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Thread: Vanos rattle solved?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Gig Harbor, WA
    Posts
    342
    My Cars
    2001 740i Sport, 1995 M3

    Vanos rattle solved?

    Guys - I've got 150k on my car and about 10k ago it started to rattle on start-up. Only 1-2 seconds and then it would go whisper quiet. Everyone I talk to says 'no big deal, they all do that eventually'. I'm not an engineer, but I know vanos is metal on metal, and that cannot be good.

    My indi shop races BMW and I've taken all my BMW's there for years. Anyway, they confirmed it was NOT guides, and was most likely vanos rattle. They suggested a BG oil treatment (Yes, I've heard the commercials on the radio for years and think they're crap), so I did that and then put in 10w-60 Mobil 1.

    It has been whisper quiet ever since.

    I'm not saying this is a magical solution. It might be bad in the morning; who knows. Just sharing my experience w/ a higher mileage motor with vanos rattle.

    Good for now....
    Aaron

    Current
    '13 528i xDrive M-Sport
    '00 Audi 6 4.2 Sport - 6 sp conversion - 155k
    '12 Audi Q5
    '08 Silverado Duramax LTZ

    Past

    '10 - 128i Convertibel - sold
    '01 740i Sport - sold 155k
    '95 M3 Coupe
    '95 M Roadster
    '07 328i - sport, convenience - sold 176k
    '95 S6 - raced and sold
    '00 528iT - sport - sold
    '95 993 C2-sport - sold
    '06 M3 Vert - sold
    '10 TDi Jetta Cup Edition - totalled
    '02 996 Cab - sold

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    Chicago
    Posts
    247
    My Cars
    E38 M-Sport & Jaguar XK
    Please report back. Not knocking BG oil treatment (I don't even know what it is). But, could it be just the oil change? Since I don't know how vanos is put together/works, I am looking at this from a broader lens maybe.

    Anyway, congrats to you!

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    San Jose, CA
    Posts
    1,272
    My Cars
    00 750IL, 01 740IL
    First of all, if it rattles a few seconds at start up then goes away, you might want to look at your oil housing filter check valve. It suppose to retain oil after you shut down the engine. That few seconds of rattle is probably time it takes to prime the oil thru the system.

    Secondly, 10w60 is way too think for your 740.

    Just my opinion

    Sent from my VS995 using Tapatalk

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Atlanta, GA
    Posts
    433
    My Cars
    E38 7er, E46 M3
    It’s your timing chain guide tensioner.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    Chicago, Illinois
    Posts
    3,842
    My Cars
    are slow
    Quote Originally Posted by Reflex View Post
    It’s your timing chain guide tensioner.
    It really isn't

    check valves behind the vanos solenoids
    Last edited by XAlt; 01-15-2018 at 04:25 PM.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    The OC, CA
    Posts
    696
    My Cars
    95 840Ci
    I have one that rattles only after sitting for a couple of days. On warm start, no rattle. I've changed out the tensioner already, for good measure. I've heard that the Castrol is better than the mobile 1 for vanos rattle. 0w40 ??
    Current
    95 e31 840 Ci (Auto) Orient Blue 61k
    11 e90 328i Space Gray
    18 F15 X5 35i XDrive White

    Past
    00 e38 740 i (Auto) Titanium Silver
    94 e31 840 Ci (6 speed conv.) Avus Blau (This car was Awesome!)
    03 e46 325 Ci (Auto) Jet Black
    91 e31 850i (Auto) Diamond Black, Yes, two!
    91 e31 850i (Auto) Diamond Black
    00 e39 528i (Auto) Jet Black
    92 e36 325i (Auto) Laguna Green


  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2017
    Location
    Lyon, France
    Posts
    41
    My Cars
    2000 BMW 735i / 72 Monte
    I bought an e38 on May (M62tu).
    The VANOS was rattling a bit and I did not know what oil was used on the last service.
    Anyway, on October, I did an oil change and used Mobile1 0W40 and since then rattling is louder at start up.

    The problem comes from VANOS piston seal O-rings: http://www.beisansystems.com/procedu..._procedure.htm
    It's the next big thing I will do on my car.
    Last edited by Shnalla; 01-16-2018 at 04:08 AM.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    Lincoln Park, NJ
    Posts
    1,254
    My Cars
    2018 M3 6MT, 2001 740iL
    edit: I thought the VANOS rattle was the diesely clunky sound at hot idle, and the start-up rattle was timing chain slack.

    ~5 years ago my indy at the time also suggested thicker oil M1 10w60. It was quieter for a week or two, then back to normal every 3 to 10 starts, no pattern. I changed the tensioner and that has made the most difference, but still happens now and then. I also did a sea-foam treatment at one point another year later hoping to clear those check-valves if that was the issue. Still get it every now and again, but not very frequently. ( on my e39 )

    ~1.5 years ago I changed the tensioner on my e38, and it made no improvement at all. The e38 has 40k fewer miles.

    I suspect that the frequency/severity of the start up rattle has something to do with how much timing guides have worn, and how much extra slack is there.

    M1 5w30 every ~8k in both cars as long as I've owned them, except for the above mentioned trial. Going to try 5w30 high-mileage in the next change.
    Last edited by agentrnge; 01-16-2018 at 10:38 PM.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Gig Harbor, WA
    Posts
    342
    My Cars
    2001 740i Sport, 1995 M3
    Thanks for the history, Agentrnge.

    I'm still in 'quiet mode', but we'll see. There has been a comment or two about 10w60 being too thick. Living in SoCal with car garaged, I figure I can gamble for one change cycle. If it comes back a tensioner might be in the works.

    Any clue on the cost of vanos rebuild to get new 'o' ring seals installed? This doesn't look like something I want to tackle myself. Ideally at 150k miles, I need new vanos seals as well as chain guides, but I'm sure those repairs add up to a lot of $$$


    Quote Originally Posted by agentrnge View Post
    edit: I thought the VANOS rattle was the diesely clunky sound at hot idle, and the start-up rattle was timing chain slack.

    ~5 years ago my indy at the time also suggested thicker oil M1 10w60. It was quieter for a week or two, then back to normal every 3 to 10 starts, no pattern. I changed the tensioner and that has made the most difference, but still happens now and then. I also did a sea-foam treatment at one point another year later hoping to clear those check-valves if that was the issue. Still get it every now and again, but not very frequently. ( on my e39 )






    ~1.5 years ago I changed the tensioner on my e38, and it made no improvement at all. The e38 has 40k fewer miles.

    I suspect that the frequency/severity of the start up rattle has something to do with how much timing guides have worn, and how much extra slack is there.

    M1 5w30 every ~8k in both cars as long as I've owned them, except for the above mentioned trial. Going to try 5w30 high-mileage in the next change.
    Aaron

    Current
    '13 528i xDrive M-Sport
    '00 Audi 6 4.2 Sport - 6 sp conversion - 155k
    '12 Audi Q5
    '08 Silverado Duramax LTZ

    Past

    '10 - 128i Convertibel - sold
    '01 740i Sport - sold 155k
    '95 M3 Coupe
    '95 M Roadster
    '07 328i - sport, convenience - sold 176k
    '95 S6 - raced and sold
    '00 528iT - sport - sold
    '95 993 C2-sport - sold
    '06 M3 Vert - sold
    '10 TDi Jetta Cup Edition - totalled
    '02 996 Cab - sold

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