[LandingSpot]

Hi folks,

I would be very grateful if you could give me some help with my E91. It's just passed 148k miles and has always run a dream.

Just before Christmas I lost boost on my 320d (N47) and have only just been able to get around to taking a look at it. It hasn't been driven since the issue came up.

I pulled the following codes from DIS:

4A79
4A74
449A
452A
41A2

I ran the actuator test and got zero response from the arm controlling the vanes of the turbo. The turbo has negligible play up and down and no play forward/back, so am pretty sure it's the actuator that is goosed.

Not too bothered about the DPF error as I'm considering a delete.

Some questions:

1. I assume the glowplug errors are erroneous - never failed to start but the vehicle has had a battery replaced. Might this caus a break in communication it mentions on the fault code?
2. Can the actuator be replaced separate to the turbo? DIS says no but they aren't always right!
3. If it can be replaced - what process do I need to undergo to "code" the new actuator to the turbo?

Any and all help most appreciated!
Andy

[LandingSpot]

Happy new year all!

Can anybody weigh in here?

[hp88]

Yes it can be replaced, I was looking into this a few months ago and found ECU Testing do it for around £230. It was intermittent on mine until the mechanic who was going to replace it had a look at it and either greased/freed up the arm which solved it for me.

[bfleming]

It takes 10 mins to take off the actuator, then you'll be able to see what's what. Air intake off (3x torx screws), Airbox out (2x 10mm bolts) and a jubilee clip. Now you'll be able to get to the 3x 10mm bolts at the rear of the turbo. There is a clip holding the plastic arm to the actuator. Remove it carefully with a small screwdriver as they tend to ping off, never to be seen again.
Once the actuator is off, you can unplug the electrics to it.

At this stage, with the actuator disconnected, make sure the arm on the turbo is free to move by hand. If it isn't, there's your issue.

With the actuator removed there are a number of clips all the way round it holding the 2 halves together. Ping the clips off, and separate the halves to see if anything is seized / broken / worn. There are companies who will refurb them. A lot of scrappies will only sell you an actuator complete with a turbo. Allegedly they are calibrated to match each other, but I've found the N47 engine will do a self calibration on start up. There is no command on Ediabas (ToolSet32/Tool32) to calibrate the actuator.

Regarding the DPF error, often they're triggered if the car won't boost as the criteria for regen isn't being met. You may find that if you fix the actuator issue & take the car for a run, the DPF code may stay away.

[LandingSpot]

Awesome guys, thank you!!

[bfleming]

No problem. PM me if you need any further information. Remember, you can't buy the actuator separately from the turbo from BMW; you may be able to find one on ebay on its own, but part numbers must match 100%. Mine was a Hella unit, 6NW010099-02 / 49335-19400. There is no BMW part number on the unit. I used ECUTesting.com for my testing/refurb.
You also can't buy the components of the actuator separately - the plastic arm or the clips.
I found the best way of removing the unit was to remove the clip on the pivot arm of the actuator carefully (thumb over it whilst levering it off with a small screwdriver), then undo the 3x 10mm bolts on the back of the actuator. You then slide the actuator arm forward off the pivot arm, leving the plastic arm attached to the turbo.
It'll make sense when you see it.