I purchased my car from Carmax last year along with the extended warranty. So I dropped my car off about two weeks ago for several things including an oil leak and what I now know to be Vanos symptoms.

The shop gave me my car back with everything fixed and said they could not reproduce the alternating idle while it was there and blamed it on "safe mode," due to low oil levels caused by the leak.

I knew they were full of crap but just wanted my car back. Well, I'm going to try it again. Has anyone tried successfully to get extended warranty to cover Vanos? Now that it is getting warmer in Houston, it's going to be impossible to get the car to act up on cold starts.

Technically this is not maintenance. It's a core system in the car that is failing due to poor engineering. It should be covered. :helpComments?

Carmax covers anything(trust me, they covered a speaker with static for my friends M3 that I work on, they cover EVERYTHING)

I think the problem was the tech who didn't want to do the VANOS replacment. Take it back and ask for a different tech to work on it

I figured as much. They replaced the rain sensing gel pack on my windshield. I'll try again and report back.

Your not going to get anyone to go after a Vanos fix if BMW doesn't say there's a problem with the units---

BMW doesn't need to admit there is an issue for my idle to surge and stall when it's at the dealer.

BMW doesn't need to admit there is an issue for my idle to surge and stall when it's at the dealer.

Take it to a dealership and have them diagnose it. BMW will just tell you it's broke and charge you 1500 to fix it....they won't admit it's a defect.....either way....you get a new vanos.

Yeah--but if you get a new Vanos from the dealer you still have the same problem--Rajaie's saying the stock OEM parts are failing after as little as 10k miles

Its NOT the vanos unit itself, its the seals in the unit that fail. SO the smart thing to do is replace the seals instead of a perfectly good vanos unit.

Its NOT the vanos unit itself, its the seals in the unit that fail. SO the smart thing to do is replace the seals instead of a perfectly good vanos unit.

While I doubt it will happen, see if Carmax will install a Dr. Vanos unit (no way in hell they will spend the labor time to rebuild a Vanos).

I still don't see this problem at the dealer. VERY VERY VERY few VANOS units fail, ever.

If the seals were causing problems, chances are they replaced the seals with updated ones(after certain production dates)

And how do you know it's your VANOS causing the idle surge?

I'd like to know whent the up dated seals were first used--I just changed mine out back at Christmas and for an 03 model car bought new almost a year later-the seals where cracking and one was broken--sure as hell changed my surging and cranking problems--and seems from whats being stated over at the Vanos forum that evryone else who's doing the switch to the new up dated seals Ragaie has come up with (on his own by the way)are singing their praisies about what great things it's done for their cars--if BMW doesn't recognize that there is a problem with the Vanos systems in these cars -I'd doubt if they repaired very many either---

And how do you know it's your VANOS causing the idle surge?

I don't know for 100% sure but when do we ever know for sure. Based on the feedback I've received on this website, and all of the Vanos research I've done around the internet, my car exhibits 95% of the symptoms. Down to the 7 second surges, stalls if you put it in neutral when cold, Runs fine once warmed up, displays no symptoms if it's warmer than 50 degrees out. I don't know, lucky guess??? :confused

Well today I experienced a vanos issue first hand. Its VERY cold here in Jersey and has been for the past 2 days. So this morning I start her up and it sounds like a dually diesel! WTF? SO after she warms up a bit, she settles down to normal sounds and levels. Its Vanos time!

Already have my kit from Rajaie. With the cold temps here (6 degrees this morning) it really rattles plus if I try to let her warm up just a little the idle goes wacko and then the CEL lights up. Actually caused a misfire on a few cylinders. I checked and reset all the codes and everything is fine.

And all this simply dissappears with the new seals installed---but BMW says this ain't happening?

Why not see if you can purchase the Besian vanos seals and have them install them for you? If you got the right service advisor, it could happen. I've palmed guys $50 in the past. :devillook :cool

Why not see if you can purchase the Besian vanos seals and have them install them for you? If you got the right service advisor, it could happen. I've palmed guys $50 in the past. :devillook :cool

That sir sounds REALLY bad.

+1 Gumbs

And fix that Vanos. It's not that hard of a job once you get into it.