2011 X5 N55 Vanos code issues 003011/003012

[P3trolPete]

Hi All,

Been along time BMW owner (E46 M3) and am new to the E70 X5 platform.

Having trouble diagnosing some N55 (N55B30A) vanos codes and can't find a true answer. Have spent hours searching the forums & internet to no avail and could use some help from the community. I know there are lots of threads on this, but most don't have any conclusion or follow up.

Picked up the X5 with a code for the eccentric shaft. changed the actuator motor, did the re-learn and codes are gone and is now working properly. Since completing that I have been getting the following codes

003011 Intake camshaft, installation faulty
003012 Exhaust camshaft, installation faulty

- have changed the vanos solenoids. 3 sets. (connectors installed correctly)
- installed new cam sensors.
- have checked both the intake an exhaust vanos adjuster cam gear bolts (per recall) the work has already been done and are all tight to spec.
- oil filter housing all all o-rings and cage installed.

previous to me the engine ate a belt through the crankshaft pulley. Found debris and cleaned most of it out from all the inspection I have done. Engine doesn't indicate any low oil pressure issues.

My next step is to check the timing and check/ replace crankshaft bolt (from possible belt damage).

Engine starts and seems to run fine for a few min, but then goes into limp mode.

appreciate additional info!

[Attacking Mid]

After fighting vanos issues for a long time, I finally figured out that my E83 with N52 had ingested a belt prior to my purchase. I, too, could not measure low oil pressure, but I DID have a noisy oil pump (also tricky to diagnose). Here's what mine looked like, and I suspect your pickup tube is similarly clogged.

After this fix, my vanos issues are pretty much non-existent. The only time I notice a drop in power is when nearing the end of the oil change interval (e.g, about 8K mi), I'll get intermittent vanos operation. I've only had one OCI since doing this, so I'm not sure if that will be a persistent issue. I also don't know if I still might have debris bits sitting in oil passages somewhere in the engine? Otherwise, it runs great now and I'm going to run an ECS belt guard to prevent that happening again.

AM.

https://www.bimmerfest.com/threads/o...#post-13068133

[P3trolPete]

Originally Posted by Attacking Mid

After fighting vanos issues for a long time, I finally figured out that my E83 with N52 had ingested a belt prior to my purchase. I, too, could not measure low oil pressure, but I DID have a noisy oil pump (also tricky to diagnose). Here's what mine looked like, and I suspect your pickup tube is similarly clogged.

After this fix, my vanos issues are pretty much non-existent. The only time I notice a drop in power is when nearing the end of the oil change interval (e.g, about 8K mi), I'll get intermittent vanos operation. I've only had one OCI since doing this, so I'm not sure if that will be a persistent issue. I also don't know if I still might have debris bits sitting in oil passages somewhere in the engine? Otherwise, it runs great now and I'm going to run an ECS belt guard to prevent that happening again.

AM.

https://www.bimmerfest.com/threads/o...#post-13068133

Thanks for the info AM.
my worst fear (at the moment) is that there is small debris blocking one of the oil passages for the vanos. Pulled a lot of debris out of the timing cover area and out of the oil pan. Guessing there is more.
Through more searching and the codes we are receiving my current conclusion is that the engine is out of time. Waiting on the timing tool and should hopefully have an answer to that his week.

do you remember the codes were were getting for the vanos?

[Attacking Mid]

I was getting 2A87 and 2A82 codes. Tried 2 new sets of solenoids (AM then OE) to no avail. Unless you pulled your pan and cleaned out the oil pickup tube, I imagine you have the same issue I had. Some have suggested cutting a hole in the oil pan directly beneath the pickup tube. You could then clean all the crap out of the tube and patch the hole somehow. In my case, my oilpan gasket was leaking anyway, plus I had come to the conclusion my oil pump was the source of an unusual noise at startup.

Also, I had forgotten that the new (used) vanos adjuster unit make a huge improvement in my vanos issues. It didn't totally solve it, though, until I cleaned out the pickup tube and replaced the oil pump.

AM.

[P3trolPete]

Originally Posted by Attacking Mid

I was getting 2A87 and 2A82 codes. Tried 2 new sets of solenoids (AM then OE) to no avail. Unless you pulled your pan and cleaned out the oil pickup tube, I imagine you have the same issue I had. Some have suggested cutting a hole in the oil pan directly beneath the pickup tube. You could then clean all the crap out of the tube and patch the hole somehow. In my case, my oilpan gasket was leaking anyway, plus I had come to the conclusion my oil pump was the source of an unusual noise at startup.

Also, I had forgotten that the new (used) vanos adjuster unit make a huge improvement in my vanos issues. It didn't totally solve it, though, until I cleaned out the pickup tube and replaced the oil pump.

AM.

So I am not getting those codes, which further leads me to believe that the engine is just out of time and the vanos from what I can tell is working ok.
Will definitely be pulling the oil pan at some point to clean the remaining mess. Will report back at the end of the week.
Much appreciated!

[P3trolPete]

SO..

Got the timing tool in and installed. As my luck continues, the engine is in time. We ended up changing both the intake and exhaust cam vanos actuators as we had them available. Bolts as well of course. So now we know its definitely in time.

Unfortunately the engine behaves the same. The annoying part is it run's pretty well until the computer throws the same 3011/ 3012 codes as well as 2DA0 "intake camshaft, angle offset with respect to crankshaft out of tolerance" which lead me to believe the timing was off.
Oil pressure seems to be fine, at least measured at idle. Drained the oil and took another look in the pan and couldn't find any other debris.

At this point I've replaced all available mechanical parts and exhausted my own capabilities. Current thought is there is something wrong with the DME, but those aren't cheap to troubleshoot with swapping a new one in. Or there is more debris in the oil pick up that's causing an oil pressure issue that isn't measurable. Which isn't a quick job either. Was hoping to have a definitive solution at the end of this thread, but this may end like all the others I've read.

[Attacking Mid]

I think it's a given that there is debris in your pickup tube, as that's where all the oil and debris flows. The question is.... is it bad enough to cause problems. I'm leaning toward no - as you're not getting vanos codes and I'm guessing you're not experiencing pressure-related vanos operation issues like I did. When your vanos don't work, there's a noticeable drop in engine power (but never a limp mode in my case).

Your codes 3011 and 3012 are puzzling. Did you loosen or remove the camshafts at any point? Did the previous owner? Special tools are required to R&R the camshafts, so I'm wondering if they were not reinstalled correctly. There is a very precise procedure required, and the codes seem to be telling you that they are not installed right.

AM.

[P3trolPete]

Not sure as I don't have much history. We removed the intake camshaft caps one at a time to inspect for any signs of wear. Found nothing unusual, but we were getting those codes before doing that.
Other than installing the cams into the cam bridges it doesn't seem much different than any other overhead cam install.

[Attacking Mid]

I'm sending you a PM.

[P3trolPete]

Update:

Updated the DME software per TSB SI B12 26 14 based on some info I found in another thread. Didn't make any difference.

I've since moved onto a different X5 and returned this one to the PO, who is a friend of mine who will continue to dig into it. (lucky I know, most people wont have this option). Looks like the next step is to try a new DME.

Will update when there is more..

[Attacking Mid]

Great decision!

AM.

[P3trolPete]

Alright Friends. Circling back over a year later..

Bought the car from a friend. It didn't work out and he took it back and undid the deal. I've since been enjoying another X5.
Car sat for a year before he had a chance to dig into it. We timed it multiple times in the past but didn't use the OEM BMW cam tools. I don't recall the brand of tool used, but was purchased from ebay or Amazon (lesson learned)

Long story short, we timed the engine again with the OEM factory cam tool and to our surprise (good and bad) the engine was out of time. We adjusted the engine back to the correct timing and the engine has been running very well since!

Hopefully this helps someone else one day. Do your maintenance and use the proper tools!