[BKinNW]

2006 330i N52 MSV70 DME

I'm having a very hard time diagnosing the issue on my valvetronic voltage error.
I have replaced: Battery (and recoded to car), valvetronic relay, valvetronic fuse, and the valvetronic motor itself.

I have checked the voltage all over the engine compartment and everything else seems fine. The DME is just not getting voltage to the VVT. INPA and ISTA both say the DME is functioning properly.

So I'm thinking I'm down to either the wiring harness (which does show connectivity with an ohms test with a multimeter) or the DME has a short that is only preventing this one function but is sending signals to everything else.

Does anyone have any experience with this kind of thing? I would be willing to pay someone to help me diagnose this remotely.

[k90]

Which codes you have?

[BKinNW]

2A3F: Valvetronic, actuator motor: power supply

[k90]

Originally Posted by BKinNW

2A3F: Valvetronic, actuator motor: power supply

You have confirmed supply all the way from relay to 2x valvetronic supply pins in DME?
Note: 2 positive supply pins for valvetronic.
Connector X60004 pins 1 and 2.

[BKinNW]

There is .89 volts at pins 1 and 2. Also .89 volts at the relay. This is where I'm lost because I'm not sure what the voltage is supposed to be when the computer is not calling for voltage for the VVT motor.

[k90]

Voltage should be the battery voltage.

VVT Relay:

contact no. 6 should always have battery voltage.
- VVT fuse is from terminal 30 (always hot).

contact no. 2 is the output - switched VVT supply to DME.
- Assuming it should have the battery voltage always when engine is running / ignition on.

contact no. 4 is the relay coil. DME pulls it down to 0 to energize the coil.
- Note: DME can only pull this down. So unless the relay is seated, has good supply and good coil this will show always 0. If seated, supply to cont. no. 6 and good coil this should show 12V when ignition is off and 0V when ignition is on.

I would make assumption that VVT relay is(should be) always energized when ignition is on.

[k90]

Originally Posted by k90

Voltage should be the battery voltage.

VVT Relay:

contact no. 6 should always have battery voltage.
- VVT fuse is from terminal 30 (always hot).

contact no. 2 is the output - switched VVT supply to DME.
- Assuming it should have the battery voltage always when engine is running / ignition on.

contact no. 4 is the relay coil. DME pulls it down to 0 to energize the coil.
- Note: DME can only pull this down. So unless the relay is seated, has good supply and good coil this will show always 0. If seated, supply to cont. no. 6 and good coil this should show 12V when ignition is off and 0V when ignition is on.

I would make assumption that VVT relay is(should be) always energized when ignition is on.

Also DME being capable of only pulling coil pin down is an assumption based on fact it doesn't need to do anything else. Driver circuits cost moneys and board space.

[BKinNW]

Thank you very much for helping with this! I've been busy with Christmas and getting back to work, but I'll be working on this today. I'll check each pins voltage for both ignition on and off. I just replaced the relay though. If it's not that what else should I be looking for? Wiring harness?

[k90]

Originally Posted by BKinNW

Thank you very much for helping with this! I've been busy with Christmas and getting back to work, but I'll be working on this today. I'll check each pins voltage for both ignition on and off. I just replaced the relay though. If it's not that what else should I be looking for? Wiring harness?

Some possibilities:
- Blown fuse
- Loose / badly heated or heavilly corroded contacts
- Wrong type of replacement relay
- Faulty relay
- DME pin driving the coil faulty
- Wiring harness

Note that circuit with bad contacts can show good readings without load / in open circuit. But first things first. Does it have any voltage at cont.no.6 without load / relay unseated.

[BKinNW]

Ok, here are the voltages I recorded.

Power supply from fuse is 12v (Ignition off) and 14v+ (Ignition on)

White wire on diagram (DME contact #23): 12v (Ignition off) and 14v+ (Ignition on)

Orange wires (DME contacts #1 and #2): 0.0v (Ignition off) and 0.9v (Ignition on)

Red wires (DME contacts #3, #5 and #6): 0.0v (Ignition off) and 0.35v (Ignition on)

DME contact #4 never had voltage during any test.

I then unplugged the relay and tested DME contacts #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, and #6.
Contacts #1 and #2 without relay plugged in and ignition off were .02v.
Contacts #3, #5, and #6 were all .01v.
Again #4 did not have any voltage.

I did not try to turn on the ignition with the relay unplugged. Didn't know if that would be safe.

[k90]

Coil is not energized by DME. Where did you measure pin 23 voltage from?

[BKinNW]

I followed the white wire from the relay to the DME and measured at pin 23.

[k90]

It should be safe to remove the relay and see if you get different codes and if the white wire drops to 0.

Disconnect battery and inspect pin in DME and maybe pull the individual socket terminal of pin 23 for a look. May have housing cover + locking mechanism + individual socket terminal locking mechanism like virtually all the connectors.


Without taking connector appart seeing if the wire is connected to anything:

Disconnect battery.

You should likelly see the body diode of the transistor of the pin by placing red probe to DME chassis or ground anywhere and black probe to relay socket white terminal(relay unseated). In multimeter diode mode.

In multimeter resistor mode you can try it probes both ways if your multimeter doesn't indicate any constant resistance pin-ground there is likelly bad contact or internal failure in DME.
EDIT: If you try resistance both ways and the multimeter shows only O.L. or blank.

[BKinNW]

I think I found my issue... I didn't connect the dot's until now. There was a little corrosion I notice in the DME that I cleaned up a few weeks ago trying to figure this out. I was mainly focused on pins 1-6 because that's what the relay is connected to and all of that looked fine. But it looks like pin 23 was so corroded that it broke off. I'm assuming this means a new DME for me. At least I know what the problem is now! Thank you so much!! You've been the biggest help and it sounds like you really know what you're doing. I started this thread by offering to pay someone for help. If you'd like me to send some compensation for your time let me know. I was so frustrated with this and now I know the issue because of your help. Thanks again!

[k90]

Yeah.

Tip: You need to replace the socket terminal for the signal in the plug side too. Usually when the pin goes also the socket terminal is in crumbles too already.

Open the DME for autopsy? Does it have damage inside?
How does this happen? Did the drains get blocked?

Repairing that would be hard but not impossible. Those connectors have so many pins and massive power planes to sink heat away from solder joints.

You could potentially poke/drill all the remains of the pin out, glue/secure new similar pin contact to that hole and solder new pin contact to remaining pin leg inside - given that you can access the leg and it's not in too deep under other pin legs. But usually that is not the case.

Maybe see a price for used one?

[BKinNW]

Ive been looking at replacements and theres a seller in your area (Finland) that sells a lot of them. $150 is a lot easier than trying to fix mine.

[k90]

How did water get into the connector is a question that needs attention.

Water+ electricity eats away contacts in no time and unless sorted the same thing likelly happens again.

One of the wires have pulled water into that DME socket I assume. How is that relay side socket terminal looking if you pull it from relay socket? Is there seals that should seal the relay or relay contacts? As the pin 23 is worst I assume water has entered via that white wire. But there is also the difference that pin 23. will always have voltage supply via relay coil making current flow from pin 23. to surrounding pins sinking the current eating away pin 23. I don't remember if it was the positive or negative contact in contact corrosion situations, but if there are both side by side - one of them vanishes *puff* and other one just looks corroded.

Apparently sometimes coolant sensors leak into the connector and the coolant is pulled through the wire to engine controller, but in this case there is no coolant sensors in the area of corroded pins. Pins 4 and 17 are coolant sensors in the same connector. You could ofc see if the sensor connectors are wet inside.

Rebuilding a wire

Highly recommended to have fit to purpose micro crimping pliers when rebuilding a wire. Ie. Engineer Precision pa-09 and maybe pa-20(for bigger wires and strain relief) or a something with similar function. If wire is crimped to a contact with normal pliers the wire will work itself loose with following exception:

It's possible to make a secure joint between wire and contact without special tools by uniformly crimping with small pliers and then wetting the crimping point propperly with solder without letting the solder to flow all way to the mating surface ruining it. Solder doesn't belong to mating surfaces and in socket terminals it blocks the socket.
Solder will dissolve surface silver plating, but it's better than wire working itself loose. Solder with silver content recommended to minimize silver plating dissolving. For example I use Sn62Pb36Ag2 if I need to solder to silver surfaced contacts, but there might be suitable RoHS solders too as those are more available today than the lead based solders.

You could also walk into your local garage with the wire and the contacts.

Originally Posted by BKinNW

Ive been looking at replacements and theres a seller in your area (Finland) that sells a lot of them. $150 is a lot easier than trying to fix mine.

Interesting.
Coded to your VIN and mileage or just unprocessed units?

[dazeboy79]

Hello, thanks for posting!

I also have this pin no 23 missing from my DME from corrosion. I have codes:

2A3F DME: Valvetronic, actuator motor: power supply
2A38 DME: Valvetronic, monitoring, sluggish movement
2E8E BSD, message; intelligent battery sensor(IBS): Missing

Could this be the cause of my Crank, no start also?? Thanks in advance!



I bought a new relay & a used VVT motor from ebay and still have the same issue.

not sure what happened, but water infiltrated my battery compartment (probably through bad rubber seals). Positive battery cable terminal melted, I replaced the cable and battery. Terminals at connection point look fine. I originally thought it was my battery going dead because I had to push down on the fusebox on top of the battery to get the car to start several times. I drove it like this over the next few months, & i did notice car was running rough, but of course I kept driving. One day it just cranks, no start. That's when I tried the VVT motor and new relay. I replaced the Eccentric shaft sensor, the valve cover gasket, the alternator, mickey mouse flange, i had a leak from the lower radiator hose sensor (replaced), another hose or two and I replaced the oil filter housing gasket, new coolant & oil change.

I found pin number 23 has corroded & is missing from my DME, so I think engine may not be firing because of this... i was thinking the ECU was bad or somewhere under the car the wiring is corroded, maybe I haven't checked all fuses and Relays properly?!?

idk... still searching, bout to call a mobile mechanic later this week if I can't figure it out & get a professional to diagnose it for me at least. I have a couple of local mechanics in mind. I live in Lakeview, Alabama. I know I need spark, fuel, & compression for ignition.. but BMWs have modules and Valvetronics o my! Thanks for taking time to read! Much appreciated!