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Thread: VANOS or faulty camshaft position sensor?...

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2002
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    Honolulu, Hawaii
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    4,851
    My Cars
    1997 M3, 2dr/5spd*

    VANOS or faulty camshaft position sensor?...

    Had a cel back in February for "camshaft position sensor." With no VANOS symptoms, marbles in can rattling, low rpm power, etc., I went ahead and replaced the cps with a VDO unit and all was well until last week when the cel returned...I cleared the cel at that time.

    At yesterday's autocross the cel returned after my first run and I did momentarily experience reduced power at low rpms on my second run, but not on the third and fourth runs. The cel self cleared for the drive home and the car ran fine.


    Where do I go from here, try another cps, this time an OE unit? Or investigate possible pending VANOS failure in the near future?

    Thanks in advance for any input...
    Estoril/Modena '97 M3...sold for the second time.
    ------------------------------------
    You only live once, and I'm running out of time...

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2002
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    Honolulu, Hawaii
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    4,851
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    1997 M3, 2dr/5spd*
    Okay then, I guess the consensus is to go with my plan to replace the camshaft position sensor with an OE unit as a first step and see what happens...
    Estoril/Modena '97 M3...sold for the second time.
    ------------------------------------
    You only live once, and I'm running out of time...

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2018
    Location
    Anchorage Alaska
    Posts
    93
    My Cars
    1997 M3 Sedan
    I’d go with that. I put a VDO and another brand in mine and it showed as failed. My eBay Japanese one works fine so I quit trying upgrade to a dependable unit

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2002
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    4,851
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    1997 M3, 2dr/5spd*
    Thanks for the reply...
    Estoril/Modena '97 M3...sold for the second time.
    ------------------------------------
    You only live once, and I'm running out of time...

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Mobile, AL
    Posts
    90
    My Cars
    2017 Raptor 97 M3 02 M3
    When my original cam sensor failed i went with an autozone sensor as i was at a race track and had no other choice. It failed almost instantly. Went to Orielys and got one. Its been in for almost a year with out issue. The noise you hear is your injectors (likely). When the cam sensor fails (when mine did) it cause the fuel injectors to "batch fire," which means that all fire at once over and over. This is pretty loud. Went away with the new sensor.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2002
    Location
    Honolulu, Hawaii
    Posts
    4,851
    My Cars
    1997 M3, 2dr/5spd*
    Quote Originally Posted by The sage View Post
    The noise you hear is your injectors (likely). When the cam sensor fails (when mine did) it cause the fuel injectors to "batch fire," which means that all fire at once over and over. This is pretty loud. Went away with the new sensor.
    I'm not hearing any out of the ordinary noises...car seems to be running fine.
    Estoril/Modena '97 M3...sold for the second time.
    ------------------------------------
    You only live once, and I'm running out of time...

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