[Duck70]

I am having issues and the dealer just wants to crack open my valve cover for $2800 to see what might be causing it. I thought I would check here first.

I am getting the following codes:

P0012- Camshaft Position “A” - Timing Over-Retarded (Bank 1)
P2F71- E-Box fan, input signal
P2AAF- fuel pump plausibility
P2A82-Inlet VANOS variable CAM control
P3100-Limp mode

This has been an issue for a few months off and on. I have changed my oil and filter, replaced both VANOS Solenoids and replaced my intake camshaft position sensor. Car starts and runs good but it has its times of running a tad more sluggish but it's few and far between. It ONLY goes into limp mode when the engine heats up and I am in idle or just cruising, never in WOT or on the pedal. The dealer checked it out yesterday and was baffled as well. They said they would like to go into the engine and check for scorching on the cam bearings and if its not that they would replace the VANOS units. Not a great deal of confidence on their end.

It should also be noted (but probably unrelated) that I had a fried DME about 2 weeks ago and repaired my MOSFETS (blew a coil too).

I also have a Burger DCI and am running Cobb stage 1 Sport

Any ideas?

[ferocity02]

$2800 to remove the valve cover? That's a joke. If you know how to use a wrench it would take you a few hours. Might not be a bad idea to take a look under there, perhaps its the cam ledge bearings, not an uncommon problem on these cars. Might also be a good opportunity to swap the valve cover if you have a lot of miles.

[Duck70]

Originally Posted by ferocity02

$2800 to remove the valve cover? That's a joke. If you know how to use a wrench it would take you a few hours. Might not be a bad idea to take a look under there, perhaps its the cam ledge bearings, not an uncommon problem on these cars. Might also be a good opportunity to swap the valve cover if you have a lot of miles.

They want to open up the valve cover, see how the cam ledge bearings look. If they look good, they want to replace the Vanos units, both of them for $2800. I am worried that it's something else could be causing the codes and that the new Vanos units wont fix it.

Isnt a special tool needed for cam ledge bearings?

[Duck70]

Upon talking to BMW service again, he recommended I change the oil filter just to be sure that wasnt causing the codes because the codes were only throwing at temp and no other symptoms. I have only had this car for a little over a year and its not my daily driver, so I have only changed the oil one other time. I took the filter out and realized my oil filter cap doesnt have the oil filter release valve.

I bought a new cap yesterday with the release valve, got it to temp 3x already and no limp mode or codes.

Could this have been the cause of my issues?

[ferocity02]

Originally Posted by Duck70

Upon talking to BMW service again, he recommended I change the oil filter just to be sure that wasnt causing the codes because the codes were only throwing at temp and no other symptoms. I have only had this car for a little over a year and its not my daily driver, so I have only changed the oil one other time. I took the filter out and realized my oil filter cap doesnt have the oil filter release valve.

I bought a new cap yesterday with the release valve, got it to temp 3x already and no limp mode or codes.

Could this have been the cause of my issues?

There's definitely a piece of that oil cap missing. I'm not sure what it's function is, but I'm guessing it was causing oil pressure issues that caused VANOS problems.

[Duck70]

Update: I have got the engine to temp (approx 235 deg) about 4x now and no limp mode! I am going to do some more WOT driving and see if I throw anything but I think the oil filter cap piece was my culprit. I have read that without that piece, oil just comes into the filter housing and doesnt flow freely through it, causing oil pressure issues at temp.

Just happy it's looking like I wont need to spend $2800!