[Spacecpe]

Originally Posted by Ingeniator

Never had a similar problem and I've used the car at -47. Maybe the oil pump or the control valve as you said you changed the pressure sensor. If it was me I would tee in a mechanical gauge to the oil sensor port to get an idea of what your pressures are and compare to the dme value.

Me neither. Last year the car started and ran fine ( without an oil pan heater or anything similar ) at -50 too.

[Spacecpe]

Originally Posted by Supra2k6

maybe a crankshaft sensor. did you replace both vanos or just one. Cold start the oil is thicker flows slower when it warms it thins out. so no more low oil pressure?


2A98:
2A98 Crank shaft - inlet camshaft, correlation
Error will cause a warning light
Error is not currently present
Test conditions have not been completed
Short circuit or signal interruption

So yea, once the oil warms up no more lights. Took it for a drive yesterday .. Pulls hard just like usual but a couple vanos codes popped out yesterday on WOT. 2A87 at one point and 2A98 at another. Parked the car overnight and went to start it this morning and boom .. Low oil pressure light and half engine light and the car runs rough. Scanned it and codes came up just like the first day when this issue started 2A7C and 3100 for limp mode. In getting pretty frustrated at this point .. Could it be the cam ledges causing all this mess ?

[Spacecpe]

Any other suggestions before i open the valve cover ?

[Supra2k6]

Cam ledges should be your last resort. Opening the valve cover wont show you anything you will need to take off the camshafts and gears to actually see if theres any damage and at that point you might as well change them otherwise its a huge waste of time. Switch crankshaft sensor to see if problem switches banks. Also you have you checked if the oil cap is broken???

[Spacecpe]

Originally Posted by Supra2k6

Cam ledges should be your last resort. Opening the valve cover wont show you anything you will need to take off the camshafts and gears to actually see if theres any damage and at that point you might as well change them otherwise its a huge waste of time. Switch crankshaft sensor to see if problem switches banks. Also you have you checked if the oil cap is broken???

Yes, i did check it and its all good. where's the crankshaft sensor ?
The thing that bothers me is yesterday i drove the car just fine for like 4 hours with only a couple vanos codes popping up at 2 occasions, and i did a quite a bit of WOT pulls trying to trigger a code. i have a Jb4 log too if that could help ?

[shmorgan77]

I am getting 2a87 and 3100 quite often and it's bugging me. I have changed the cam ledges and it was better but back to the codes. My vanos Solenoids were only swapped when doing the ledges


The reason doing your ledges is a good idea, is because the ring seal that came in our cars (up to a certain point, idk when) was metal. And there is an updated part number that's Teflon. So it shouldn't wear like the original part.

[Spacecpe]

Originally Posted by shmorgan77

I am getting 2a87 and 3100 quite often and it's bugging me. I have changed the cam ledges and it was better but back to the codes. My vanos Solenoids were only swapped when doing the ledges


The reason doing your ledges is a good idea, is because the ring seal that came in our cars (up to a certain point, idk when) was metal. And there is an updated part number that's Teflon. So it shouldn't wear like the original part.

Did you have an oil pressure too low light coming up ?

[shmorgan77]

Originally Posted by E90 M335i

Did you have an oil pressure too low light coming up ?

No I never have

[spxxx]

Had a very similar issue and it ended up being camshaft bearing ledges, $1600 covered by extended warranty thankfully. Car drove perfectly but gave me 2A98&2A99 codes and limp. Idle was fine, literally no signs except the CEL and limp mode. Probably would stop driving it until you have this done, the scoring causes oil pressure to drop in the upper area of the engine and won't lubricate everything properly.

I'd love to hear more about this updated Teflon part... So I can pass this along to my indy.

[AWDBooSTIn90]

This is the first time im hearing about the cam ledges. I have an '06 build 335i. Do i have the older metal type seal?

[EMC]

Originally Posted by E90 M335i

hello there. Two days ago i went to start my car on a cold morning and got a oil pressure too low light and half engine light. Turned the engine off and restarted it .. everything was fin no light no nothing .. car drive just like usual.
After parking it for about 8 hours went to start it again and BAM! same s*it happens oil pressure too low and half engine light. pulled out the codes and it came up as 2A7C (no description found) and 3100. left the car like that overnight and the next day, i pulled the vanos solenoids, cleaned them and changed the oil and filter hoping it would fix my problem but no luck.
next step is to replace the vanos solenoids which i will do tomorrow since the 2A7C is a vanos related code if i'm right and the codes disappeared the other day.

i was hoping somebody had a similar issue or can contribute with anything and if a faulty vanos solenoid can cause the low oil pressure light to come up.

My car has 118000KM and i have JB4, DP's, DCI and a muffler delete.

I have identical symptoms with the occasional low oil pressure light after the car has been sitting for a day or two along with throwing codes 2A7C and 3100 once in a while.

My mileage is also very similar to yours with about 70,000 miles. I have ordered a Vanos solenoid and will replace it to do some trouble shooting.

Did you ever resolve this issue with the low oil pressure warning on start up?

[dsjr2006]

Originally Posted by EMC

I have identical symptoms with the occasional low oil pressure light after the car has been sitting for a day or two along with throwing codes 2A7C and 3100 once in a while.

My mileage is also very similar to yours with about 70,000 miles. I have ordered a Vanos solenoid and will replace it to do some trouble shooting.

Did you ever resolve this issue with the low oil pressure warning on start up?

I was having this issue. Replaced Vanos solenoids and it was fine for a few months. Did the cam bearing ledges last week and now the dealer tells me it needs a new engine today..

[EMC]

Originally Posted by dsjr2006

I was having this issue. Replaced Vanos solenoids and it was fine for a few months. Did the cam bearing ledges last week and now the dealer tells me it needs a new engine today..

What is their reason for saying you need a new engine? That's got to be upsetting...especially since you just spent the money to change the cam trays.

[dsjr2006]

Originally Posted by EMC

What is their reason for saying you need a new engine? That's got to be upsetting...especially since you just spent the money to change the cam trays.

They've started on pulling the valve cover, they're planning to have more info tomorrow. It's a good possibility that something wasn't done correctly at my Indy shop I use. It had occasional issues that would often go away on their own, but when I went to pick it up I knew something was wrong immediately when I started it.

I will post an update when I hear back.

[BMWM.D.]

Cam bearing ledges or Vanos solenoids shouldn't have anything to do with a low oil pressure warning in the cluster/I-drive. Sounds to me like there is a real oil pressure or flow issue when the engine is cold, and that results in the Vanos (2A82, etc.) and boost deactivation (3100) faults.

A "reduced power" warning or CEL with Vanos faults is one thing, but a low oil pressure warning is something much different. Usually not a good sign.

[dsjr2006]

Originally Posted by BMWM.D.

Cam bearing ledges or Vanos solenoids shouldn't have anything to do with a low oil pressure warning in the cluster/I-drive. Sounds to me like there is a real oil pressure or flow issue when the engine is cold, and that results in the Vanos (2A82, etc.) and boost deactivation (3100) faults.

A "reduced power" warning or CEL with Vanos faults is one thing, but a low oil pressure warning is something much different. Usually not a good sign.

Yea I agree they are mostly unrelated, but the oil pressure warning doesn't stay on more than a few seconds and it doesn't happen consistently. There is a possibility that there are pieces of rubber from when the serpentine belt broke and damaged the crank seal because they found rubber pieces under the timing cover. My Indy assured me they had eliminated any traces of the belt when they fixed that last year at significant expense. I was surprised when he told me he found more pieces last week...

[BMWM.D.]

Originally Posted by dsjr2006

Yea I agree they are mostly unrelated, but the oil pressure warning doesn't stay on more than a few seconds and it doesn't happen consistently. There is a possibility that there are pieces of rubber from when the serpentine belt broke and damaged the crank seal because they found rubber pieces under the timing cover. My Indy assured me they had eliminated any traces of the belt when they fixed that last year at significant expense. I was surprised when he told me he found more pieces last week...

I'd definitely be concerned with the oil pressure warning. The Vanos needs oil pressure to work properly, so those faults showing up is pretty much a given if you're getting a pressure warning. I'd be most worried about why that pressure warning is showing up. Could be related to that belt debris, I suppose.

I'd probably try to monitor the pressure and see what it's doing.

[EMC]

Originally Posted by BMWM.D.

I'd definitely be concerned with the oil pressure warning. The Vanos needs oil pressure to work properly, so those faults showing up is pretty much a given if you're getting a pressure warning. I'd be most worried about why that pressure warning is showing up. Could be related to that belt debris, I suppose.

I'd probably try to monitor the pressure and see what it's doing.

Did some trouble shooting...

Oil filter housing was full, small o-ring on the filter lid was intact.

Also swapped oil pressure sensor with a known working sensor. Same low oil pressure warning on startup. Shut off the car, start again and it's gone for a day or two.

The next step may be to pull the oil pan and check the plastic pickup tube and oil pump for debris of some kind.

[Spacecpe]

Well long story short .. In my case .. The serpentine belt broke for the second time and busted the front crank seal.. Car was at the shop for a week .. They pulled the oil pan and it the tube was completely plugged with small pieces of the broken belt.. After that we replaced the cam ledges and started the engine .. Started good no oil pressure light anymore but now it's throwing a 2AA4 and 3100 code after 20 seconds of starting her up and which I can't figure out the source of yet.

[dsjr2006]

Originally Posted by E90 M335i

Well long story short .. In my case .. The serpentine belt broke for the second time and busted the front crank seal.. Car was at the shop for a week .. They pulled the oil pan and it the tube was completely plugged with small pieces of the broken belt.. After that we replaced the cam ledges and started the engine .. Started good no oil pressure light anymore but now it's throwing a 2AA4 and 3100 code after 20 seconds of starting her up and which I can't figure out the source of yet.

Well I'm finally all good to go. My story sounds a lot like yours. I'm all good it looks like after replacing the oil pump and removing the remaining pieces of the serpentine belt that were found.

[EMC]

Originally Posted by dsjr2006

Well I'm finally all good to go. My story sounds a lot like yours. I'm all good it looks like after replacing the oil pump and removing the remaining pieces of the serpentine belt that were found.

I added a mechanical gauge to my car so I could watch oil pressure and check it on cold morning starts. When is was 5 degrees and below, the oil pressure would take an extra second to jump up and that was setting off the light. Anything over 10/15 degrees out and the oil pressure looks fine. I'm guessing there is still something in the pickup and the pan will be pulled in about 2 weeks. I have a new pump and pickup waiting, but the shop says they probably won't need to change the pump. I may ask them to do it for piece of mind.

I'll monitor oil pressure afterwards and see if there is any change. My guess is there was just enough belt in the pickup that the thick oil caused a slow pressure rise when extremely cold. Otherwise I would have never noticed this issue.

The car runs excellent. No other tell tale signs besides one Vanos solenoid code right after a cold start.

[dsjr2006]

Originally Posted by EMC

I added a mechanical gauge to my car so I could watch oil pressure and check it on cold morning starts. When is was 5 degrees and below, the oil pressure would take an extra second to jump up and that was setting off the light. Anything over 10/15 degrees out and the oil pressure looks fine. I'm guessing there is still something in the pickup and the pan will be pulled in about 2 weeks. I have a new pump and pickup waiting, but the shop says they probably won't need to change the pump. I may ask them to do it for piece of mind.

I'll monitor oil pressure afterwards and see if there is any change. My guess is there was just enough belt in the pickup that the thick oil caused a slow pressure rise when extremely cold. Otherwise I would have never noticed this issue.

The car runs excellent. No other tell tale signs besides one Vanos solenoid code right after a cold start.

Yea mine showed no signs other than the light. I replaced the pump though since I have an XI and its nearly 12 hours to drop the pan anyways.