[NZE90]

The grey lines are ok. It's when there is visible step wear that it becomes a problem. Illustration from ISTA below.

[NZE90]

Originally Posted by TheMidnightNarwhal

Also maybe it's just me but your video clips the engine sounds OK?

Yea i think it sounds normal as well. Definitely wouldn't be replacing it.

[Hotter]

Originally Posted by NZE90

Yea i think it sounds normal as well. Definitely wouldn't be replacing it.

Well to me it sounds like a diesel engine, but I guess these engines always sounded like diesel...
Though the sound is a bit lauder then before and sometimes hearable in the cabin.

Originally Posted by Dormermike

My aluminium shavings were slivers, most were 2-3mm long and about the width of a hair and others were maybe 8mm long.

My aluminum shavings are very small similar like in the photo of opened up oil filter maybe 1-2mm max, most of them powder like.

Originally Posted by TheMidnightNarwhal

Those gray-ish areas are indeed the area that grooves over time and causes the VANOS code.

OP, if you run your fingernail across them does it get stuck in it? Also do note there will be the same type of grooves underneath the camshaft that you must inspect, unforutnely on the 328i engine I believe that groove is in the head on the intake side rather than being a cam bearing ledge tray like the exhaust side meaning a new head/engine is needed to fix.

Well mechanic inspected it, I think he will inspect more next time when changing MILVs and "hydraulic compensators". Also I do not get much VANOS codes just 2A82 which is gone after cleaning/swapping VANOS solenoids. So I believe I am good without changing the tray? I will need to wait and see if error comeback.

[NZE90]

Have you checked the timing chain tensioner? If the spring in that is weak the plunger will be moving in and out constantly and wearing the aluminium housing of the tensioner.

The tensioner part number has been superceded twice according to realoem, so there must have been some issue with them for BMW to revise it. Might explain the engine noise as well. Just a thought.

[TheMidnightNarwhal]

Originally Posted by Hotter

Well to me it sounds like a diesel engine, but I guess these engines always sounded like diesel...
Though the sound is a bit lauder then before and sometimes hearable in the cabin.


My aluminum shavings are very small similar like in the photo of opened up oil filter maybe 1-2mm max, most of them powder like.


Well mechanic inspected it, I think he will inspect more next time when changing MILVs and "hydraulic compensators". Also I do not get much VANOS codes just 2A82 which is gone after cleaning/swapping VANOS solenoids. So I believe I am good without changing the tray? I will need to wait and see if error comeback.

You need to remove the camshaft fully to inspect under it. By hydraulic compensators I guess he means the hydraulic valve lifters? If so then yes camshaft needs to be removed to replace those. And like I said, there is no tray on the intake side for the 328i engine, it has individual bearing caps but under the camshafts I think the bearings are dug out of the head, or at least the VANOS area with the potential grooving is machined out of the head.

But yeah, you need to do a full test drive to confirm if your 2A82 code is really gone or not. I swapped solenoids to and at first everything seemed good but then few days later my 2A82 had came back.

[Suvorovo]

Originally Posted by Hotter

Cold engine sound:

Warm engine sound:

Engine sounds fine. Sounds exactly like mine. No codes, no lights.

Underlying the ticking noise, I do hear a little bit of a rattle. Are you running a manual transmission? I have a similar faint rattle and I believe it's from a worn dual mass fly wheel. Although both of ours aren't that bad and probably will be good for another 100k km.

[Hotter]

Originally Posted by Suvorovo

Are you running a manual transmission?

No, it is automatic ZF 6HP21. It was swapped recently from GM transmission.

[Hotter]

Update: so after removing and inspecting all top engine stuff like camshafts, replacing milvs, replacing hydraulic compensators, replacing o-rings to updated Teflon O-ring, replacing bolts to updated VANOS gear bolts... mechanic did not find anything bad, cam ledges are ok, no broken bolts - nothing. After this procedure I have new oil and have already driven about 1000km, my oil looks like this:



(both pictures are of same oil, the second is just when mixing it)
Is this bad oil? Or just some kind of condensate when oil is hot?

[StradaRedlands]

Clouds in your coffee... doesn't look good.

[NZE90]

Can you get an oil analysis done to determine what material it is?

[Hotter]

Originally Posted by StradaRedlands

Clouds in your coffee... doesn't look good.

I googled:
Motor Oil becomes cloudy or looks like a milky cup of coffee when it is contaminated by water or coolant. This could be a sign that you have a leaking gasket head which will cause coolant to leak into your engine. If the gasket is leaking then you may also see beads of moisture on your dipstick. It could also be a sign that the engine is not getting up to operating temperature and being allowed to maintain it for long enough which causes condensation from the combustion process to build up in the sump. If too much moisture is present in your engine oil then it will not be lubricating the components effectively. If coolant is present in the oil then, as well as failing to lubricate properly, organic acids can form which will corrode the metal components.
source link

So maybe its not that bad? I do short trips usually so that would explain condensation, I guess I just need to change oil more often to remove condensate?
Hmm... though in my picture the oil should be hot as I just went to mechanic to see it so condensation should be gone on operating temperature engine... head gasket?

Originally Posted by NZE90

Can you get an oil analysis done to determine what material it is?

Not sure if I want to spend even more money on this engine... Unless analysis are cheap? Which I don't think so.

[StradaRedlands]

Originally Posted by Hotter

So maybe its not that bad? I do short trips usually so that would explain condensation, I guess I just need to change oil more often to remove condensate?
Hmm... though in my picture the oil should be hot as I just went to mechanic to see it so condensation should be gone on operating temperature engine... head gasket?

Hopefully just that and nothing more. It just looks like a _lot_ of moisture there, but maybe within the realm of normal? Can you get up to temperature on the highway and then check the next morning cold? If it looks better, there's your answer! Short trips are terrible for engines, that's a known!

[johnnyorange]

Originally Posted by Hotter

I googled:
Motor Oil becomes cloudy or looks like a milky cup of coffee when it is contaminated by water or coolant. This could be a sign that you have a leaking gasket head which will cause coolant to leak into your engine. If the gasket is leaking then you may also see beads of moisture on your dipstick. It could also be a sign that the engine is not getting up to operating temperature and being allowed to maintain it for long enough which causes condensation from the combustion process to build up in the sump. If too much moisture is present in your engine oil then it will not be lubricating the components effectively. If coolant is present in the oil then, as well as failing to lubricate properly, organic acids can form which will corrode the metal components.
source link

So maybe its not that bad? I do short trips usually so that would explain condensation, I guess I just need to change oil more often to remove condensate?
Hmm... though in my picture the oil should be hot as I just went to mechanic to see it so condensation should be gone on operating temperature engine... head gasket?


Not sure if I want to spend even more money on this engine... Unless analysis are cheap? Which I don't think so.

oil analysis by blackstone labs is 30 bucks and something I do with every oil change. I highly recommend this

[StradaRedlands]

Originally Posted by johnnyorange

oil analysis by blackstone labs is 30 bucks and something I do with every oil change. I highly recommend this

I agree... definitely a good investment! OP is from Lithuania though. Don't know if there is a similar service there or in the E.U. Would be worth their researching though!

[Suvorovo]

Any chance its your oil filter housing gasket or oil cooler gasket?

[NZE90]

Originally Posted by Hotter

Not sure if I want to spend even more money on this engine... Unless analysis are cheap? Which I don't think so.

It's cheap. $50 in my country.