Stephen James Enfield - £2200 Vanos

Stephen James Enfield - £2200 Vanos

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happidec

Original Poster:

28 posts

192 months

Thursday 13th March 2008
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I've had my M3 E36 convertible four months now. 50k on clock & full MainDealer service history. 5 Green lights on. It is magnificent.

Bit of a noise came from the engine the other day immediately after start up. So duely went to my local dealer Stephen James Enfield.

They identified the problem as the VANOS. They say it needs replacing- fine, no problem.

BMW have said 'No' to a GoodWill replacement of the vanos as it's a P reg- April 97 as I did ask!

Here's my question BMW Blackheath replaced the pins holing the VANOS in 2000 whyever they did that but didn't change the VANOS I don't think

Surely the cars due a replacement VANOS courtesy of them if everyother had a recall

Bit of a choker on such a beautiful baby bought for £7800 but I don't mind as I've wanted one since the mid 90's and rarely look at any other on the road and think 'oh I'd rather one of those'

Any ideas??



Broccers

3,236 posts

252 months

Thursday 13th March 2008
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My understanding is over 10 years 60k then you are on yer tod.

From memory thorney motorsport can fix it for 1200 so have a word with them.

Rags

3,640 posts

235 months

Friday 14th March 2008
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Contact DanP on here.

He had a 50/50 goodwill gesture from BMW for his Vanos on his 98 m3.

To be honest, 2200 is a rip off.

I would go to an Indy and Stephen James Enfield are not a very good dealer.

ASBO

26,140 posts

213 months

Friday 14th March 2008
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Take it to an indi'. You are wasting your time with BMW dealers with this age of car.

Cliffv8

565 posts

204 months

Friday 14th March 2008
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is it just noisy but still works?

andye30m3

3,451 posts

253 months

Friday 14th March 2008
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ASBO said:
Take it to an indi'. You are wasting your time with BMW dealers with this age of car.
What he said.

Before I bought an Evo I got quoted around £1500 by Munich Legends who are one of the more expencive indi's so i can imagine you'd find someone to do it close to £1,000-1,200.

ASBO

26,140 posts

213 months

Friday 14th March 2008
quotequote all
andye30m3 said:
ASBO said:
Take it to an indi'. You are wasting your time with BMW dealers with this age of car.
What he said.

Before I bought an Evo I got quoted around £1500 by Munich Legends who are one of the more expencive indi's so i can imagine you'd find someone to do it close to £1,000-1,200.
And someone who knows how to do it more to the point.

lingus75

1,695 posts

221 months

Friday 14th March 2008
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Unless its really noisy I would leave it, as from memory it doesn't make a huge amount of difference. Could be an oppurtunity to run alternative management and do away with the Vanos?

pat_y

1,029 posts

200 months

Friday 14th March 2008
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hmmm, tread carefully here, there are a few components in the Vanos system that can fail, fistly you have to make sure it's definetley failed, most good BMW indys will have a diagnostic program to test the vanos system, works on around 12 or so sperate tests (as far as i can remember).
A noisy one doesn't necessarily mean it's failed.
Mine failed on the activation of the inlet soleniod, had a long chat with the Indy about this and he said, likley to be either actual soleniod failure or there is a collar that the soleniod pushes which can break up or drop out of alignment.
Sadly the indy i use would not strip the unit and fix it, and was quoted £1800 all in to fix. I was quite distraught and sold the car onto someone who was willing to fix it/sell it on or something.
Apparently some Indy's will strip the unit and fix, gotta be the chepaer option as the unit on it's own from BMW is £1200...

E36GUY

5,906 posts

217 months

Friday 14th March 2008
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There was never an official recall for Vanos so your car isn't 'due' anything unfortunately. The Vanos bolts get replaced routinely as should the filter be whenever you change the oil.


Vixpy1

42,620 posts

263 months

Friday 14th March 2008
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Stephen James are notorious for this sort of thing, get it down to Phil Crouch at CPC in Iver heath and inspected properly:

01753639222

ASBO

26,140 posts

213 months

Friday 14th March 2008
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lingus75 said:
Unless its really noisy I would leave it, as from memory it doesn't make a huge amount of difference. Could be an oppurtunity to run alternative management and do away with the Vanos?
Unless it's a racing car this is not a recomended option.

Rags

3,640 posts

235 months

Friday 14th March 2008
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Yeah Phil is that man for this, top chap.

What I must say about Vanos, dont believe the hype about it failing readily.

Most 'failures' seem to be the solenoid units shearing bolts and dropping oil (which is lost at a high rate!)

They are all noisy but judge it on performance losses as to whether it has failed. Its a mechanical duplex chained engine with mechanical vanos gears, its going to be noisy and yes the gears may exhibit wear if inspected, but if the performance is the same. Just worry about it if it actually fails.




happidec

Original Poster:

28 posts

192 months

Friday 14th March 2008
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LATEST(GOOD)NEWS

Spoke to a man at MMR Independent Chelmsford last night about the vanos and his thoughts. He said-

"Get it done. Your Pistons may get stuck in the Cam, if that happens it's 6k"

This left me slightly dejected. He did say to phone a bloke called STUART who's very in the know about VANOS issues, apparently, AND he is nearer to me in North London. Called Stuart up straight after. He asked a few questions talked about the problem and said pop in today he'll listen to it.

Woke up this morning went to AUDI WHETSTONE about the old dears A6 and the power steering fluid, which PETER the Main Technician in there topped up free of change. Good bloke. They wouldn't let me sit in the R7. Anyway got home & took my M3 for a blast this morning. No noise at start up, sounded fantastic, threw it round a few corners and popped into Highams Park Motor Company a specialist BMW near Walthamstow where this STUART bloke works.

As I pulled into the garage I saw an m3 E36 coupe N -REG in etoril similar to mine having work done to it and thought 'good sign they get a few older M3's in here'

Spoke to Stuart the owner, bloody nice lad who seems to talk straight, he stuck his head under the bonnet, listened carefully to the engine, pulled the throttle line a few times & gave his opinion.

He said "this sounds very quiet I really don't think you have a problem some of these make a racket but it's something that you need to monitor and obviously I can do it for you but I don't think there's anything wrong at this point in time, I charge 1400-1500" Felt relieved(ish)

Further to this he was gushing at my car saying it was prestine and I was looking forward to getting straight back in it to give it a blast again. Just before I left he took me over to the sick N-REG and showed me some more things about the engine.

Just home now. Thanks whoever gave me Phil's name as I'm going to buzz him and get another opinion from someone who knows and to the others for there advice & opinion, really appreciate it.

Of coarse I will update this if theres a need to

Quick question. The car was warmed up when STUART looked at it. Will this have be taken into account? I didn't ask him that.

Also Why did it sound like someone had thown a spanner in the works when I went up to BMW the other day?

Vixpy1

42,620 posts

263 months

Friday 14th March 2008
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Be aware Phil is a nightmare to get hold of, You will prob have to try for a couple of days hehe

happidec

Original Poster:

28 posts

192 months

Friday 14th March 2008
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Phoned Phil and arranged to be at his garage tomorrow morning about 9am when he opens it. He said he's never had to change a vanos yet and BMW seem to have standard responses fo problems like this! Says he deal 90% with M Power Cars & yes I got the impression he's hard to pin down.

Will update tomorrow

Vixpy1

42,620 posts

263 months

Friday 14th March 2008
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That M5 in bits on his ramp.. thats my wreck that is hehe

happidec

Original Poster:

28 posts

192 months

Wednesday 26th March 2008
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Finally got round to meeting Phil Crouch today. Phil has a place in Iver Heath (nr 10 O'Clock on the M25) an independent specialist who deals 90% M Power. Once I'd found his workshop I saw 3 M Powers up on the blocks, which was a good sign & one of them being Vixpy1's M5. He was also there! Good to meet you. The other two were an M3 E30 in mint condition and Z4M. Chatted with Phil and VIXPY1 and Phil listened to my engine. On off on off on off. He got out a sort of lap top ran a diagnostics check on my vanos and after 5 minutes confirmed there's pretty much nothing wrong with it, it's normal. At idle the engine needs something minor doing to it but not the VANOS. Hallelujah.
The noise I've been hearing for the past 3 weeks at start up is coming from BELOW the vanos unit and BELOW the fan belt. The plastic which STEPHEN JAMES had drilled up after I went up a curb and asked them to put back has been rubbing up against a belt drive!!! The main dealers did a shoddy job and then tell me it's something else tha costs 2.2k to replace!!
Boiling and fuming inside though I didn't show it at the time I left PHIL ad VIXPY1 and went straight to STEPHEN JAMES ENFIELD. They ramped it and said I'd need a new sump protector costing £60. I watched the young inexperienced technician fiddle with the bottom of my engine block while up on the ramp. After 20 seconds he went he got his coat like he was getting ready to go home and then return to my car to drive it back out into the yard. I walked into the middle of the workshop confronted him and I asked him about the rubbing noise. He said I need a new protector. I said no I don't I said it firstly needs a proper looking at and then taking down as it's probably been bolted up too tight. He said sort it out with the manager. He parked it parked outside and I was sort of shown the exit. I thought this was possibly the worst customer service I'd ever had. Then my key fob wouldn't work so I went in again and asked for my alarm to be sorted as since it's been in the workshop it's stopped working. A more experinced bloke then ramped it again after I asked about the rubbing niose under the fan belt. He looked at it with another techinician who looked like a foetus. Dressed in a suit he who took off the bottom plactic sum protector with a ratchet gun and out from under my bonnet came some alien bit of plastic which doesn't belong to my car!!! This had been wedged into the car to bolt up the bumper I think, by them the last time I went there. They fixed my protector like they should have done first time around and then I spent another hour there while they opened up my dash and sorted the alarm out which misteriously stopped working while in their possession. All in all I've a worrying experience with them. My only regret is giving them business in the past and questioning the diagnostic work they do. It's worrying that they seem to know so little about a car made by their company. There is no substitute to dealing with someone who knows I learnt a valuable lesson today. Sometimes the people who you think know, don't know!

belleair302

6,835 posts

206 months

Wednesday 26th March 2008
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Anybody running a car from their own pocket, which is outside its warranty period is much better off seeking an experienced specialist. You will save money, time and more often than not meet interesting enthuastic mechanics and engineers who understand their trade, not just pretend to look at a computer and mumble, 'I dunno, beats me guv!'

Cliffv8

565 posts

204 months

Wednesday 26th March 2008
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i was in my local stealer trying to get a part the other day, just a grey plastic clip that holds the weiring loom to the expansion tank but the lad couldn't find it, (computer seze nooooo banghead ) don't think he even knew what a fecking weiring loom was FFS, he said "i only sell the parts, I know what the are" banghead so I said "nice to see you have some intrest in your work" and left ranting