E39 M5 VANOS FAULT??

[andi505]

CAN SOMEONE HELP..BRAND NEW TO THIS SITE CAN ANYONE TELL ME HOW YOU CAN TELL IF YOU HAVE A 'VANOS' FAULT? BEEN TOLD 2 OPPOSITE THINGS...'RUMBLE ON LOW REV/TICK OVER'..AND 'ONLY ON HARD REVS IT BANGS AWAY'?? ON TICK OVER IT HALF SOUNDS LIKE A DEISEL BUT 700rpms + ITS SILENT.... THANKS

[blackspider]

andi505 said:

CAN SOMEONE HELP..BRAND NEW TO THIS SITE CAN ANYONE TELL ME HOW YOU CAN TELL IF YOU HAVE A 'VANOS' FAULT? BEEN TOLD 2 OPPOSITE THINGS...'RUMBLE ON LOW REV/TICK OVER'..AND 'ONLY ON HARD REVS IT BANGS AWAY'?? ON TICK OVER IT HALF SOUNDS LIKE A DEISEL BUT 700rpms + ITS SILENT.... THANKS

That sounds like vanos chatter-basically you can have vanos chatter/clatter in both idle and higher rpm.
If you have a true vanos failure,then it will have very poor starting and cold running problems-sound extremly harsh and chances are the EML light will be on.
If there is a vanos failure(internal)then you tend to get it in both rev ranges and it could be either of the 2 banks..This tends to be oil pressure failure and is very rare.
The most common fault with these is harsh chatter/clatter from both vanos units on start up,through the warm up phase and when hot only at idle or +100rpm this is low oil pressure due to the oil running away from the vanos units when its left standing overnight etc...when you start theres insufficient oil in the vanos giving the chatter.
To remedy this they retrofitted a non return valve into the oil feed pipe which stopped the oil from running away.
You need to get it on a GT1 and have the fault memory read and to have a vanos test carried out-this will prove whether the vanos is good or not...Then have a valve fitted if it hasnt ever had one-the local stealer should be able to find the part number etc on the PuMA or service info system...
I have only relaced one vanos unit on an E39 M5 in 7 years,so it is very rare to find one thats failed-but that doesnt mean that yours is ok,its just to suggest its likely to be ok

[andi505]

thanks for that..i does make a harsh sound when first fired up..not nice! but shuts up. EML came on 6 times other weekend so we swallowed pride went to stratstones and let them freely kick me between legs with sensor after sensor? 1xcamshaftsensor and 3 days l8r i got it back....no lights on but same irratating diesel noise on tick over and bad start up noise?? will pnone and enquire about return valve thanks for the advice