N55 VANOS issues, be cautious!!

turbo1 · 04-23-2013, 01:07 PM

gents, i have been reading alot on some of the other forums(to include this one) about VANOS solenoid failures.. well it happened to me as well. i also read that some people were not able to have this covered under warranty which is blasphemy, as this seems to happen ALOT on our 55s im not too sure about you 54 guys

apparently the bolts that hold the VANOS units are aluminum and tend to warp and eventually shear/break off and hopefully do not F**K up your internals.. luckily mine dropped through without destroying my engine... this is a warranty claimable problem and there is an SIB in regards... i am hoping that BMW comes out with something more trusting if this is a common issue... on my service papers it said they replaced the VANOS units and used aluminum bolts again.. PRAYING, this doesnt happen again... BTW, only 22000 miles on the car when this occured.. (4 months before expir of warranty)

symptoms:
-yellow half engine light (car will start and drive but no boost)
-may go away after turning the vehicle off/on and/or clearing the codes
-IT WILL ALWAYS GO BACK INTO LIMP MODE after a few minutes of driving
-very noticably louder than normal exhaust note
-service engine soon light will come on after a day or two

there is a do it yourselves on the forum a well, but if you're in warranty i wanted to let you all know that THERE IS AN SIB so this is a common occurrence..

-turbo1

Bmwbreed · 04-23-2013, 11:12 PM

Good info buddy. Thanks

cheshirecat79 · 04-24-2013, 09:28 AM

Thanks for the head's up, OP

alexmtl_135i · 04-24-2013, 09:38 AM

Interesting, thanks for sharing. Do you have mods on your car?

WPG D33Z · 04-24-2013, 11:51 AM

This effects the N52 as well, my X3 had the problem. I didn't replace mine, just cleaned them. Car runs 100x better for over a year now.

crono · 04-26-2013, 04:58 PM

This happened to my 2011 N55 @ 17000 miles. No mods.

Dackelone · 04-26-2013, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by turbo1

...there is a do it yourselves on the forum a well, but if you're in warranty i wanted to let you all know that THERE IS AN SIB so this is a common occurrence..

-turbo1

Do you know the SIB number? Maybe you can post it>?

Harlequin · 04-26-2013, 07:58 PM

In for SIB#...

turbo1 · 04-29-2013, 11:51 PM

Gents, sorry for the late reply.. I am currently on vacation.. I will post the SIB when I get back in town next week. Fyi, this is occurring with and without mods... but please remember to remove any tune and/or anything that you feel could hinder your service department from fixing this under warranty... It is just one of those things, maybe our little version of the hpfp :/ I really hope BMW does something for us about this because it is occurring to ALOT of people..

135iMike · 04-30-2013, 08:25 AM

Bad news bears

ParkNuts · 04-30-2013, 09:35 AM

This happened to my 2011 135i DCT @ around 30,000 miles. No mods. Repaired under warranty.

Dackelone · 04-30-2013, 09:40 AM

Here was the first vanos victim, that I remember reading about here... He wasn't so lucky and had to pay thousands out of pocket...

N55 Engine VANOS failure
http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=597424

Eddie135 · 04-30-2013, 07:19 PM

Is this something major we should keep an eye on?

I got N55 at the moment.

Dackelone · 05-01-2013, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eddie135

Is this something major we should keep an eye on?

I got N55 at the moment.

Not major. Just something to be aware of. I think it effects very few cars. Its not like the HPFP or plugs/coils/injector stuff. Its just one more reason to change one's oil more frequently.

Eddie135 · 05-01-2013, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dackelone

Not major. Just something to be aware of. I think it effects very few cars. Its not like the HPFP or plugs/coils/injector stuff. Its just one more reason to change one's oil more frequently.

Cool, I seldom drive my car only on the weekends.

But I still change my engine oil regularly, including break-in.

GMWNashville · 05-01-2013, 09:30 PM

The bolts aren't aluminum..not the ones in the vanos units nor the cam bolts that bolt them together...the bolts in the back of the vanos adjusters(4 of them I think) loosen up or sheer off..

Qbrozen · 05-02-2013, 09:25 AM

Between this and that other thread, I think quite a few posters/readers are a bit confused. The solenoids are very different than the actual vanos units. The sheered bolt problem has nothing to do with the solenoids from what I understand. The solenoids are right on the front of the engine (2 of them) and have a small bolt holding each one in place. Sheering of these particular bolts would not hurt the engine at all. Solenoid failure is common and, basically, a regular maintenance item. I replaced both of mine just a few thousand miles ago to solve a recurring limp mode.

The sheered bolt issue, which apparently involves bolts for the vanos units themselves, is separate from the solenoid issue.

Dak Tirque · 05-04-2013, 01:33 PM

I brought my 2011 manual in for the recall, and also covered oil change and new brakes.
Never had any issues with the car...23000 miles. no mods.
SA called me 5 minutes ago and told me that on their test drive after the brake job that the service engine light came on.
Threw a code suggesting sheared VANOS bolts.
I guess I should be glad it occurred while at the dealership...but I am suspicious as to why it occurred.
the car ran immaculately ...never a limp mode, never a rattle or clicking heard..
I hope this isn't a recurring theme...warranty is out in one year...
So I will have to be responsible for replacing the bolts at the next failure?
kinda bummed

MadMan77 · 05-04-2013, 01:52 PM

Smells like a class action should be arranged for this ala the HPFP failures.

Nkryptd1 · 05-05-2013, 12:54 AM

Out of curiosity, what codes are thrown???

shah269 · 05-06-2013, 09:37 AM

BMW 135i deisgned by former Lada engineers and built in the former Yugo factory by under skilled under paid blind immigrants from China!
As much as I love this car…do you ever have that funny feeling that owning a 135 is like holding an uncorked hand grenade between your knees?
Really? The carbon build up that will kill the car.
The bolt that can sheer off and kill the car….
I mean really? WTF? Who hired these engineers and what low grade paper are these things made of?

Dak Tirque · 05-06-2013, 05:24 PM

Well , I got my girl back from the dealership today and asked my SA exactly what the issue was? Please keep in mind I am not up to speed when it comes to discussing newer technology cars.
I asked him if it was a Solenoid issue..answer: no.

I asked him if the bolts to the VANOS unit had sheared off and were lost somewhere in the engine. answer: no

He said that the vanos unit simply failed:

Here is the Code I got:
D1130 B0000000 02 001

The printout I received on picking up the car stated:
VEHICLE ENGINE MALFUNCTION LIGHT. CAR STALLED.
INTERROGATE FAULT MEMORY FAULTS STORED FOR EXHAUST CAM VANOS.
CHECKED TIMING. TIMING IS OFF FOR EXHAUST CAM DUE TO FAULTY VANOS/INTERNAL FAILURE.

ALSO FOUND SIB 12 14 12 RELATED TO FAULTS TO REPLACE BOTH INTAKE AND EXHAUST VANOS ADJUSTERS. REPLACED BOTH WITH HARDWARE.

There were parts charged out for gasket rings and collar screws : paid by warranty.

I voiced my concerns about such a catastrophic failure on a car under 25K.
SA said he rarely sees this happen on newer cars

I asked him what the damage would be if I wasn't under warranty, he told me about $4000. !!!!

Not feeling so good about that...definitely extending my warranty and putting off any mods I had planned.

Ok...take care all. Hope this info is useful to a few of you at least.

04-23-2013, 01:07 PM	#1
turbo1 Private 8 Rep 70 Posts Drives: 2011 135i Msport Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Florida iTrader: (0)	N55 VANOS issues, be cautious!! gents, i have been reading alot on some of the other forums(to include this one) about VANOS solenoid failures.. well it happened to me as well. i also read that some people were not able to have this covered under warranty which is blasphemy, as this seems to happen ALOT on our 55s im not too sure about you 54 guys apparently the bolts that hold the VANOS units are aluminum and tend to warp and eventually shear/break off and hopefully do not F*K up your internals.. luckily mine dropped through without destroying my engine... this is a warranty claimable problem and there is an SIB in regards... i am hoping that BMW comes out with something more trusting if this is a common issue... on my service papers it said they replaced the VANOS units and used aluminum bolts again.. PRAYING, this doesnt happen again... BTW, only 22000 miles on the car when this occured.. (4 months before expir of warranty) symptoms: -yellow half engine light (car will start and drive but no boost) -may go away after turning the vehicle off/on and/or clearing the codes -IT WILL ALWAYS GO BACK INTO LIMP MODE after a few minutes of driving -very noticably louder than normal exhaust note -service engine soon light will come on after a day or two there is a do it yourselves on the forum a well, but if you're in warranty i wanted to let you all know that THERE IS AN SIB so this is a common occurrence.. -turbo1 Last edited by turbo1; 04-24-2013 at 04:13 AM..*
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04-23-2013, 11:12 PM	#2
Bmwbreed Major 60 Rep 1,198 Posts Drives: 2013 BMW 135i Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Rota Spain (US Forces) iTrader: (3)	Good info buddy. Thanks __________________ 2013 BMW 135i Alpine white/coral red JB4 stage 2/ AFE stage 2 sealed intake box/ VRSF 3.5 inch catless dp/ Dinan exhaust/ Alpine V3 6000k HID angel eyes/ JB speed AW rear lip spoiler/ OEM mud flaps. ER charge pipe/ VRSF 7 inch FMIC forge star CF5s 19x8.5 and 19x9
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04-24-2013, 09:28 AM	#3
cheshirecat79 Captain 32 Rep 919 Posts Drives: 370z & 135i Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Port Saint Lucie, FL iTrader: (0)	Thanks for the head's up, OP
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04-24-2013, 09:38 AM	#4
alexmtl_135i First Lieutenant 31 Rep 371 Posts Drives: 2013 C63 Coupe P31 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Montreal, Canada iTrader: (0)	Interesting, thanks for sharing. Do you have mods on your car?
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04-24-2013, 11:51 AM	#5
WPG D33Z First Lieutenant 23 Rep 316 Posts Drives: 2008 135i vert Cobb Stage2 Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Winnipeg, Canada iTrader: (1)	This effects the N52 as well, my X3 had the problem. I didn't replace mine, just cleaned them. Car runs 100x better for over a year now. __________________ 2008 SGM 135i Cobb Stage 2 FBO 2008 TS X3 MSport KW V2
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04-26-2013, 04:58 PM	#6
crono New Member 0 Rep 8 Posts Drives: 2011 135i Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Atlanta iTrader: (0)	This happened to my 2011 N55 @ 17000 miles. No mods.
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04-26-2013, 07:58 PM	#8
Harlequin Brigadier General 331 Rep 4,021 Posts Drives: F32 Coupé Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Brisbane, Australia BMW Club QLD Member iTrader: (5) Garage List 2015 428i M-Sport [8.40] 2012 1M Coupé [9.25] 2011 135i M-Sport [9.14]	In for SIB#... __________________
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04-29-2013, 11:51 PM	#9
turbo1 Private 8 Rep 70 Posts Drives: 2011 135i Msport Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Florida iTrader: (0)	Gents, sorry for the late reply.. I am currently on vacation.. I will post the SIB when I get back in town next week. Fyi, this is occurring with and without mods... but please remember to remove any tune and/or anything that you feel could hinder your service department from fixing this under warranty... It is just one of those things, maybe our little version of the hpfp :/ I really hope BMW does something for us about this because it is occurring to ALOT of people..
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04-30-2013, 08:25 AM	#10
135iMike Lieutenant 40 Rep 398 Posts Drives: 2012 White 135i Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: United States iTrader: (1)	Bad news bears
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04-30-2013, 09:35 AM	#11
ParkNuts First Lieutenant 99 Rep 370 Posts Drives: 2021 Tesla Model 3 Performance Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Dallas iTrader: (0)	This happened to my 2011 135i DCT @ around 30,000 miles. No mods. Repaired under warranty.
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04-30-2013, 09:40 AM	#12
Dackelone European Editor 10532 Rep 22,992 Posts Drives: N54 e82 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Bayern, Germany iTrader: (1)	Here was the first vanos victim, that I remember reading about here... He wasn't so lucky and had to pay thousands out of pocket... N55 Engine VANOS failure http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=597424 __________________ Dackel's European Delivery Museum Guide
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04-30-2013, 07:19 PM	#13
Eddie135 N55 Commando 55 Rep 797 Posts Drives: 135i - DCT - N55 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Melbourne iTrader: (0)	Is this something major we should keep an eye on? I got N55 at the moment.
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05-01-2013, 09:30 PM	#16
GMWNashville Colonel 172 Rep 2,373 Posts Drives: 19 G05, 16 F80, 10 E70x5D Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Nashville, TN iTrader: (2)	The bolts aren't aluminum..not the ones in the vanos units nor the cam bolts that bolt them together...the bolts in the back of the vanos adjusters(4 of them I think) loosen up or sheer off..
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05-02-2013, 09:25 AM	#17
Qbrozen Private First Class 11 Rep 167 Posts Drives: 2008 135i Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Jackson, NJ iTrader: (1)	Between this and that other thread, I think quite a few posters/readers are a bit confused. The solenoids are very different than the actual vanos units. The sheered bolt problem has nothing to do with the solenoids from what I understand. The solenoids are right on the front of the engine (2 of them) and have a small bolt holding each one in place. Sheering of these particular bolts would not hurt the engine at all. Solenoid failure is common and, basically, a regular maintenance item. I replaced both of mine just a few thousand miles ago to solve a recurring limp mode. The sheered bolt issue, which apparently involves bolts for the vanos units themselves, is separate from the solenoid issue. __________________ '08 135i auto, premium, sport: JB4, BMS DCI, dinan camber plates, OBX DPs, custom oil cooler.
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05-04-2013, 01:33 PM	#18
Dak Tirque Private 6 Rep 79 Posts Drives: 2011 135i Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Long Island, NY iTrader: (0)	I brought my 2011 manual in for the recall, and also covered oil change and new brakes. Never had any issues with the car...23000 miles. no mods. SA called me 5 minutes ago and told me that on their test drive after the brake job that the service engine light came on. Threw a code suggesting sheared VANOS bolts. I guess I should be glad it occurred while at the dealership...but I am suspicious as to why it occurred. the car ran immaculately ...never a limp mode, never a rattle or clicking heard.. I hope this isn't a recurring theme...warranty is out in one year... So I will have to be responsible for replacing the bolts at the next failure? kinda bummed
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05-04-2013, 01:52 PM	#19
MadMan77 ↓↓↓ Ex-Con ↓↓↓ 34 Rep 1,874 Posts Drives: Jet Black '08 135i Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Yigo iTrader: (1)	Smells like a class action should be arranged for this ala the HPFP failures. __________________
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05-05-2013, 12:54 AM	#20
Nkryptd1 Enlisted Member 4 Rep 35 Posts Drives: 2008 Monaco Blue 135i Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Denver Colorado iTrader: (0)	Out of curiosity, what codes are thrown???
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05-06-2013, 09:37 AM	#21
shah269 Major 315 Rep 1,035 Posts Drives: 2009 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: NJ iTrader: (0)	BMW 135i deisgned by former Lada engineers and built in the former Yugo factory by under skilled under paid blind immigrants from China! As much as I love this car…do you ever have that funny feeling that owning a 135 is like holding an uncorked hand grenade between your knees? Really? The carbon build up that will kill the car. The bolt that can sheer off and kill the car…. I mean really? WTF? Who hired these engineers and what low grade paper are these things made of?
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05-06-2013, 05:24 PM	#22
Dak Tirque Private 6 Rep 79 Posts Drives: 2011 135i Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Long Island, NY iTrader: (0)	Well , I got my girl back from the dealership today and asked my SA exactly what the issue was? Please keep in mind I am not up to speed when it comes to discussing newer technology cars. I asked him if it was a Solenoid issue..answer: no. I asked him if the bolts to the VANOS unit had sheared off and were lost somewhere in the engine. answer: no He said that the vanos unit simply failed: Here is the Code I got: D1130 B0000000 02 001 The printout I received on picking up the car stated: VEHICLE ENGINE MALFUNCTION LIGHT. CAR STALLED. INTERROGATE FAULT MEMORY FAULTS STORED FOR EXHAUST CAM VANOS. CHECKED TIMING. TIMING IS OFF FOR EXHAUST CAM DUE TO FAULTY VANOS/INTERNAL FAILURE. ALSO FOUND SIB 12 14 12 RELATED TO FAULTS TO REPLACE BOTH INTAKE AND EXHAUST VANOS ADJUSTERS. REPLACED BOTH WITH HARDWARE. There were parts charged out for gasket rings and collar screws : paid by warranty. I voiced my concerns about such a catastrophic failure on a car under 25K. SA said he rarely sees this happen on newer cars I asked him what the damage would be if I wasn't under warranty, he told me about $4000. !!!! Not feeling so good about that...definitely extending my warranty and putting off any mods I had planned. Ok...take care all. Hope this info is useful to a few of you at least.
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