N55 engine Vanos intake cold start not adjustable code 2D55.

[MilanX5]

Hello everybody. Got myself a decent winter car, 2012 X5 with N55 3L single turbo. 194000 km, one owner. Very clean and drove fantastic until I decided to change the valve cover gasket and oil filter/cooler gaskets. Little history. I drove the car with those oil leaks for 4 days, did about 500 km with absolutely no issue, except for the oil leaks and smell of burning oil in the cabin.
I changed the gaskets myself, with no issue at all. On a first start, car ran 100% for 5 minutes, until I noticed that I broke the small hose on the expansion tank. Shut the car off to think about how I fd that up. Tried epoxying the crack so I can get the car up to the temperature. On a second start is when the problems started. Other than unsuccessful epoxy job (replaced tank next day) engine was buckling, howling, throwing tones of codes, vanos, camshaft, misfire on all cylinders etc. I figured, fine its probably the plastic valve on top of the valve cover that's disintegrated. Ordered an replacement, suppose to come in few days. While I wait for it I will just park the car outside. Two days go by, I got the little valve, go to start the car, its a no go. Turns over fine, it try's to catch but nothing. Benn trying to start it many times, nothing. I went and replaced the plastic valve anyways, the old rubber inside was broken indeed, which would explain vacuum in the engine and poor idle. After replacing that I still could not start it. To make things even more disappointing, 4x4 error came on, it would not go to neutral so I could not push it in the garage. At this point I gave up. I had the car towed to the mechanic that was recommended by a friend. He ran the compression test, all cylinders are perfect, said there was a lot of gas in the cylinders, sucked the gas out, changed the plugs and changed the battery. Said that battery was bad (even though it was trying to start the car with good energy. After plugs and battery, car started right away but will all the above codes. He said he wants to replace the valve cover with new one and timing chain. I was thrilled that car started but not sure why he wanted the timing chain replaced. Intake and exhaust camshaft vanos codes were the ones that he said are due to possible chain that jumped. I asked how was the valvetronic and gears, he said 100%. So i gave him the green light to replace the chain. After all that work, no change. Same codes came back, vanos intake cold start not adjustable 2d55, Boost pressure control shutdown due to reaction 2C58, variable camshaft timing control vanos, intake and exhaust (these are the ones that prompted him to change the chain) 2d54 and 2d55. Vanos intake position not reached 2d5b. Last. he charged me $3900 to do the work. I will go after some of that money, waiting for him to call me back.
When I dropped the car to him I have left two new vanos solenoids, cheap ones from ebay, paid $75.00 for those. He installed them too when he saw that changing the chain did not make a difference.
And this is where I am now. Car starts on a dime, always has the same above codes. Idles little rough, no misfire, turbo is off, exhaust note is changed. When I drive it on the hwy, I reset the codes, restart the car, no codes will come back and it would drive 100% for about 10 or 15 minutes. I noticed as long as the RPM's are above 1800 it will run great on the hwy only.
I ran individual tests trough Ista and Carly, exhaust camshaft position is at 88.9, intake camshaft position is at 32. boost pressure at 14.66, with all the codes present. What I have noticed as unpleasable is the for code 2d55 vanos intake cold start not adjustable is that the battery voltage is 14.789 which is not acceptable as per parameters?
I am way over my head with this at this point and asking for your help. Too much money sank in to the car, time spent and nerves lost.
Why did the car go in to $hit mode after the gaskets change?
Vanos solenoids were fine before. (there was a lot of sludge when I took off the valve cover) Maybe something got blocked?
Since, I have changed the oil, oil filter, new oil filter cap with the membrane.
Should I bite the bullet and spend $300 on new vanos solenoids? Also, I put one of the old ones back, same thing. (don't have the other one, mechanic broke it in half, said it was stuck in the engine, that does not make sense)
I have tested the cheap ones I have, they are showing 14 ohms both, old one is showing 11. All are clicking healthy.
Please help.
Thank you

[Daytonawim]

Thats not a nice story.

It looks like you could have diverent problems.

I did those jobs to, I try to figure out what good go wrong when doing those jobs and where the problems come from.

What I don’t get is the overload from fuel in the cylinders.

Are you shure that all connectors, wires, earth wires and hoses are on the correct place?


You sad there was a lot of sludge in the valve cover, that means a lot af short drives ( engine does not come at temperatur, so you can not get ride of condens from you engine, that will convert to sludge) or there is a leak that coolant is coming in your oil.

Was there also sludge inside your inlet tube to the turbo?

[MilanX5]

Originally Posted by Daytonawim

Thats not a nice story.

It looks like you could have diverent problems.

I did those jobs to, I try to figure out what good go wrong when doing those jobs and where the problems come from.

What I don’t get is the overload from fuel in the cylinders.

Are you shure that all connectors, wires, earth wires and hoses are on the correct place?


You sad there was a lot of sludge in the valve cover, that means a lot af short drives ( engine does not come at temperatur, so you can not get ride of condens from you engine, that will convert to sludge) or there is a leak that coolant is coming in your oil.

Was there also sludge inside your inlet tube to the turbo?

Thanks for your reply. As per mechanic, gas accumulated in cylinders because of excessive tries to start the car. He said the battery was weak and not allowing the car to start, even though it was turning over fine. It does not make sense, he could be lying to me too.
There is no sludge in turbo pipe or coolant mixing. Mechanically, engine is 100%, I think, this has to be a sensor issue or cut wire. I have checked and rechecked all the wiring.

[jbash87]

When it starts rough does it settle down after 10-15 (or so) seconds? When it's rough are the RPMs bouncing up and down?

[MilanX5]

Originally Posted by jbash87

When it starts rough does it settle down after 10-15 (or so) seconds? When it's rough are the RPMs bouncing up and down?

Yes, that's exactly what it does.

[jbash87]

I'd bet your timing is off, and the Vanos system is compensating for it. That is why it settles down the drives OK but not like it should.

[MilanX5]

Originally Posted by jbash87

I'd bet your timing is off, and the Vanos system is compensating for it. That is why it settles down the drives OK but not like it should.

That's what the mechanic thought and changed the timing chain. No difference and same codes came back.

[jbash87]

Probably worth rechecking that the timing is set right.

[MilanX5]

Update. Replaced vanos solenoids. Great success! No more camshaft codes, no vanos codes, turbo is working. Drove the car for an hour, none came back. Do have fuel air mixture control 2 codes that I have to figure out but I am very happy to say the least

[jbash87]

Great! Glad you got it figured out.

[Daytonawim]

Check all of the vacuüm lines (both side of the engine), and all inlet tubes for leaks.
Leaks can be found easy with a spray can with break cleaner. Spray a bit around the connecting points, if the engine reacts then there is a leak.

Also do a final check of the fuel lines to the injectors.