[MoJen87]

I have a 2011 328i. 170k on it. Automatic. I've had it since it had 70k on it. It's never given me any issues up until 6 months or so ago.

First it was the valve cover gasket leaking. Known issue. No biggie. I replaced it. Ran fine. That was 6 months ago.

A few months back I was driving and all of a sudden she started making sounds like her VVT actuator was acting up. Almost sounded like a timing issue but after watching some videos I was sure it wasn't timing.

Then while driving (later the same day, maybe 50-80 miles later) she shut off on me a block from the house. Pushed her into the garage and went to work. Purchased protools from Bimmergeeks and checked her for codes. She gave me 2A82, 2A7C, 2A98 and 2A98. Which are vanos and camshaft/crankshaft position codes. She was cranking very fast on startup but never starting. Just a real fast sounding crank.

So I replaced the VVT solenoids, the VVT actuator and the camshaft position sensor and she's still doing the same thing. I towed her to a bmw mechanic the guy told me she has a timing issue. Wants $1200 to "figure it out". I towed her back home and opened up the valve cover. All timing components look good. While I have it open I'm going to replace the Eccentric Shaft Sensor and put her back together.

If this doesn't work I'm clueless and at a total loss. Any advice? Anything else I need to be checking?

[gbalthrop]

Originally Posted by MoJen87

... 2011 328i. 170k on it. Automatic...codes: 2A82, 2A7C, 2A98 and 2A98.

Welcome to the Forum!
You listed 2A98 TWICE. If there are 4 codes, what is missing here? If there are ANY other Fault Codes read in DME Fault Memory, please list.
If ProTool can display Freeze Frame Data for each DME Fault Code, please provide that.
Please also use ProTool DME Live Data to read Engine RPM during Starter Cranking (to confirm DME is getting Crank Sensor Signal), and
Please view Cam Angle Live Data (Angle) during Cranking for BOTH Intake & Exhaust.

Here are BMW Fault Code Lookup Definitions for 3 codes, and Links to Fault Info Sheets for your MSV80 Variant DME:
P0012 | 2A82 | DME: VANOS intake | MSV80 | Engine electronics
https://bmwfault.codes/XMLDiagView?d...gAMgA0ADAANAA=

P052B | 2A7C | DME: Variable camshaft timing control, intake, cold start | MSV80 | Engine electronics
https://bmwfault.codes/XMLDiagView?d...gAMgAyADAANAA=

P13B4 | 2A98 | DME: Crankshaft - inlet camshaft, reference | MSV80 | Engine electronics
https://bmwfault.codes/XMLDiagView?d...EAMQA0ADAANAA=

Note the Test Steps found in "Service Notes" in Fault Info Sheet.

Also, be aware that 2010 & 2011 328i N52 engines are subject to recall related to Loose or Broken Cam Sprocket Bolts. Your first photo does NOT show those 4 bolts, inserted from Vehicle-REAR of Cam Chain Sprocket, into the VANOS Unit. See the attached "RCRIT" pdf that has photos of examples of Loose or Broken Bolts. While you have the VC off, check both, but particularly the Intake Cam since that's what your codes relate to.

If you have "Crank, NO Start" condition, that suggests NO signal is being received by DME either from Crankshaft Position Sensor, or ONE or BOTH Cam Position Sensors. I would particularly test wiring of Intake Cam Sensor. I presume your Serpentine Belt is intact? When that breaks or comes loose, it can damage wiring (and more ;-).
George

[MoJen87]

Sorry, that was a typo. The fourth code is 2A9A. I did not know about the recall for loose cam sprocket bolts. I will check those while I have the VC off. I dropped a bolt from the eccentric shaft sensor while taking it off. It fell into the engine, so my job before outting jt back together is finding that bolt. Wish me luck. Once it's back together I'll update this post to see if the issue is resolved. Thanks a bunch for the feedback.

[MoJen87]

Well now. You're a genius and you've solved my problem. I went back to the car and checked the cam sproket. Exhaust was fine, intake was missing all 4 bolts. 3 of them I can locate by sight, the remaining 2 however I'll be lucky to find with a magnet pick-up tool. If I can find all 5 bolts (the 4 from the cam sproket and the 1 I dropped in from the eccentric shaft sensor) then I'll install new bolts, put her back together and see how she sounds when she starts up. I can't thank you enough for the help.

What gets me is that a few years back, when she was still within the 10 year unlimited miles window for the recall, I took her to a dealership and asked them to check her for any recalls. They did the blend door and PCV issue but never mentioned the camshaft sproket bolts recall. And now this...

[Bims328i]

Holy smokes! The fact those bolts did not get caught up in the motor or timing chain area is really amazing. gbalthrop is a wizard .

Do you just put new bolts in to fix it?

If you have a shop vac and a small brush, I would try to get all that dirt away from the injector ports before putting it back together.

Here's a shot of the job on my VC at 90k mi.

[gbalthrop]

Originally Posted by MoJen87

... The fourth code is 2A9A... you've solved my problem.[I just Identified ONE problem. YOU will have to identify all the RESULTING problems and solve those. See Below] I went back to the car and checked the cam sproket. Exhaust was fine, intake was missing all 4 bolts. 3 of them I can locate by sight, the remaining 2 however I'll be lucky to find with a magnet pick-up tool. If I can find all 5 bolts (the 4 from the cam sproket and the 1 I dropped in from the eccentric shaft sensor) then I'll install new bolts, put her back together and see how she sounds when she starts up. [MORE to it than that I'm afraid; see below.]...
What gets me is that a few years back, when she was still within the 10 year unlimited miles window for the recall, I took her to a dealership and asked them to check her for any recalls. They did the blend door and PCV issue but never mentioned the camshaft sproket bolts recall. And now this...

The way "14V-176" was handled by BMW & NHTSA puzzles me. ANYONE with any Detailed Knowledge of that "Recall" please enlighten. It's as though BMW was allowed to treat it as an "Extended Warranty", for a limited period, instead of as a RECALL, where there is NO expiration date. BMW even refused to include E91 vehicles in that 2014 recall, 'CUZ E91 was NOT mentioned in 2nd list of "Affected Vehicles", while it WAS in First list. Something I'm missing here? NHTSA asleep at switch, or worse? Guess your position on that one depends on your "politics" regarding REGULATION. Here endeth the RANT. Constructive Suggestions BELOW.

Suggestions:
1) See the RCRIT from 14V-176 which indicates that IF ONE OR MORE VANOS BOLTS ARE BROKEN, Replace the VANOS UNIT. There has been NO RCRIT or Recall performance/ "Criteria"(?) document posted online, of which I am aware, for the 23V-707 Recall: just announced ~ October, 2023. Any documents I have seen thus far ONLY provide for Bolt inspection/ Replacement. If my reading of the 2014 RCRIT is correct, damage to VANOS Unit/ its seals, is likely if a bolt breaks or loosens. In YOUR CASE, all FOUR (4) are completely OUT. I would carefully inspect each of the bolt holes in the VANOS to determine if ANY of the bolts broke, or if they ALL just loosened and came out INTACT.

Since that VANOS Unit has a retail price of ~ $500, you can see why BMW would resist replacement of MORE than the Bolts, particularly when they have to pay for Tech time to remove VC, Gasket, re-install, etc. NOT CHEAP. There is also some indication (or excuse) that "Part$" (VANOS Units?) are "backordered from Germany". Also may explain the INPA/ISTA "return to barn" efforts in 2023. Anyone got any info on BMW Sales in US/ Worldwide?

2) In YOUR case, since there is a "Crank, NO Start" issue after engine "died", that suggests MORE than a VANOS Bolt issue. I've NEVER had the "Pleasure" of inspecting my VANOS Units, HOW the VANOS Unit is attached to CAM, how much the Cam may rotate (Angle Change) relative to the sprocket & chain, and WHAT, if ANYTHING, keeps the cam from getting Retarded/ Advanced enough to cause Intake Valve interference with Pistons. What can happen when ALL FOUR bolts come out?? I have (like Rudy) NO Evidence/ Facts, JUST Theories.

There is a Large Bolt on front-center of VANOS unit. I HOPE that at least THAT is still tight? If there was ANY sound that could have been Valve/Piston interference before engine died, I would do a compression test, AFTER determining if Cam rotates (at half rate of crankshaft) when you turn the bolt on front of crank CLOCKWISE as viewed from front, with Breaker Bar or ratcheting Torque Wrench & socket. If Starter Cranking RPM is noticeably FASTER than before, THAT does NOT "bode well" as to compression.

3) IF you still have compression, NEXT suspect in "Crank, NO Start" Diagnosis is damage to Intake Cam Position sensor, perhaps due to interference with Cam Reluctor. Check the Innermost piece of the Sensor for damage.

Document your situation as much as possible with Photos. Get your "Witness List" together, having any eyewitness who knows what happened at any point in the "ordeal" make notes or provide a written statement. Memories fade quickly, even if you're NOT 81 Years-old, having to keep up with southern border BOTH in US & in Gaza. If you CANNOT prove what happened, BMW may NOT be "benevolent".
George

[MoJen87]

Man, thanks again for pointing me in the right direction. I have a small update.

Don't know where to start lol. Ok, so I made an error assuming the bolts were magnetic, they are not. I used to teach science and even I forgot aluminum isn't magnetic, they're aluminum bolts. I could see two of them, arrows pointing to them in the pictures attached. I recovered them without magnets. Double jointed fingers and screw drivers did fine. I also found and recovered the bolt I dropped when detaching the Eccentric Shaft Sensor. Luckily that one IS magnetic. It was halfway down the timing compartment so no way to recover it if it wasn't. Caught a break there.

Now for the bad news. The Vanos unit that's attached to the camshaft sprocket is toast. 3 of the 4 bolts that attach it are sheared off into the unit. No reusing it. I ordered both exhaust and intake Cam Sprockets (they come with the Vanos unit attached as one piece) and I'll be replacing them as soon as they arrive with their respective timing kit. I'm VERY fortunate that all these loose bolts never jacked up my timing. When cranking the car it sounded like the cam was spinning fast, and now we know why (because it was detached from the Vanos unit). But even though it cranked fast, it sounded clean. If there was any internal damage I woulda heard it clearly. So at least there's that. All my timing parts look good otherwise and are tight and in place.

The only couple of things I need to look up is how to support the flywheel when timing it, and how to operate the timing chain tensioner. I'm sure these things will be relatively easy when compared to the rest of the work I have to do.

Anyways, I'll definitely update as I go. This has been one hell of a puzzle. Here's to no more surprises...

[PhaceN52]

Nice you found out what was it, if you buy a timing tool kit it will have everything you need . Lock the flywheel, the chain tensioner simply unbolts/bolts being basically an hydrauilc spring loaded piston that pushes on the chain guide, with the cams locked in place by the timing tool you just unbolt the vanos unit from the cam (tis procedure wants a wrench to hold the end of the camshaft near the firewall while unbolting the vanos, maybe because cams are hollow) and replace it no matter the orientation, align the pin on the camshaft sensor disc in front of the unit with the toolkit plate, preload the chain with a special tool included in the kit or simply screwing the old tensioner untill you feel a bit of resistance (bmw states for 0.6 Nm, it's for removing that bit of slack in the chain before torqueing down the camshaft bolt), torque to 20 Nm + 180° if I recall correctly, 2 full revolutions by hand, recheck timing with the tool jig, reassemble, enjoy

[MoJen87]

Update!

I was out of town and unable to do anything. Got back to it today. Took the intake off to access the flywheel. The plastic hole plug where I'd place the flywheel pin is broken off into the hole. I tried for a good hour or so to either pull it out or push it through the hole and I've had no luck. So I can't brace the flywheel with the hole pin that is part of the timing kit I putchased. I either need to find a way to do this without bracing the flywheel or it's just not going to get done. Smh. All this work and a plastic hole plug is keeping me from moving forward.

I'm all out of ideas. Any suggestions?

[PhaceN52]

Originally Posted by MoJen87

Update!

I was out of town and unable to do anything. Got back to it today. Took the intake off to access the flywheel. The plastic hole plug where I'd place the flywheel pin is broken off into the hole. I tried for a good hour or so to either pull it out or push it through the hole and I've had no luck. So I can't brace the flywheel with the hole pin that is part of the timing kit I putchased. I either need to find a way to do this without bracing the flywheel or it's just not going to get done. Smh. All this work and a plastic hole plug is keeping me from moving forward.

I'm all out of ideas. Any suggestions?

Happened to me too, spray some kind of dry lubricant and tap it with a screwdriver and a hammer to push it inside the flywheel housing, it will fall off through the hole in the transmission, or drill it, it's a piece of plastic

[MoJen87]

I posted earlier but got an error and was too lazy to post again lol. My bad.

I got the plastic plug pushed through into the flywheel housing. Had to disconnect the motor mount to access it at a better angle, but it's done.

Timed it, was a piece of cake. The intake cam was completely disconnected from the chain because all 4 bolts in the sprocket were out. But it was easy to rotate into place for the timing equipment. Was overall a very easy car to time. Definitely way better than my Ford 4.6 (never again)

I broke a PCV hose that connected under the intake while disassembling everything. It only just arrived. So I have the valve cover back on, tomorrow will finish putting together everything on the driver's side and hope she starts up and sounds good.

Will update when I'm done. Thanks again everyone for saving my a$$ here. The dealer said they'd do it as part of a recall for free, but that my car would wait there 4-8 weeks because of backorders. So yeah, glad I'm doing it myself. I need my daily driver back.

I attached a picture my girlfriend took of me working on the car my with daughter. She absolutely loves working on cars with me. She's 9 and has helped me with jobs as small as a cabin air filter and as big as the Valve Cover Gasket. She's definitely a gearhead.

[gbalthrop]

Originally Posted by MoJen87

... The intake cam was completely disconnected from the chain because all 4 bolts in the sprocket were out...

I've never even removed my VC, nor inspected the VANOS gear. However, if the Intake cam quit turning, and the engine kept on turning (and has been cranked with Starter) after the last bolt came out/ broke, I fear for the state of your Intake Valves in the "Interference" engine (where pistons will contact valves if the VALVES are NOT timed correctly.

"Cranks fast" in your thread title worries me. Got a USB Endoscope ($20)? Got a Compression Tester? Hope I'm wrong, and you can explain HOW Intake Cam held its timing after all FOUR (4) Cam Sprocket bolts broke.
George

[MoJen87]

So this is just a theory, and I won't know for sure until I start the engine and it either runs well or is dead as a door knob.

But, in theory, when my final bolt went loose and the cam sprocket spun freely the Eccentric Shaft Sensor placed all my valves in full lift mode and prevented my car from starting. Which in theory protected my engine from internal damage. When I placed the timing equipment on the cams, the intake cam was actually at top dead center. Either by design or sheer luck.

There's no way to 100% know until it's all back together though. Now that it's all reconnected I can turn the crank and see if I hear anything that way, which could be easier on the engine than trying to start it after all.

[NZE90]

Did you know that after timing the engine with the timing tools, you are supposed to turn the crankshaft 2 complete rotations, then refit the timing tools to confirm it is timed correctly?

[MoJen87]

Yes I turned it a ton (at least 3-4 full turns) after timing it because I was concerned I'd hear or feel something from it. It sounded normal though, turned like it should. I'm cautiously optimistic.

[gbalthrop]

Originally Posted by MoJen87

So this is just a theory, and I won't know for sure until I start the engine and it either runs well or is dead as a door knob. But, in theory, when my final bolt went loose and the cam sprocket spun freely the Eccentric Shaft Sensor placed all my valves in full lift mode and prevented my car from starting... There's no way to 100% know until it's all back together though...

Your engine has Valvetronic, which uses Intake Cam Lift (via the Eccentric Shaft and VVT Actuator) to control the amount of air/fuel admitted to the engine. THAT is your "Throttle", as opposed to a butterfly in the Intake. If the VVT went to full lift, with ignition ON, your Tach would have pegged. Also, if Intake Valves were in "full lift mode", that means than any Intake valve being activated by Cam would be fully open, & MORE contact with piston would occur @ TDC for that piston. I'm NOT aware of ANY mechanism by which the engine would QUIT rotating (pistons going up/down) BEFORE the CAM lost timing. You stated in your first post that the engine died a block from home, the same day you heard unusual sounds from engine.

If you still have the intake manifold removed, as your photo shows, it would be relatively easy to inspect the intake valves for damage, such as any standing open or bent. Either a small mechanic's mirror with LED light, or a $20 USB Endoscope could quickly accomplish that inspection. Hope it passes!
George

[MoJen87]

Thanks a bunch George. Here's my update for where I stand currently.

I inspected everything when the valve cover was off. Everything looked straight and tight, no loose objects related to timing, valves or anything in the area. I confirmed the timing by turning the crankshaft a few turns then placing the timing equipment back on then put her back together.

Started her up and she worked...for a bit. Initially she did the normal smoking off spilled coolant/oil etc. She sounded like she had lifter tap going on, but it was VERY slight. So light that when I closed the hood I couldn't hear it at all.

I decided to turn her off after about 10-15 minutes of letting her idle. Which she did perfectly, aside from the tapping sound. She idled at 700 rpm and any time I hit the gas she was quick in her response and purring very well. Again, aside from the very slight tapping sound.

And then after I turned her off and tried to start her back up she refused to start. Cranks well, sounds good, but no start. I plugged in my phone, started up Protools and checked her for errors. She gave me more errors this time around than before.

I attached the screenshot of errors.

[NZE90]

Clear the faults and then try to start it again. Then scan again.

[MoJen87]

Forgot to mention, I did that and she didn't start. I forgot what codes pulled up though. Will check and screenshot those to see what difference there is.

[gbalthrop]

Originally Posted by MoJen87

...Started her up and she worked... I decided to turn her off after about 10-15 minutes of letting her idle. Which she did perfectly, aside from the tapping sound. She idled at 700 rpm and any time I hit the gas she was quick in her response and purring very well. Again, aside from the very slight tapping sound. And then after I turned her off and tried to start her back up she refused to start. Cranks well, sounds good, but no start. I attached the screenshot of errors.

Glad to know there was NO Intake Valve contact with pistons. I guess even though the VANOS boltheads sheared off, the shanks of the bolts prevented sprocket from "Free-wheeling" in relation to cam/ VANOS Unit, and Cam kept turning. Question then becomes: WHAT made engine die a block from home? Likely SAME thing NOW causing "Crank, NO Start".

Cam Sensor signals as received by DME may answer that question. TWO sources of that info:
1) Freeze Frame Data related to Cam Sensor fault;
2) Live Data of Cam Sensor signal (viewed during Starter Cranking).

See Links below for Fault Info Sheets for 2A9B & 2A99 Faults:
https://bmwfault.codes/XMLDiagView?d...MAOQAxADAANAA=
https://bmwfault.codes/XMLDiagView?d...EAMQA2ADAANAA=

Did you change Exhaust VANOS Sprocket Bolts? When doing that, did you ONLY remove ONE bolt at a time? You MAY have affected the seals on VANOS Unit (see RCRIT-14V176, pdf page 14). That same seal issue may be causing codes on Intake. The RCRIT is attached to post #2 above in this thread.

ANYONE reading this who has opened a VANOS Unit, or can describe HOW it works internally, please educate us. I'm ONLY going by what the 2014 RCRIT says.
George