N54 Mystery Issue HELP !!!

[Prezidentzman]

I was driving along and the engine randomly shutoff while taking off from a stop sign(clutch engaged maybe 10mph) and would not start back up. When it finally started back up, it surges from 1000-1200rpm and only revs (WOT) to a little above 2k. So I pulled the codes and am getting both camshaft position sensor A & B intermittent circuit codes P0344 & P0369 along with some other "Powertrain" codes.

I already checked, cleaned, and reinstalled both Vanos solenoids and nothing changed.

Two days before. . . I hit a severe pothole bending two rims. There is a strange tapping noise coming from under the dash after the pothole incident.

Car is not driveable, no torque and usually won't start.

What could be the issue? I am mechanically inclined and planning to do everything I can before taking to a mechanic.

My plan for next step in the diagnostic procedure is to check the camshaft position sensors themselves.

Any help appreciated! Thank you!

[Driiven]

Buddy, Save yourself the trouble of attempting to diagnose this yourself via the internet. I understand you are trying to save money... But if you are going off of advice of people that have never touched your particular vehicle all bets are off. You will end up spending MORE money on parts thrown at it then a proper diagnosis and repair in one shot! If you have a scope, multimeter and a proper scan tool then it may be possible to get to the root of this issue. If you keep listening to adivce of strangers you will spend money on fuel filters batteries sensors for what may be a simple cabling issue or worse yet an engine out of time that needs to be rebuilt. I am not a weekend mechanic I work on these cars exclusively I recommend you take my advice.

[Prezidentzman]

I am not a weekend mechanic I work on these cars exclusively I recommend you take my advice.

Aright. . . then maybe you are someone who can help. Have you ever exhibited symptoms like this before?

[legoman67]

I agree with Driiven. Without some real bmw fault codes and details we are just shooting in the dark. So many things can cause these engines not to run. Chasing every single option would cost a fortune and a ton of time.

Find an indy in your area with a proper scanner for bmw, if for nothing else then to read out all the codes and send you in a general direction. Shouldnt cost more then $100 for a full diagnostic scan of the entire car.

If your determined to do it yourself then head over to the diagnostic software section of the this forum and get yourself set up with scanning software. That will be the best use of your time at this point.

[Prezidentzman]

Legoman67. I used an obd2 mini scanner and Torque Pro to pull 8 different fault codes listed below.

P0344 - Powertrain
Camshaft Position Sensor "A" Circuit Intermittent (Bank 1 or Single Sensor)

P1636 - Powertrain
Throttle Valve Control Circuit

P0340 - Powertrain
Camshaft Position Sensor "A" Circuit (Bank 1 or Single Sensor)

P0341 - Powertrain
Camshaft Position Sensor "A" Circuit Range/Performance (Bank 1 or Single Sensor)

P0365 - Powertrain
Camshaft Position Sensor "B" Circuit (Bank 1)

P0369 - Powertrain
Camshaft Position Sensor "B" Circuit Intermittent (Bank 1)

P1417 - Powertrain

P1638 - Powertrain

I have ordered a crank shaft position sensor off partsgeek and plan to replace it this week.

[relative4]

Those generic codes are worthless for a BMW. You need a scanner that reads BMW codes.
Curious - why the crankshaft position sensor?

[Prezidentzman]

Those generic codes are worthless for a BMW. You need a scanner that reads BMW codes.
Curious - why the crankshaft position sensor?

Thanks for your reply. I have decided to give in and take it to a local indy w/ a bmw scanner.

My buddies and I were thinking it could be the crank pos sensor b/c we are reading both camshaft position sensors. . . highly unlikely they both went out at the same time.

Update - I replaced the crank pos sensor and it obviously did nothing. Luckily I found one cheap.

I'll give an update after the Mechanic looks at it.

[Albertan]

It would be very unlikely that something could cause all those codes at once. It is almost certainly an electric issue. The severe hit probably damaged a main electric connection somewhere. Being you say there is a strange noise under the dash, I would look for that and find what it is first. Electrical issues especially grounds can cause all sorts of bizarre issues. Good luck.