Hi guys,

What do you think of the vanos sound in the video below? Does it sound ok or dodgy? I know all 3.2 Evo engines tend to rattle a little bit, but does this sound right for a sub-60k mile car?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQAVGUsSSLE

Thanks.

wow....that is loud
i thought mine is noisy...but after hearing yours....mine is ok than
where is that car located at?

It's not my car buddy, I was just wondering if the VANOS sounds ok because I'm looking for a Evo so I want to know what to look out for. I'm in the UK.

I think there is another car in the background because when he steps away from the engine it seems to sound louder :confused When the camera is up close to the VANOS it doesn't sound too loud does it?

It's pretty loud, butseems to be alright.

Mine is pretty damn loud as well, should make a video someday, and it works fine. Even got it checked out by BMW and they said it's fine (My Vanos was changed at one point though).

But yeah, the Dual Vanos on the S50 B32s are pretty damn loud.

Yeah all the Euro M3 dual Vanos's seem to be quite loud/rattly particularly when cold. I think some noise from the Vanos is just a characteristic of the vehicle but the tricky bit is deciding what's ok and what's too loud.

Is there any definitive way to check the Vanos is ok? Would a faulty Vanos show a fault code on a diagnostic check?

That Vanos is loud, did the sound get louder as the engine warmed up?
I ask because it's what mine does, with a mild deisel-like sound in idle after a good rev.
Could it be valve clearances if it gets louder with higher temps and the oil thins out, and not the vanos at all??
Much smoother when cold.

sounds like a vanos issue to me. its a common issue on the straight 6 engines. i have just replaced the vanos on my 5 with a unit for dr. vanos the difference is amazing the car has a smoother power band with more low down power plus its so quiet now. if i were you i would look into a dr vanos unit

what is a "dr vanos"?
the computer cannot tell if your vanos is working right or not...but the computer can tell if the solenoid for your vanos is working or not
i will try clean the oil passage in couple weeks time (need to find out how to clean it!!!)
how it will be better (or less noisy)

That Vanos is loud, did the sound get louder as the engine warmed up?
I ask because it's what mine does, with a mild deisel-like sound in idle after a good rev.
Could it be valve clearances if it gets louder with higher temps and the oil thins out, and not the vanos at all??
Much smoother when cold.

Yep, that's what mine sounds like/does.

I had it checked out at different BMW dealers around here, one said it's broken (It is working fine) and the other two said it's fine. I had it checked anyway (Was still under warranty). They said it's fine, but replaced the gears to be safe.
About a week or so later it sounded the same. Unless i notice a definate loss of power in the lower band, i'm quite confident that the Vanos is alright :D.

However, if Dr. Vanos (http://www.drvanos.com/) manages to get a hold of a S50B32/30 unit and figures it out, i will most definitely pick one up. The silence alone is worth the money :D

the performance loss from a degrading vanos is very subtle at first but will possibly lead to a complete vanos fail. a failure like that happened to my car causing extreme hesitation below 3000rpm with no power and an extremely lumpy powerband. you can rebuild the unit with parts from http://www.beisansystems.com/ this is the cheapest way to restore the vanos and the parts are upgraded to a better quality that should last alot longer than the standard ones from bmw. the other way would be to buy a fully upgraded and tested unit from http://www.drvanos.com/index.html this was the decision i went with, its more costly but the unit is fully upgraded and tested. both sites list the advantages of their product ad both seem very good. as i said personally i went with dr vanos i would be happy to answer any questions about my install experiance and i fully recommend dr vanos and their email help.

the performance loss from a degrading vanos is very subtle at first but will possibly lead to a complete vanos fail. a failure like that happened to my car causing extreme hesitation below 3000rpm with no power and an extremely lumpy powerband. you can rebuild the unit with parts from http://www.beisansystems.com/ this is the cheapest way to restore the vanos and the parts are upgraded to a better quality that should last alot longer than the standard ones from bmw. the other way would be to buy a fully upgraded and tested unit from http://www.drvanos.com/index.html this was the decision i went with, its more costly but the unit is fully upgraded and tested. both sites list the advantages of their product ad both seem very good. as i said personally i went with dr vanos i would be happy to answer any questions about my install experiance and i fully recommend dr vanos and their email help.

Erm, are we talking about the same engine?

I don't think Dr. Vanos has a 'kit' for the S50B30/32 yet (The European engines)

And the other stuff i can't attest to, sorry.

sorry i was a bit confused there. yes it looks like dr vanos only does the us engine not the euro version. you should send him an email and inquire about it tho since i was able to get a vanos unit from him that wasnt listed on the site. email the support and you should speak with a guy called chris he was amazingly helpful to me and would probably have an answer to any questions you have.

I'm sure I read somewhere that the m5 or maybe later m3's that there was a check valve that stopped the oil draining out of the vanos, I'll see if the etk or tis shows anything.Could be simple improvement.

i believe this http://www.bmwz8.us/pdf/zz-VANOS_s62.pdf is the item you are talking about. its for the s62 engine. might be modifiable in some way tho?