2006 E86 Z4 3.0Si N52 UK Spec
Solution: Broken oil filter inside filter housing + Decent (not chinese) Vanos Solenoids
Long story (Slightly embarrassing as it drags over TEN years!!) but hopefully helps a few people.
What was wrong? NOTHING!! No codes, no issues, car was doing fine. But a bit of a niggle it could/should be more of a monster
So with hindsight here’s my theory:
Symptom: Fuel consumption
Some tanks it would get stuck on 27.9mpg or 29.7mpg. Other tanks it would be fine, max was around 32 on a motorway run.
Symptom: Twisted oil filter
I read lots, Bosch was better than Mann or Meyle or Mahle etc.
Each time they came out twisted
Symptom: Faster on a hot day!
Maybe I was imagining it but when the UK hit 30 degrees C in the sunshine, it seemed faster and more responsive
Symptom: Gearbox clunky
Just a bit reluctant to go into gear. Felt much better on some days than others.
Like I said - all hindsight, nothing was really wrong. She pulled well, was plenty quick enough and had the car 10 years now so happy enough.
VANOS Solenoids. 11367585425 7585425
I’d previously replaced BMW solenoids with some cheap Chinese ones which felt exactly the same so happy I saved all the money
Nothing wrong, no codes or lights but she was still feeling a bit flat
Was considering Febi replacements but opted for some “OEM BMW” ones from Ebay
Bad move, they’re copies and pointless. Yellow bag with chinese squiggles isn’t very ‘BMW’
Codes: I got a 2A87 code - Exhaust VANOS Solenoid
The engine light would come on. ISTA seemed to think it was OK and I could re-learn VANOS settings and it would go off for a few days but it would come back and feel a bit flat.
Autodoc is now my preferred place for parts. Wait for the 40%+ discount days, order on a Tuesday, via the app and enter the discount code.
Pierburg was similar price to Febi on one day the stars aligned, so bought a pair.
Day after fitting the new Solenoids, she threw a hissy fit.
Wouldn’t idle, stalled under 2000Rpm and threw codes for Intake Solenoid (It was the Exhaust before)
It left me stranded at the roadside kicking myself for changing both solenoids.
Codes were
I put the chinese intake solenoid back in and all OK again.
2A87 - DME: Exhaust VANOS, mechanism
2A98 - DME: Crankshaft - Inlet camshaft, reference
Oil Filters - 11427566327 7566327 They’re all the same until they’re not!!
There are 3 different types, all will work, just different styles.
Style A - Bosch/Mann - All paper filtering material, no plastic at all
Style B - Febi - Plastic cage inside connected to plastic top and bottom. Paper filtration material wrapped around the central plastic cage
Style C - Budget brands!! No plastic cage. Plastic top and bottom glued to central paper filter.
My filter was showing signs of stress and twisting for a few oil changes and was trying lots of different brands to improve the fit.
I’d cleaned out the filter housing, re-oiling surfaces, carefully torqued, lining up dots, various attempts so I MUST have looked inside
I wonder how many people have changed their cap at this point?! 11427525334 7525334
I discovered that a plastic cap from a budget brand filter had become detached at some point and was living inside the oil filter housing
It fits perfectly to the cage inside the filter and looks very OEM, moving around with the cage.
I’m sure I’ve looked at this before and would swear it belonged in there.
Even the paper only filter doesn’t side inside it which makes any new filter 5mm too high - causing the twisting.
Solution - Make sure the cage inside the oil filter cap wobbles freely, and at a different movement rate to the cap. If theres something moving with the cage….it shouldn’t bee there!
New filter in and all sorted.
At this point I refitted the newer Pierburg VANOS solenoid and its all fine
The Difference
Totally different motor
Fuel consumption - Now up the 36mpg on a flowing but reasonably spirited run. Never seen that before!
Faster - It now feels like sport mode is pushed all the time. Properly rapid
Gearbox Smoother - Maybe its in my head, but my logic is that I guess the RPM’s are being controlled/held as designed so better matched to the syncros
My logic to all this is that the VANOS is all about oil pressure and FLOW
The pressure was OK, especially since its measured on the outside (dirty oil) side of the filter
My bet is more about the amount of oil flow that would pass through the filter under lower pressure.
So the solenoid would activate OK, but wether it did anything to change the Cam may be different each time. Hot days would thin the oil and allow it to flow better.
What do cheap VANOS solenoids do? Don’t know…maybe just enough to prevent codes showing! The new Pierburg ones showed up all the issues immediately on the intake side which was previously OK!
Solution: Broken oil filter inside filter housing + Decent (not chinese) Vanos Solenoids
Long story (Slightly embarrassing as it drags over TEN years!!) but hopefully helps a few people.
What was wrong? NOTHING!! No codes, no issues, car was doing fine. But a bit of a niggle it could/should be more of a monster
So with hindsight here’s my theory:
Symptom: Fuel consumption
Some tanks it would get stuck on 27.9mpg or 29.7mpg. Other tanks it would be fine, max was around 32 on a motorway run.
Symptom: Twisted oil filter
I read lots, Bosch was better than Mann or Meyle or Mahle etc.
Each time they came out twisted
Symptom: Faster on a hot day!
Maybe I was imagining it but when the UK hit 30 degrees C in the sunshine, it seemed faster and more responsive
Symptom: Gearbox clunky
Just a bit reluctant to go into gear. Felt much better on some days than others.
Like I said - all hindsight, nothing was really wrong. She pulled well, was plenty quick enough and had the car 10 years now so happy enough.
VANOS Solenoids. 11367585425 7585425
I’d previously replaced BMW solenoids with some cheap Chinese ones which felt exactly the same so happy I saved all the money
Nothing wrong, no codes or lights but she was still feeling a bit flat
Was considering Febi replacements but opted for some “OEM BMW” ones from Ebay
Bad move, they’re copies and pointless. Yellow bag with chinese squiggles isn’t very ‘BMW’
Codes: I got a 2A87 code - Exhaust VANOS Solenoid
The engine light would come on. ISTA seemed to think it was OK and I could re-learn VANOS settings and it would go off for a few days but it would come back and feel a bit flat.
Autodoc is now my preferred place for parts. Wait for the 40%+ discount days, order on a Tuesday, via the app and enter the discount code.
Pierburg was similar price to Febi on one day the stars aligned, so bought a pair.
Day after fitting the new Solenoids, she threw a hissy fit.
Wouldn’t idle, stalled under 2000Rpm and threw codes for Intake Solenoid (It was the Exhaust before)
It left me stranded at the roadside kicking myself for changing both solenoids.
Codes were
I put the chinese intake solenoid back in and all OK again.
2A87 - DME: Exhaust VANOS, mechanism
2A98 - DME: Crankshaft - Inlet camshaft, reference
Oil Filters - 11427566327 7566327 They’re all the same until they’re not!!
There are 3 different types, all will work, just different styles.
Style A - Bosch/Mann - All paper filtering material, no plastic at all
Style B - Febi - Plastic cage inside connected to plastic top and bottom. Paper filtration material wrapped around the central plastic cage
Style C - Budget brands!! No plastic cage. Plastic top and bottom glued to central paper filter.
My filter was showing signs of stress and twisting for a few oil changes and was trying lots of different brands to improve the fit.
I’d cleaned out the filter housing, re-oiling surfaces, carefully torqued, lining up dots, various attempts so I MUST have looked inside
I wonder how many people have changed their cap at this point?! 11427525334 7525334
I discovered that a plastic cap from a budget brand filter had become detached at some point and was living inside the oil filter housing
It fits perfectly to the cage inside the filter and looks very OEM, moving around with the cage.
I’m sure I’ve looked at this before and would swear it belonged in there.
Even the paper only filter doesn’t side inside it which makes any new filter 5mm too high - causing the twisting.
Solution - Make sure the cage inside the oil filter cap wobbles freely, and at a different movement rate to the cap. If theres something moving with the cage….it shouldn’t bee there!
New filter in and all sorted.
At this point I refitted the newer Pierburg VANOS solenoid and its all fine
The Difference
Totally different motor
Fuel consumption - Now up the 36mpg on a flowing but reasonably spirited run. Never seen that before!
Faster - It now feels like sport mode is pushed all the time. Properly rapid
Gearbox Smoother - Maybe its in my head, but my logic is that I guess the RPM’s are being controlled/held as designed so better matched to the syncros
My logic to all this is that the VANOS is all about oil pressure and FLOW
The pressure was OK, especially since its measured on the outside (dirty oil) side of the filter
My bet is more about the amount of oil flow that would pass through the filter under lower pressure.
So the solenoid would activate OK, but wether it did anything to change the Cam may be different each time. Hot days would thin the oil and allow it to flow better.
What do cheap VANOS solenoids do? Don’t know…maybe just enough to prevent codes showing! The new Pierburg ones showed up all the issues immediately on the intake side which was previously OK!