Eccentric shaft sensor or valvetronic motor failure?

MBP0202 · 11-18-2014, 05:19 PM

Hi guys,

Looking for some advice from people who have had this problem (probably higher mileage cars...) My car is 2007 E90 328xi with 94,000 miles.

Timeline:

On Saturday, Nov 15th when I tried to start the car (cold engine) when it had been sitting overnight it struggled to start up. It took me 3 times, and then it finally started, car ran fine.

On Sunday, Nov 16th, I tried to start the car (cold engine) and it did the same thing, did not start. Finally got it to start on the fifth try, but now the CEL light is illuminated.

----When the car has been driven and it the engine is warm, the car can be turned off and started with no problem at all.

Yesterday, the car did not start at all. After multiple attempts to start it, it just won't fire up. The fact that it's 20-30 degrees is just making it that much worse

Here are the codes below...

So as you can see, we're either looking at the eccentric shaft sensor or the valvetronic motor as a culprit.

And here's the kicker

when I was done replacing the valve cover gasket (70k), I specially ordered a new eccentric shaft sensor gasket to replace the old one. I was so amazed that oil hadn't gotten in there and fouled the sensor that I bought a new one to prevent that from happening. Didn't want to buy a $300 sensor if I could avoid it

On Sunday, I also pulled out the eccentric shaft sensor cap to inspect it and there was no oil in there so...

I'll try to get a picture so you can see how clean the sensor connection is and the lack of oil, but since it gets dark and the sun goes down at 4pm and I can't get the car in the garage where the tools are...

Any help is greatly appreciated, thank you.

Taskmaster · 11-18-2014, 06:07 PM

Check the fuse first:

mrtt · 11-18-2014, 09:08 PM

Before ordering new parts, check your battery condition and hook up to another car to see if your car starts right away

hongsc · 11-19-2014, 12:38 AM

Sounds like the Eccentric Shaft Sensor. I had an oil leak and it got into it. Pretty soon you'll have to get your car jumped.

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1041645

MBP0202 · 11-20-2014, 06:53 PM

Update:

Finally got the car in the garage and was able to take off the engine cover to get a look at the eccentric shaft connecter, and not much oil in there.

I read a post on another forum that someone had 4 out of the 5 codes that I'm pulling. He replaced the Valvetronic motor and that DID NOT solve the problem so I'm pretty sure it's the eccentric shaft sensor.

I also pulled off the DME/ECU cover and inspected the fuses and they checked out so I think it's time to do the valve cover job again...

I think the oil has fouled the sensor, but since I replaced the gasket up top I'm not seeing it. I'm pretty sure when I take off the valve cover, take out the eccentric shaft sensor and pry off the backing plate I'm going to see something similar to this...

On a good note, besides the sand & dirt, I did not see any pools of oil near any of the coils (not one failed coil yet

) so the Valvetronic motor gasket is holding up well, but it'll be replaced just in case anyways because it has to come off to get to the valve cover. I'll keep everyone posted.

TheSt|G · 11-21-2014, 08:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MBP0202

Update:

Finally got the car in the garage and was able to take off the engine cover to get a look at the eccentric shaft connecter, and not much oil in there.

There shouldn't be any oil, so it seems likely you have narrowed in on at least 1 problem.

MBP0202 · 11-22-2014, 09:39 PM

Well add another victim to the eccentric shaft sensor column. So if you get the codes I listed above, the lesson is that even though you may not see oil pooled in the connector above, oil has most likely fouled the eccentric shaft sensor underneath the valve cover. This is what I found when I took off the backing plate...

But of course no job is complete without something going wrong, and in this case it was one of the 10mm bolts holding the valve cover on. First one came out no problem, but the other one snapped almost in half

Luckily, it didn't prevent me from getting the valve cover off. Pictures show one side compared to the other. Any ideas on how to remove this?

E90 Duuuude · 01-27-2020, 05:35 PM

Can anyone tell me when I'm throwing all these codes ?

neo24gr · 05-12-2022, 11:56 AM

Hello

I have a Bmw e91 320i 2006 model

And I have this fault code 2A70

Car is running fine,I don't feel any power loses.

I have this code for a year now.

I delete it but it comes again.

I replace battery coils spark plugs.

I found some oil on valvetronic sensor and I cleaned.

Nothing changed.

The only thing I noticed is it consuming more fuel.

Some help ?

cesararoche · 06-09-2022, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MBP0202

Well add another victim to the eccentric shaft sensor column. So if you get the codes I listed above, the lesson is that even though you may not see oil pooled in the connector above, oil has most likely fouled the eccentric shaft sensor underneath the valve cover. This is what I found when I took off the backing plate...

But of course no job is complete without something going wrong, and in this case it was one of the 10mm bolts holding the valve cover on. First one came out no problem, but the other one snapped almost in half

Luckily, it didn't prevent me from getting the valve cover off. Pictures show one side compared to the other. Any ideas on how to remove this?

Hi, replace the Eccentric shaft sensor solve the error codes?

MBP0202 · 06-14-2022, 08:57 PM

Yes it did.

wagonBoi48 · 06-29-2023, 12:33 AM

sorry to revive but for anyone having nightmare valvetronic issues on the N51/N52 and so on i just went THRU it.
if you are pulling p1030 p1056 or bmw codes 2A3F 2A38 go and look at the battery cables in the trunk first which will require removing the battery. sometimes water can end up in there due to a bad trunk/gate seal.

If they look fine check the wheel well side as well. In my case the vvt power wire was corroded at the connector there and looked fine on battery side. Spliced in a new wire..
Drove the car for 4 days fixed then got stuck with no acceleration pedal on the side of the road.

After replacing the valvetronic motor and pulling the valve cover replacing 2 eccentric shaft sensors it turned out the be the 40 amp fuse near the DME under the hood. it looked fine but when i removed it all the way it was broken and melted on the bottom. probably from getting too hot with that corrosion previously mentioned .
replaced that fuse and Car is running top now.. cheers

generationbimmer · 01-24-2024, 05:16 PM

Hey All,

Im another victim of this weird issue.

I recently pulled out my eccentric shaft sensor only to see it seemed pretty dry so just for save measure i have no spare parts i cleaned it with mass airflow sensor cleaner and compressed air plugged back in and seemed fine for about 40km. Then code 2A38 with CC-ID 29 engine jerking and stuttering loss of power. These are all the codes ive pulled over the span of a few weeks i just cant seem to narrow it down.

2A38 - DME: Control unit, internal fault: Valvetronic output stage
2A3F - DME: Valvetronic, actuator motor: power supply
2A45 - DME: Valvetronic, actuator motor: plausibility
2A77 - DME: Control unit, internal fault: Valvetronic output stage

Over this period ive had rough idles, car not starting in cold temps, stalls, jerking stuttering. Cleaned out vanos solenoids aswell just not sure if its eccentric shaft sensor or valvetronic motor or vanos.

Owned the car for 1.5 months full service history everything working just struggling with these issues. 120,000km.

Need help.

11-18-2014, 05:19 PM	#1
MBP0202 Private First Class 28 Rep 159 Posts Drives: n52 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Around... iTrader: (1)	Eccentric shaft sensor or valvetronic motor failure? Hi guys, Looking for some advice from people who have had this problem (probably higher mileage cars...) My car is 2007 E90 328xi with 94,000 miles. Timeline: On Saturday, Nov 15th when I tried to start the car (cold engine) when it had been sitting overnight it struggled to start up. It took me 3 times, and then it finally started, car ran fine. On Sunday, Nov 16th, I tried to start the car (cold engine) and it did the same thing, did not start. Finally got it to start on the fifth try, but now the CEL light is illuminated. ----When the car has been driven and it the engine is warm, the car can be turned off and started with no problem at all. Yesterday, the car did not start at all. After multiple attempts to start it, it just won't fire up. The fact that it's 20-30 degrees is just making it that much worse Here are the codes below... So as you can see, we're either looking at the eccentric shaft sensor or the valvetronic motor as a culprit. And here's the kicker when I was done replacing the valve cover gasket (70k), I specially ordered a new eccentric shaft sensor gasket to replace the old one. I was so amazed that oil hadn't gotten in there and fouled the sensor that I bought a new one to prevent that from happening. Didn't want to buy a $300 sensor if I could avoid it On Sunday, I also pulled out the eccentric shaft sensor cap to inspect it and there was no oil in there so... I'll try to get a picture so you can see how clean the sensor connection is and the lack of oil, but since it gets dark and the sun goes down at 4pm and I can't get the car in the garage where the tools are... Any help is greatly appreciated, thank you. __________________ 2007 E90 328xi l 6MT l Sparkling Graphite Metallic l ZSP l ZPP l ZCW l iDrive l Logic 7 l Mapleridge Headers l 3 Stage Intake Manifold l AA tune l BMW Performance Intake l Euphoria 6K LED interior l Blacklines l V3 Mtec l VMR VB3
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11-18-2014, 06:07 PM	#2
Taskmaster Banned 2465 Rep 9,004 Posts Drives: M235i 6MT / E92 328 Msport 6MT Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Florida iTrader: (6)	Check the fuse first:
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11-18-2014, 09:08 PM	#3
mrtt Private First Class 38 Rep 179 Posts Drives: E46/E60/E92/F10/E55 Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Jersey iTrader: (1)	Before ordering new parts, check your battery condition and hook up to another car to see if your car starts right away
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11-19-2014, 12:38 AM	#4
hongsc Captain 153 Rep 982 Posts Drives: 2011 BMW 328i Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Amazon Prime iTrader: (1)	Sounds like the Eccentric Shaft Sensor. I had an oil leak and it got into it. Pretty soon you'll have to get your car jumped. http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1041645 __________________ 2011 BMW 328i Space Grey\|18" Avant Garde m359\|Michelin Pilot Sport A/S2\|Eibach Pro-Kit Springs\|Koni FSD\|M3 U+L Control Arms\|Lux Angel Eyes\|Stoptech\|Hawk 5.0\|aFe Race Pipes\|BMW PE
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11-20-2014, 06:53 PM	#5
MBP0202 Private First Class 28 Rep 159 Posts Drives: n52 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Around... iTrader: (1)	Update: Finally got the car in the garage and was able to take off the engine cover to get a look at the eccentric shaft connecter, and not much oil in there. I read a post on another forum that someone had 4 out of the 5 codes that I'm pulling. He replaced the Valvetronic motor and that DID NOT solve the problem so I'm pretty sure it's the eccentric shaft sensor. I also pulled off the DME/ECU cover and inspected the fuses and they checked out so I think it's time to do the valve cover job again... I think the oil has fouled the sensor, but since I replaced the gasket up top I'm not seeing it. I'm pretty sure when I take off the valve cover, take out the eccentric shaft sensor and pry off the backing plate I'm going to see something similar to this... On a good note, besides the sand & dirt, I did not see any pools of oil near any of the coils (not one failed coil yet ) so the Valvetronic motor gasket is holding up well, but it'll be replaced just in case anyways because it has to come off to get to the valve cover. I'll keep everyone posted. __________________ 2007 E90 328xi l 6MT l Sparkling Graphite Metallic l ZSP l ZPP l ZCW l iDrive l Logic 7 l Mapleridge Headers l 3 Stage Intake Manifold l AA tune l BMW Performance Intake l Euphoria 6K LED interior l Blacklines l V3 Mtec l VMR VB3
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11-22-2014, 09:39 PM	#7
MBP0202 Private First Class 28 Rep 159 Posts Drives: n52 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Around... iTrader: (1)	Well add another victim to the eccentric shaft sensor column. So if you get the codes I listed above, the lesson is that even though you may not see oil pooled in the connector above, oil has most likely fouled the eccentric shaft sensor underneath the valve cover. This is what I found when I took off the backing plate... But of course no job is complete without something going wrong, and in this case it was one of the 10mm bolts holding the valve cover on. First one came out no problem, but the other one snapped almost in half Luckily, it didn't prevent me from getting the valve cover off. Pictures show one side compared to the other. Any ideas on how to remove this? __________________ 2007 E90 328xi l 6MT l Sparkling Graphite Metallic l ZSP l ZPP l ZCW l iDrive l Logic 7 l Mapleridge Headers l 3 Stage Intake Manifold l AA tune l BMW Performance Intake l Euphoria 6K LED interior l Blacklines l V3 Mtec l VMR VB3
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01-27-2020, 05:35 PM	#8
E90 Duuuude New Member 1 Rep 22 Posts Drives: Bmw 328xi Join Date: Aug 2019 Location: Minnesota iTrader: (0)	Bmw 328i multiple misfire Can anyone tell me when I'm throwing all these codes ? Attached Images
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05-12-2022, 11:56 AM	#9
neo24gr New Member 0 Rep 8 Posts Drives: BMW E91 320i Join Date: Apr 2021 Location: Germany iTrader: (0)	Fault code 2a70 Hello I have a Bmw e91 320i 2006 model And I have this fault code 2A70 Car is running fine,I don't feel any power loses. I have this code for a year now. I delete it but it comes again. I replace battery coils spark plugs. I found some oil on valvetronic sensor and I cleaned. Nothing changed. The only thing I noticed is it consuming more fuel. Some help ?
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06-14-2022, 08:57 PM	#11
MBP0202 Private First Class 28 Rep 159 Posts Drives: n52 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Around... iTrader: (1)	Yes it did. __________________ 2007 E90 328xi l 6MT l Sparkling Graphite Metallic l ZSP l ZPP l ZCW l iDrive l Logic 7 l Mapleridge Headers l 3 Stage Intake Manifold l AA tune l BMW Performance Intake l Euphoria 6K LED interior l Blacklines l V3 Mtec l VMR VB3
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06-29-2023, 12:33 AM	#12
wagonBoi48 New Member 0 Rep 5 Posts Drives: 2006 E91 N52 6MT Join Date: Jun 2023 Location: South Shore MA iTrader: (0)	sorry to revive but for anyone having nightmare valvetronic issues on the N51/N52 and so on i just went THRU it. if you are pulling p1030 p1056 or bmw codes 2A3F 2A38 go and look at the battery cables in the trunk first which will require removing the battery. sometimes water can end up in there due to a bad trunk/gate seal. If they look fine check the wheel well side as well. In my case the vvt power wire was corroded at the connector there and looked fine on battery side. Spliced in a new wire.. Drove the car for 4 days fixed then got stuck with no acceleration pedal on the side of the road. After replacing the valvetronic motor and pulling the valve cover replacing 2 eccentric shaft sensors it turned out the be the 40 amp fuse near the DME under the hood. it looked fine but when i removed it all the way it was broken and melted on the bottom. probably from getting too hot with that corrosion previously mentioned . replaced that fuse and Car is running top now.. cheers Attached Images
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01-24-2024, 05:16 PM	#13
generationbimmer New Member 0 Rep 6 Posts Drives: 2011 328i E90 N52 Join Date: Jan 2024 Location: Ontario iTrader: (0)	Hey All, Im another victim of this weird issue. I recently pulled out my eccentric shaft sensor only to see it seemed pretty dry so just for save measure i have no spare parts i cleaned it with mass airflow sensor cleaner and compressed air plugged back in and seemed fine for about 40km. Then code 2A38 with CC-ID 29 engine jerking and stuttering loss of power. These are all the codes ive pulled over the span of a few weeks i just cant seem to narrow it down. 2A38 - DME: Control unit, internal fault: Valvetronic output stage 2A3F - DME: Valvetronic, actuator motor: power supply 2A45 - DME: Valvetronic, actuator motor: plausibility 2A77 - DME: Control unit, internal fault: Valvetronic output stage Over this period ive had rough idles, car not starting in cold temps, stalls, jerking stuttering. Cleaned out vanos solenoids aswell just not sure if its eccentric shaft sensor or valvetronic motor or vanos. Owned the car for 1.5 months full service history everything working just struggling with these issues. 120,000km. Need help.
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