Yr. 2000 (mfg. 01/2000) 148,000mi.

Perhaps some enlightened individuals can help point me in the right direction w/re/to focus of my time & energy or suggest which parts to buy.

ANy experienced help will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

SkidmarkX5

I had this happen recently. I just replaced the valve cover gasket because of a small leak. After the test drive the Vanos warning came on the dash. I took it to my indie and he ran the codes, he reset the codes and said something could have mimiced the symtom. When I told him about the gasket replacement he said that might do it. after 3 months the warning never appeared again. I have a 3.0. just get it checked.

There's a lot of parts related to the vanos and you have 2 I think. maybe someone here has more details.

Thanks Ghost-Flame, for the prompt response. I will clear the codes & keep driving!

Best regards,

SkidmarkX5

Have you done anything to the engine that might have mimicked the code?

I would proceed with caution while driving at first in case the vanos is faulty.

Others may have other experiences.

also could be a bad sensor

Which sensor might that be? If you don't mind the time.

Cleared the fault codes and drove it again today - nice & easy.
"Service Engine Soon" light popped up within minutes. Same Fault Codes:

OF A5 21

My interpretation -
OF - Table OF in Fault Code Listings.
A5 - VANOS output stage, Cyl. #1-4
21 - Camshaft VANOS control, Cyl.#1-4

After perusing the Bentley Manual, it seems there may be a likely correlation between code 21 & the VANOS Control Solenoid.
"VANOS Output Stage" is an unknown.

This may be beyond my handy little code scanner's ability to sort out.
Anybody have a suggestion how to avoid THE STEALER on this one?

God bless you all....

Your Bently manual has helped identify the codes. What do they recommend as the fix? Bently should be able to identify the sensors that are related to the vanos and so far my experience has been that Bently gives you troubleshooting procedure to check the sensor.

Aside from the dealer, a trusted indie BMW mechanic would be in order here. If it were me I'd try to research the troubleshooting of the sensors. And when I was exhausted take it to the dealer pay for a diagnosis and decide separately how it is getting fixed.

Thaks Ghost-Flame!

All I found in the Bently was identification of the one sensor & one actuator involved. So far no diagnosis for VANOS Solenoid Valve or Camshaft Position Sensor. Perhaps I need to look again.

I will call my Indie today.
Best regards,
SkidmarkX5

Yeah that's all I found too. A lot of the advise on sensor trouble shooting is determining a grounded wire from worn insulation, moisture or corrosion and of course a faulty/worn out unit.

You could go to the dealer get a new Real OEM says you have 2 solenoid valves. Install them see if they makes a change. $ pricey $180 each:dunno: . Maybe a dealer diagnosis would be cheaper.

You're gonna have to spend some money to determine the cause.

Call your dealer and ask what they charge to trouble shoot your codes. mine charges around 1.5 hrs to trouble shoot codes and check over car.

SES Light is intermittant now. Was off foe a day, then ON for a day. I will check connections to both devices over the long weekend and report back. Thanks to all for the responses. please monitor this thread.

That leads me to believe that it is not the Vanos. Yours is acting like either a bad insulation on the wire or bad sensor

Skid - we'll just meet for coffee saturday morning at the 'bucks and I'll bring along a laptop with INPA and let's see what we see. Yer buyin' the coffee. :D

Yeah. So check it out Ghost-Flame. SkidmarkX5 and I, well, we're kind of out in the sticks here. (ish) For that matter, Skid is WAY out in the sticks. As in, "who took away all the pavement and left all these rocks and crap in the road" kind of sticks. (I know of his whereabouts ONLY from maps, 'cause nobody goes out there on purpose). Sorry Skid :stickpoke Yep, some folk might call this an "agricultural" area; the dealer is a 3 hour round trip, and the last time I stuck my head in what passes for the local European focused indie, I knew more about the theory of operation related the topic of discussion than they did. Nice folks, though. Maybe it's that country thing.

Speaks volumes for the X5, however. Skidmark has an assload of miles on it, traverses the roads (trails?) out in his 'hood, and unless I'm mistaken he probably has something like a 60 mi commute to work? Uphill? Each way?

Just makin' conversation 'fore I bail outta work for the evening - only 14 hours since I arrived this morning............clearly I'm getting delusional from low blood sugar. But we'll update the group on any new conclusions & add to the knowledge base.

My guess is probably the camshaft engine speed sensor. There are 2 camshaft sensors on right and left engine respectively. Try to replace them and see if it cues the problem. Not expensive and very easy to replace the sensors. Worth to try.