Vanos timing on Exhaust camshaft

Coupes66

Corporal
Dec 26, 2017
149
115
50
Ride
BMW 335i N54
Attached is a datalog of my vanos timing on the exhaust camshaft. The actual timing is oscillating above and below the required timing. Is this normal? Has anyone got a datalog of their N54 engine vanos timing to see if it is the same.

 

carabuser

Lieutenant
Oct 2, 2019
961
1
958
0
UK
Ride
Z4 35i & 335i
I did some logging after replacing my VANOS solenoids.


Out of the 2 new units I installed, one of them was throwing codes and getting stuck at certain RPM/load. This log was after the replacement unit was installed which fixed the codes.

The VANOS does wobble around and oscillate a little from time to time. Hard to know what's normal but this log should be a useful data point for you.
 

wheela

Captain
Jun 4, 2021
1,388
803
0
Twin Cities, MN
Ride
2015 e84 X1 35i Msport
Attached is a datalog of my vanos timing on the exhaust camshaft. The actual timing is oscillating above and below the required timing. Is this normal? Has anyone got a datalog of their N54 engine vanos timing to see if it is the same.

I don't know the answer, but one thing that stuck out to me (I suspect is unrelated) is in areas where your pedal position is flat, you're still getting spikes in load request and throttle position? Are you feeling the car surging while idling? The load spikes don't seem correlated to what your vanos is doing. Sorry, I know that wasn't your question, I'm just really curious why the dme is requesting (and getting) load when there are no pedal inputs asking for it. I didn't see that behavior in carabuser's log.
 

Coupes66

Corporal
Dec 26, 2017
149
115
50
Ride
BMW 335i N54
I did some logging after replacing my VANOS solenoids.


Out of the 2 new units I installed, one of them was throwing codes and getting stuck at certain RPM/load. This log was after the replacement unit was installed which fixed the codes.

The VANOS does wobble around and oscillate a little from time to time. Hard to know what's normal but this log should be a useful data point for you.
Thanks carabuser for your datalog. It indicates to me what I thought which is, the actual timing should mirror the required timing. Your exhaust cam timing actual v required are all but the same and a smooth line compared to mine. I did have the DTCs 2A87 and 3100 come up 10 days ago. I replaced the vanos solenoid for the exhaust cam and no more DTCs have appeared. Now I am wondering whether the vanos on the exhaust cam is faulty.
 

Coupes66

Corporal
Dec 26, 2017
149
115
50
Ride
BMW 335i N54
I don't know the answer, but one thing that stuck out to me (I suspect is unrelated) is in areas where your pedal position is flat, you're still getting spikes in load request and throttle position? Are you feeling the car surging while idling? The load spikes don't seem correlated to what your vanos is doing. Sorry, I know that wasn't your question, I'm just really curious why the dme is requesting (and getting) load when there are no pedal inputs asking for it. I didn't see that behavior in carabuser's log.
The idle isn't too bad but could be better. A week or so ago, I did have an issue at 1,500 - 1,800rpm where the car would surge and the revs would oscillate 200rpm up and down when driver under no load on the flat. I replaced the throttle body as the throttle position was oscillating the same. I thought the TPS may have been faulty but this made no difference. I reset the adaptions on the throttle, Vanos, Lambda sensors, Lambda regulation and intake mass flow and that appeared to solve the surging. I find when monitoring the sensors on a N54 engine that so many sensors appear to be related that an issue appears to effect a number of them which makes it difficult trying to determine which on is the cause of the issue.