eccentric shaft sensor n46 2 litre

[Syrinx]

Hi All
Changed this sensor on my 2 litre at the weekend. Thought it might be helpful to share the experience as I could find very little info on the web about the 2 litre.
Bought the vdo sensor and gasket kit from Autodoc. The original sensor when extracted was marked BMW/vdo Siemens.
Remove the cam cover as per normal (AccureTech on YouTube is a good guide).
The sensor is held by 3 10mm bolts. Stuff rags in all the possible places the bolts could fall!
The middle one requires a 1/4 drive socket as it is accessed through a hole in the timing chain guide. I found a deep socket that I put a magnetic insert in was just right. The 2 outer bolts can be removed with a ring spanner as long as the wall of the ring is slim. I found Halfords advanced 10mm worked fine. The left bolt looking at the engine is very awkward to remove as there is no room so pliers to grab it helped. The sensor holes on the n46 are not threaded so the bolts can be removed complete before extracting the sensor.
Replacement is a reverse of the above.
Once everything was back together I cleared codes and then put the key in ignition position 2 for 2 mins, turned off for 10 secs, repeated for 2 mins and everything started up ok.
Much smoother and no codes!

Hope this helps someone with the same problem.

 

[enuff_zed]

Good feedback. Sure it'll help someone else in the future.

Maybe not the correct place to put this, but it triggered my memory.
A trick we were taught in the good old RAF to handle bolts in tight spaces....................

Undo the bolt a couple of turns, then before you go any further, pass a piece of locking wire round the shaft of the bolt, under the head.
Twist it up tight enough to hold the bolt but not so tight it'll twist round with it.
Then undo the bolt and lift it out using the wire.

 

[Smartbear]

Good feedback. Sure it'll help someone else in the future.

Maybe not the correct place to put this, but it triggered my memory.
A trick we were taught in the good old RAF to handle bolts in tight spaces....................

Undo the bolt a couple of turns, then before you go any further, pass a piece of locking wire round the shaft of the bolt, under the head.
Twist it up tight enough to hold the bolt but not so tight it'll twist round with it.
Then undo the bolt and lift it out using the wire.

What happens if you drop the wire? oke:
Rob

 

[enuff_zed]

Good feedback. Sure it'll help someone else in the future.

Maybe not the correct place to put this, but it triggered my memory.
A trick we were taught in the good old RAF to handle bolts in tight spaces....................

Undo the bolt a couple of turns, then before you go any further, pass a piece of locking wire round the shaft of the bolt, under the head.
Twist it up tight enough to hold the bolt but not so tight it'll twist round with it.
Then undo the bolt and lift it out using the wire.

What happens if you drop the wire? oke:
Rob

Well Rob, you take a piece of string and attach one end to the wire and the other end tightly round the neck of the nearest Smart...........arse! :roll:

 

[ph001]

Hi All
Changed this sensor on my 2 litre at the weekend. Thought it might be helpful to share the experience as I could find very little info on the web about the 2 litre.
Bought the vdo sensor and gasket kit from Autodoc. The original sensor when extracted was marked BMW/vdo Siemens.
Remove the cam cover as per normal (AccureTech on YouTube is a good guide).
The sensor is held by 3 10mm bolts. Stuff rags in all the possible places the bolts could fall!
The middle one requires a 1/4 drive socket as it is accessed through a hole in the timing chain guide. I found a deep socket that I put a magnetic insert in was just right. The 2 outer bolts can be removed with a ring spanner as long as the wall of the ring is slim. I found Halfords advanced 10mm worked fine. The left bolt looking at the engine is very awkward to remove as there is no room so pliers to grab it helped. The sensor holes on the n46 are not threaded so the bolts can be removed complete before extracting the sensor.
Replacement is a reverse of the above.
Once everything was back together I cleared codes and then put the key in ignition position 2 for 2 mins, turned off for 10 secs, repeated for 2 mins and everything started up ok.
Much smoother and no codes!

Hope this helps someone with the same problem.

Thanks for the guide. What symptoms were you getting beforehand?

 

[Syrinx]

Fast idle on start up and the odd misfire when cold. Ran the codes
which pointed to the ess and then looked at the electrical connection which was pretty oily. Decided to deal with it before it became more of a problem.