[bruhgubs]

I've got a 2011 328i e93 that I bought as a mild-project car/ daily driver. The previous owner did not treat her too well.

Thanks to the pandemic, I've had a bit more time to work on the car, so I decided to take advantage of this time and replace all of the gaskets and other preventative maintenance items (ie. VCG, Head Gasket, OFHG, rotors, brake pads, spark plugs, coil packs, etc).

Everything went well until I started up the car for the first time after completing all of the maintenance. She starts up just fine with an idle around ~1k then drops to about ~725 after ~10 seconds then occasionally drops again to about ~650 (all of this with the A/C off).

I can audibly hear some lifter tick, but there's another deeper rumble that produces a minimal but noticable vibration. When the engine is revved, it feels and sounds smooth. Also, there is not a CEL displayed.

I ran the codes with a veepeak bluetooth OBD-II reader using the OBD Harry app (android), a handheld code reader, as well as, using an OBD-II to USB cable with INPA.

In the mobile app & handheld scanner, I receive the following codes:
1. P116E (General DTC Code - no specific info)
2. P0070 (Ambient Air Temperature Sensor Circuit)
3. P052B (Cold Start "A" Camshaft Position Timing Over-Retarded Bank 1)
4. P2610 (ECM/PCM Internal Engine Off Timer Performance)
5. P0113 (Intake Air Temperature Sensor 1 Circuit High)

In INPA, I receive the following codes:
1. 2F83 (Engine shutdown time, time counter combi - time counter DME, comparison)
2. 2F9A (Outside Temperature Sensor, Communication)
3. 2F81 (Engine shutdown time, time counter combination time counter DME, comparison)
4. 2F84 (Engine shutdown time, time counter combination time counter DME, comparison)
5. 2D16 (Air Mass Meter, Signal)
6. 2D0F (Air Mass Meter, Signal)
7. 2F08 (Intake Air Temperature Sensor, Signal)

When I rev the engine, I don't notice anything that would indicate a camshaft timing issue it still feels smooth. I even took off the VC twice now to check for snapped bolts on the Camshaft Gears and drained the oil looking for metal bits.

I'm just absolutely confused right now. Is this just a faulty DME? If anyone has a suggestion, it would help immensely!

[relative4]

You replaced the head gasket?

[dpaul]

Did you have these codes before you performed the maintenance procedures?

First thing to do is try clearing the codes and see which if any return. Ignore your handheld scanner codes - INPA is a factory tool and far better for diagnostic info.

Best bet is MAF and Intake temp sensor (your codes 5,6,7) which are one unit in the N52. If those codes come back, maybe you forgot to reconnect the MAF/sensor, maybe messed up the wiring to it, maybe it just needs to be replaced.

I wouldn't worry about those weird DME codes just yet.

I'll just assume that you really didn't replace the cylinder head gasket

[bruhgubs]

Originally Posted by dpaul

Did you have these codes before you performed the maintenance procedures?

First thing to do is try clearing the codes and see which if any return. Ignore your handheld scanner codes - INPA is a factory tool and far better for diagnostic info.

Best bet is MAF and Intake temp sensor (your codes 5,6,7) which are one unit in the N52. If those codes come back, maybe you forgot to reconnect the MAF/sensor, maybe messed up the wiring to it, maybe it just needs to be replaced.

I wouldn't worry about those weird DME codes just yet.

I'll just assume that you really didn't replace the cylinder head gasket

None of these codes were present, before replacing the VCG, HG, and OFHG.

Unfortunately these codes are listed under the "permanent" section, so clearing the codes hasn't worked for me. Also, yes, the head gasket was replaced with an OEM part from FCPEuro. At the time, I just wanted the engine to be in perfect condition and thought since I'm replacing all of the gaskets why not knock out the head gasket, as well? I've since read that that wasn't necessary on the N52's. I mean it still runs, so I'm just hoping these codes have nothing to do with it 🤞.

I'll buy a new MAF; hopefully that clears up a few of the codes.

[dpaul]

Wow. Head gasket. That's a ton of work to fix something that wasn't broke, unless you had some good evidence of failure.

So, you didn't have the codes before you did your service and now you have them. With all due respect, the simplest explanation is that you broke something or reassembled something improperly when you did the work.

I'd really, really carefully inspect and test the wiring from the MAF to DME (after making sure the MAF was actually connected). Very possibly the MAF is fine, unless it was handled roughly You can generally test a MAF directly but I haven't done that for the N52 sensor.

Not a bad idea to use INPA to tell you in real time what it thinks the outputs of MAF and intake temp are (from main -> read status->analog values 1, I think)

Also, I don't know what you mean by "permanent" section, regarding errors. You can clear error memory, information memory and history memory using INPA. Those options are on the same page. There is no fault memory that you cannot clear. Do that then see what comes back after you start the engine up.

[bruhgubs]

Originally Posted by dpaul

Wow. Head gasket. That's a ton of work to fix something that wasn't broke, unless you had some good evidence of failure.

So, you didn't have the codes before you did your service and now you have them. With all due respect, the simplest explanation is that you broke something or reassembled something improperly when you did the work.

I'd really, really carefully inspect and test the wiring from the MAF to DME (after making sure the MAF was actually connected). Very possibly the MAF is fine, unless it was handled roughly You can generally test a MAF directly but I haven't done that for the N52 sensor.

Not a bad idea to use INPA to tell you in real time what it thinks the outputs of MAF and intake temp are (from main -> read status->analog values 1, I think)

Also, I don't know what you mean by "permanent" section, regarding errors. You can clear error memory, information memory and history memory using INPA. Those options are on the same page. There is no fault memory that you cannot clear. Do that then see what comes back after you start the engine up.

Well thankfully, it turns out that I'm just a fool.

Within my scanning tools, I have 3 options under "Read Codes". "Current Trouble Codes", "Pending Trouble Codes", and "Permanent Trouble Codes". This whole time, I never had any codes listed under current or pending only permanent, as well as, none of the permanent codes listed in INPA. I thought that that meant there were serious issues with my car. Well after reading your comment and doing a little more research, I ended up learning something new. Apparently, the permanent trouble codes appear when the battery has been disconnected for an extended period of time and in my case when the engine was essentially rebuilt it had a slightly longer crank on the first cold start and registered the error code listed above. All I needed to do was drive the car around for an hour then the codes cleared right up.

On the bright side, that proves that I successfully completed a head gasket job by myself on an N52 and she's got a new MAF. So, overall I'll take it as a good learning experience!

Thanks for taking the time to comment on my post and trying to help me out!

[dpaul]

Originally Posted by bruhgubs

Well thankfully, it turns out that I'm just a fool.

Within my scanning tools, I have 3 options under "Read Codes". "Current Trouble Codes", "Pending Trouble Codes", and "Permanent Trouble Codes". This whole time, I never had any codes listed under current or pending only permanent, as well as, none of the permanent codes listed in INPA. I thought that that meant there were serious issues with my car. Well after reading your comment and doing a little more research, I ended up learning something new. Apparently, the permanent trouble codes appear when the battery has been disconnected for an extended period of time and in my case when the engine was essentially rebuilt it had a slightly longer crank on the first cold start and registered the error code listed above. All I needed to do was drive the car around for an hour then the codes cleared right up.

On the bright side, that proves that I successfully completed a head gasket job by myself on an N52 and she's got a new MAF. So, overall I'll take it as a good learning experience!

Thanks for taking the time to comment on my post and trying to help me out!

Glad that things worked out and thanks for letting us know the final resolution!