[forumman83]

Originally Posted by moderat0r

https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1599888

Read this up, I had sound issues as well, took some work to diagnose it.

Thanks, I'll check that out.

[forumman83]

Mechanic estimates that replacement could cost up to $7,500, the car is only worth $9,000

[forumman83]

Anybody have any experience with Voss salenoid replacement?

[speedfreeq]

Originally Posted by forumman83

Anybody have any experience with Voss salenoid replacement?

VANOS solenoid replacement is a fairly easy job, and this thread https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1623179 says you wouldn't even need to reset adaptations.
Did the mechanic get you some codes to share with us?

I would also have somebody put a 22mm socket on your crank pulley just to make sure it hasn't come loose at all. Easy thing to check/eliminate.

Originally Posted by forumman83

Mechanic estimates that replacement could cost up to $7,500, the car is only worth $9,000

It's not likely repair would cost anywhere near that much if the engine is still running. Replacement of what?? VANOS solenoids? Find an indy BMW mechanic that can actually help you.

[forumman83]

Originally Posted by speedfreeq

VANOS solenoid replacement is a fairly easy job, and this thread https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1623179 says you wouldn't even need to reset adaptations.
Did the mechanic get you some codes to share with us?

I would also have somebody put a 22mm socket on your crank pulley just to make sure it hasn't come loose at all. Easy thing to check/eliminate.



It's not likely repair would cost anywhere near that much if the engine is still running. Replacement of what?? VANOS solenoids? Find an indy BMW mechanic that can actually help you.

Thanks, I didn't get the codes because we were both rushed.

The 22mm socket on the crank pully sounds like a good idea, should I mention to my mechanic?

[forumman83]

Originally Posted by speedfreeq

VANOS solenoid replacement is a fairly easy job, and this thread https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1623179

It's not likely repair would cost anywhere near that much if the engine is still running. Replacement of what?? VANOS solenoids? Find an indy BMW mechanic that can actually help you.

He was saying if the Solenoid replacement didn't fix the problem, it may be much more serious requiring an extensive repair (he didn't think this was the case but couldn't tell right away).

[mastarron]

Originally Posted by forumman83

He was saying if the Solenoid replacement didn't fix the problem, it may be much more serious requiring an extensive repair (he didn't think this was the case but couldn't tell right away).

$7500 for what? how much did he quote you for the VANOS solenoid work only? This should not be more than $400 at a reputable INDY shop. The solenoids themselves are $150-250 for both of them, and they are REALLY easy to replace. Just need to make sure its done on a cold engine otherwise you will burn yourself lol. But before replacing the VANOS solenoids, let me give you my thoughts;

The VANOS solenoids are an easy do-it-yourself. You should be able to order the parts online (I personally use http://ecstuning.com - but there are also other sites like FCPEuro, and many others).

But before getting to the VANOS solenoids, answer the below;
How many miles does your car have?
How long have you had the car for?
Do you have a full service history of the vehicle?
Have you ever done any preventative maintenance? Or do you just address things when they break?

First and foremost, you need to invest in a code scanner. otherwise you are shooting in the dark and wasting your time (and ours). You can buy a dedicated scanner, or a software based one like Carly.

Personally, I have iCarly for BMW. This is a subscription based software ($60 a year), that uses an OB2 adapter. You can use any bluetooth/wifi OB2 adapter to read codes, but must use the Carly OB2 adapter to reset codes and services(brakes, oil service, etc).
https://www.mycarly.com/en/app/bmw/

Let me give you a rundown of what I would do;

1) depending on your mileage, I would replace the spark plugs, coils and VANOS solenoids. All three of these are parts that will cause your car to sputter/stall. If you had a code reader, you can find out exactly what it is. But depending on your mileage, these might need to be replaced anyway. They are preventative maintenance items and relatively not that expensive. You can buy them all on ECStuning and do the work yourself. But if you have the scanner, and it points to lets say the VANOS solenoids (codes 2A87 & 2A82), then you can just replace those. The codes dont lie
2) Tensioner, serpentine belt and idler pulley. The belt should be changed every 50-75k miles[along with tensioner and idler pulley]. ECS usually has great deals for these combo'ed together. They are cheap and relatively easy DIY. Since you are a beginner, dont underestimate the work, and try to maybe do it with a friend for moral support
https://www.ecstuning.com/b-assemble...11287530314kt/
3) There is a chance your alternator or alternator pulley is going bad. This could cause the issue of stalling also. There are ways to test the alternator pulley. and there are ways to test the alternator itself. I just ordered an alternator pulley for myself, because I get a noise from the alternator thats consistent with bad bearings on the pulley. Pulley is like $50, while the entire alternator is like $700-$1000 for the part only.

There is a great website where you can put your VIN in and it will give you a breakdown of your car parts;
https://realoem.com/

Keep that page bookmarked for future use, if you plan on keeping the car (I recommend it, theyre great cars if you take care of them).

Ill leave it at this for now. Invest in a code reader ASAP, and report back. The indy shop $7500 quote with no codes available to us, is a RIDICULOUS number to throw out there...

[forumman83]

mastarron Thanks so much for the great reply! Yes the scanner is a great idea. He did give me the codes scanned when he did them but I didnt write them down. They were the Vanos Solenoid codes he said, however.

I had him do the work and he charged me $400 to replace them so that was reasonable. Unfortunately, the same problem is happening and this DID NOT fix it.

Now I am left here without a clue how to proceed.

Again, he did scan it and said that it was the Vanos solenoids error code so since that didn't fix the problem, not sure what will!

I'm considering taking it to my local BMW Stealership which I really don't want to do!

[HiRev335i]

take the car back to him and tell him that he misdiagnosed the problem and the same issue persists. If he's a reasonable mech he'll find the real issue Did you bring it to a shop that specializes in BMW if you did then I'm really surprised he didn't check what has been mentioned here in previous posts before deciding on replacing the solenoids. If you didn't take it to a BMW indie then you need to find one. Don't go to a dealership they will rape you.

[forumman83]

Originally Posted by HiRev335i

take the car back to him and tell him that he misdiagnosed the problem and the same issue persists. If he's a reasonable mech he'll find the real issue Did you bring it to a shop that specializes in BMW if you did then I'm really surprised he didn't check what has been mentioned here in previous posts before deciding on replacing the solenoids. If you didn't take it to a BMW indie then you need to find one. Don't go to a dealership they will rape you.

Yes, he works exclusively on European cars including BMWs and yes I'm a bit surprised that he diagnosed the problem without having driven it or testing it and simply by running a scan.

Problem I'm finding here is that NO ONE seems to know what the fix is here so part of me thinks I can't blame him...

[forumman83]

Originally Posted by mastarron

First and foremost, you need to invest in a code scanner. otherwise you are shooting in the dark and wasting your time (and ours). You can buy a dedicated scanner, or a software based one like Carly.

Personally, I have iCarly for BMW. This is a subscription based software ($60 a year), that uses an OB2 adapter. You can use any bluetooth/wifi OB2 adapter to read codes, but must use the Carly OB2 adapter to reset codes and services(brakes, oil service, etc).
https://www.mycarly.com/en/app/bmw/

Thanks for the advice, I've ordered the code scanner and will update once I get it in!

[mastarron]

Originally Posted by forumman83

Thanks for the advice, I've ordered the code scanner and will update once I get it in!

Which scanner did you get? There is always the chance that one of the solenoids he replaced is bad. It happens!

Once you get the scanner, clear all the codes before doing anything. Then drive it for a few trips, and re-read the codes. Dont be scared if you see a lot of codes lol, BMW's are notorious for codes. Feel free to post them on here, and we can help take a look.


-mastarron