S50B30 Euro Vanos actuation and testing Help!

[tiago blanquet]

Hi all!

Finally it came the time i upgrade from my 325i to a more suitable drift machine hehe so i recently aquired an used 1994 M3 3.0 286bhp.

The car lacked some maintenance but also had been stoped for a while and kept locked in a garage.

First drives i noticed the power wasn´t there at all. The engine run smooth though, but there is some smell of gas from the exhaust even with the car at normal working temperature.

Getting my hands dirt as any DIY´er would do i started by taking all the front of the car off, for easier access to the engine, since i was planing a VANOS overhaull.

Following the Beisan systems PDF i carefully took off the vanos unit. After some search i managed to find a shop where i could buy all the oRings in Viton and teflon and replace everything on the VANOS. So far so good.

After that i wanted to test the unit with compressed air to check it´s operation, so installed the unit back on the engine, connected it to the air supply regulating for 4bar and then since i don´t have that 126412 tool to actuate the solenoids, i started by connecting one solenoid at a time to the batery supply respecting it´s polarity, to see if i could get the intake cam to move. It didn´t move. When i actuate one of the soleoinds i just hear a hissing sound of air rushing out, and when i remove power from the solenoid it stops hissing. If i actuate the other solenoid, i just hear the solenoid clicking but nothing else.

I did a somewhat stupid test to the solenoids simply by blowing air with my mouth on the tip and then actuating it. When it´s powered it opens and the air escapes so i suppose they are working fine.

Now finally the reason for the post hehe :help are some questions i have and hoping some experts around here can help me hehe.

Q1 : Is it possible to actuate the VANOS on this engine with compressed air and actually see the intake cam moving realtime? I saw some videos on the net of people doing it but on the M50. Since the M3 has continuous vanos, does the engine needs to be spining so the cam moves or can it move with the engine stoped just using compressed air and actuating the solenoids?

Q2 : If possible, is it one solenoid to push the piston out and the other to push the piston in? Do i really need that 126412 tool or that is simply a switch with a plug doing the same as me conecting the solenoid plug leads to the battery?

Q3 : Heard about VANOS ECU, is there any separated module just for the VANOS? And if so where it´s located?

So i think for now it´s just those 3 questions hehe. Still waiting to plug it to GT1 to see if i got any Vanos stuck code, i really need to know if its operating properly.


Meanwhile here are some pics!



http://imageshack.us/a/img812/1389/c085124.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img689/1457/c085125.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img843/678/c085126.jpg

Instalation of group N oil restrictor for the head.

http://imageshack.us/a/img11/9711/c085132.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img402/6633/c085137.jpg

http://img809.imageshack.us/img809/8787/c115187.jpg
http://img826.imageshack.us/img826/1041/c115186.jpg

http://img845.imageshack.us/img845/118/c125188.jpg
http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/6452/c125189.jpg
http://img831.imageshack.us/img831/2100/c125190.jpg
http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/3293/c125193.jpg

http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/5535/c125191.jpg

http://img593.imageshack.us/img593/2946/c125192.jpg

Some work on the engine cover.
http://img832.imageshack.us/img832/1999/c135195.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img22/4504/c135194.jpg

Flushing coolant and washing engine block with clean water. New engine oil in.
http://imageshack.us/a/img707/5448/c165197.jpg
http://imageshack.us/a/img713/6237/c165198.jpg

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/7771/c255232.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img441/8894/1205313.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img198/899/1205311.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img443/691/1205302.jpg

http://imageshack.us/a/img210/8324/1205301.jpg


Cheers!

[chriscotech]

Firstly, nice work with the valve cover. It looks amazing. Is it clear lacquered to keep it that way?

Your VANOS works on 100 bar of oil pressure so I don't think any compressor will cut it. Running it through the GT-1 should tell you everything you need to know. If it works the same as the later ICOM it tests components and VANOS operation while the engine is running.

I am not quite sure what you mean by the piston movement but they are a one way solenoid. When actuated they open the valve and they close when switched off. You will notice that the plug has 3 connections for the two solenoids, earth and a live for each one. Each supplies oil to one side of the piston and they play ping pong with each other to set it in the right position.

I am not 100% about the position of the separate VANOS controller on the B30 but I thought it was with the main ECU behind the panel n the firewall.

I hope this helped.

[JCooper]

Firstly, nice work with the valve cover. It looks amazing. Is it clear lacquered to keep it that way?

Your VANOS works on 100 bar of oil pressure so I don't think any compressor will cut it. Running it through the GT-1 should tell you everything you need to know. If it works the same as the later ICOM it tests components and VANOS operation while the engine is running.

I am not quite sure what you mean by the piston movement but they are a one way solenoid. When actuated they open the valve and they close when switched off. You will notice that the plug has 3 connections for the two solenoids, earth and a live for each one. Each supplies oil to one side of the piston and they play ping pong with each other to set it in the right position.

I am not 100% about the position of the separate VANOS controller on the B30 but I thought it was with the main ECU behind the panel n the firewall.

I hope this helped.
The "thing" that the solenoids ping-pongs around inside the VANOS is the piston.;)

[chriscotech]

I was trying to be funny but what I thought that was what I was saying, that one solenoid opens a valve to one side of the piston and the other one to the opposite side. They then have a computerised arm wrestle to move the piston to the right position dynamically. :biglaughc

See, there I go again with the weird analogies.