Placebo effect?

S

Simon 3.2M

Senior member
Whilst I save up for my vanos rebuild I thought I'd do a few things along with the oils and fluids I've been doing throughout the car.
I replaced the seals and filter on piston with the 22mm bolt on the side of the unit. The old seals were very hard and the filter a bit cruddy. It may be in my head but the car does seem a little smoother. It could be a myriad of things but to, it's there.
The pics below show the piston and the part numbers should anyone want to do theirs. It cost £23 all in.

IMG_2008.PNGIMG_1999.JPG
 
2dogs said:
So is this not part of any service?
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I'm not sure - I believe some do it when they rebuild the vanos and some do it with every service so I don't know personally. I did it because I thought at £23 it's easy enough to do.
 
2dogs said:
So is this not part of any service?
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No it's not. It would only be done if the VANOS was having issues, and even then many dealer mechanics wouldn't touch it.

Simon, the best bet is to source some aftermarket Viton seals instead - Viton is far superior to the OEM rubber and should last the life of the engine.
 
Mangozac said:
2dogs said:
So is this not part of any service?
Click to expand...
No it's not. It would only be done if the VANOS was having issues, and even then many dealer mechanics wouldn't touch it.

Simon, the best bet is to source some aftermarket Viton seals instead - Viton is far superior to the OEM rubber and should last the life of the engine.
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Thank you buddy - I'm not sure when I'll get the vanos rebuilt at the figures range from £900 - 1200!!! To be fair the car drives very well despite the Indy saying it failed it's vanos test.
 
... and advice from Brystones, a highly regarded specialist, is if there’s no evidence of the Vanos causing a problem, don’t touch. Some have gone but very rare
 
Jembo said:
... and advice from Brystones, a highly regarded specialist, is if there’s no evidence of the Vanos causing a problem, don’t touch. Some have gone but very rare
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Well I think I'd be wise to get a second opinion at least but as I say she pulls well and drives nicely - the TC struggles to keep up 😊
 
Simon, would you provide the mileage on your car? Thanks!!
Does anyone have an idea what this Pressure Limiting Valve does (other than limiting the pressure)? Would a clogged filter reduce the pressure to problem producing levels?
Thanks
Ted
 
wyshyvanuk said:
Simon, would you provide the mileage on your car? Thanks!!
Does anyone have an idea what this Pressure Limiting Valve does (other than limiting the pressure)? Would a clogged filter reduce the pressure to problem producing levels?
Thanks
Ted
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Hi Ted, my car has 100k miles on it.
 
Simon .... any chance of a small DIY to do this ?

Would like to do mine , just because of the satisfaction that’s its been done :thumbsup:
 
Bodyboarder said:
Simon .... any chance of a small DIY to do this ?

Would like to do mine , just because of the satisfaction that’s its been done :thumbsup:
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Hi mate, it literally as simple as removing the piston from the side of the vanos

IMG_2026.JPG

Remove the piston (22mm socket) and replace the seals and filter. Two points to note though, the smaller seal is recessed with a white teflon seal - be very careful not to damage the teflon seal!! (It is split already) secondly, the filter needs a good tug to get it of and it is a noticeable click to reseat the new one. It only fits one way so you can't get it wrong. Refitting is the reverse, just remember to rub a smear of oil on the seals beforehand.
 
I think I've only done this twice in 160,000 miles.

First time I had to almost force the dealer to do it (along with and Insp2) as they said there was no reason...I said if there's no need to replace the filter, then why is there a need for the filter in the first place.

Second time was at about 100,000 miles.

Both times they were slightly gunged at the edged where the flow would be lowest, but nothing to be concerned about.

But didn't notice any difference in sound/performance/driveability - in much the same way as a change of engine oil filter is not particularly noticeable.
 
Bodyboarder said:
Simon .... any chance of a small DIY to do this ?

Would like to do mine , just because of the satisfaction that’s its been done :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

Here's another video guide, as Simon said, very simple job.

https://youtu.be/j2UO30-2AdY
 
The person who owned it before me who was a BMW master mechanic -he did the work himself in the franchise garage and because understandably he was probably a bit OCD about his car
He said there was nothing wrong with the Vanos per se but nonetheless he serviced it for his own peace of mind
If the Vanos isn't making any funny noises then probably no need to service it
 
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