e70 N63 timing and or head replacement?

[Mayuiers]

Well, after having fought with my E70 N63 for too long I took it to a local mechanic and asked him to diagnose the issue. He is reporting back that the timing for the exhaust cam on bank 1 is out of whack. He's thinking it could cost anywhere between $3000 and $4500 to repair.

I've rebuilt several BMW straight six engines and set the VANOS timing on each . Can anyone tell me if it's possible to reset the timing on an N63 without pulling the motor? Also, if worse comes to worst, is it possible to replace the head on an N6 without pulling the motor?

[Sophisticated Redneck]

You can pull the head(s) without pulling the engine, I've done it but honestly knowing what I do now, It is easier and less work to just pull the engine but I doubt you will need to go that far unless the timing chain guides need to be replaced. Timing can easily be set with the engine in the truck. With that being said, have you done the following:

First verify your X5 has had the CCP done to it by inputing your VIN on BMW's website. If it has not, take to dealer and enjoy a new engine or at very least new timing equipment.

If CCP has been done then do the following:

Run ISTA's vanos test. (ISTA can be found on the web and also on pre-loaded laptops on ebay, it is not easy to install or use but it is a must if you plan on servicing your own BMW)

Replace the Exhaust Vanos solenoid on the effected head with new and reset the adaptation if Vanos test shows out of spec.

If still having issues, then time to pull the valve cover and check the chain and timing chain guides. Also check rocker arms and lifters, make sure nothing is out of alignment.

If all of that checks out then out then next up is to check your cam timing. This requires a special tool that you need to purchase.

If Timing is ok, then next up is to replace the Cam adjuster. They are not cheap, around 400-500 each but it is rare they fail, unlike previous gen vanos, these are pure hydraulic, no gears but at this point you are down to few options left.

Keep us posted how it works out

[Mayuiers]

I always hate it when people don't follow up with the resolutions, so here is what I found with my N63 X5...

I was getting multiple misfires on bank 1 (passenger side). I tore the engine down to get to the cams and found that the exhaust side was totally out of sync. In fact, both of the bolts that hold the cam sprockets in place were far too loose. This allowed the cams to move and fall out of sync. I aligned everything up using the timing tool that I purchased, torqued the cam bolts down to 30 newtons + 90 degrees, and used Loctite to make sure the bolts won't come loose again.

I didn't dive into bank 2 because a) removing the valve cover was even more of a pain in the butt than bank 1 and b) I wasn't getting any codes from that bank so I figured it was better to leave well enough alone.

After putting everything together I cleared my codes and started it up. All of my misfires were completely gone. I had a couple of strange errors at first, but they cleared away after the engine warmed up.

I'm now looking at a 2A87 error that is being persistent. I've downloaded ISTA and will be running some tests on my cam solenoids and other VANOS related parts. As soon as I know more I'll be sure to share my progress.

The previous owner had the dealership sort out the valve stems so I'm guessing they made a mistake on bank 1 by forgetting to torque down the cam bolts. Either that or the cam bolts loosened up on their own... which seems very unlikely.


The majority of the posts and articles on the N63 give the impression that this engine is very difficult to understand and repair. Personally, I didn't think so. It's fairly straight forward, actually. The biggest problem are the many parts and pieces that need to be removed so that you can get to the problem area. On top of that, the engine is really squeezed into the compartment. It's no wonder that so many choose to drop the engine.

[Bengineer330]

Nice job on finding the problem and setting the timing! You'll have to let us know what you find about the Vanos issue.

I completely agree with your last statement. You learn with this car that you need to clear out as many things as possible to give yourself room. Then the work isn't so bad. I've lost count of how many times I've replaced the coolant in this car because whenever I do work on the front of the engine I just pull the coolant lines to make life easier. Every project takes longer on this car but when she's working its a rewarding engine.

[Mayuiers]

SUCCESS !!!

It has taken me a fair amount of time and effort, but I have resolved all of the issues with my N63 X5. For those who might be seeking insight with their engines, here is the list of repairs that I completed...

First, as I mentioned above, the cam bolts were loose. I've since read that these bolts need to be replaced. I didn't do so, but I did use Loctite while torqueing the bolts so I'm thinking I should be okay.

The next code I tackled was 2A87 Exhaust VANOS Mechanism. I swapped VVT solenoids, but the error remained. After a lot of work I found that my camshaft sensor was faulty. That didn't clear up the code, however. I ran ISTA and was told to check my solenoid voltages. They were fine. While scratching my head and wondering, I just happened to look at the connector. I found that one of the female pins was pushed. When trying to install the connector the pin would slip back and not engage, but when looking at the connector normally, the pin would slip back into place and look fine. I bent the pin retainer and clicked it into the connector. That cleared the error.


My next two errors pointed to the VVT solenoids on bank 2. I replaced both solenoids and still had one error. One of the new solenoids was bad. Interestingly, after I replaced the bad (new) solenoid a handful of other errors that seemed unrelated to the problem cleared up, as well.

I now have a full screen of green boxes when running ISTA. The engine runs like a tiger and purrs like a kitten. What's more, the N63 engine isn't quite as daunting as it was when I first started to work on it. I hate removing those damned intercoolers, but this set of repairs certainly could have been worse. I saved a ton of money and learned a great deal about the car in the process. I'd call that a win/win.

I want to send a BIG thank you to Mr. Redneck and Mr. Bengineer. Not only were your suggestions extremely helpful, but your positive attitude(s) gave me hope that I could solve the issues. I am very grateful !!!

[Sophisticated Redneck]

Nice! Good to hear you got it all sorted. Ya the N63 is very intimidating at first, I remember opening the hood to a friend who is a Ford dealer mechanic and he said "Oh HELL NO" and literally ran away lol. Once you get used to it, it's actually pretty easy to work on for the most part, just time consuming.