MINI Cooper Forum banner
Cancel
Create thread New Garage Forums

N12 2845 Exhaust Vanos Solenoid Movement

1 reading
Jump to Latest
21 - 37 of 37 Posts
Discussion starter · #22 · (Edited)
mike1967 said:
needs refreshing
Click to expand...
I was referring for this reply from you on a similar 296B issue

whem installing the crankshaft lock pin there is only one hole in flywheel but can accidently lock in one direction in to a bolt hole ie engine will be 180 degrees out,, way to tell put the rods in number 1 and number 2 spark plug holes and get level then insert the crank pin when locked try and rotate the crankshaft both ways with a bar if wont turn then thats correct lock point but if rotate crank one direction its wrong, worth a check,
 
Discussion starter · #23 ·
#24 ·
ssydorenko said:
I was referring for this reply from you on a similar 296B issue

whem installing the crankshaft lock pin there is only one hole in flywheel but can accidently lock in one direction in to a bolt hole ie engine will be 180 degrees out,, way to tell put the rods in number 1 and number 2 spark plug holes and get level then insert the crank pin when locked try and rotate the crankshaft both ways with a bar if wont turn then thats correct lock point but if rotate crank one direction its wrong, worth a check,
Click to expand...
i've put more than 18,000 replies on here so when someone quotes one its needle in haystack in my world then add i work best part of 14 hour days normally and come on here in-between everything else i have going on so impossible for me find much more time going back through things, better off telling what it is doing now and any codes, also will need to do oil pressure test with wet gauge, the codes you have one would point me at mis timed exhaust to crank, might find the vanos sprocket is free wheeling, ie the return spring inside has failed possible, the faults you have are so hard to diagnose even for me with car infront of me it takes me a while to test and retest etc rule out things,
 
#25 · (Edited)
ssydorenko said:
Yeap, that's why I swapped the head for a rebuilt one
Click to expand...
That much carbon buildup in the exhaust ports indicates the piston rings are likely worn out too. the oil scraper rings, not the compression rings.

These little engines aren't like what we're used to in one of the NA designs where you can replace a valve seat, guide, etc and not have further problems for another 40-50k. they're essentially "minimalist" engineering, cut to the bone everywhere. light castings, small parts, barely adequate strength timing gear, fussy on parts quality and functioning, etc. Just enough to do the job and get it out of warranty and little else. When they start to go, it's mostly an "all or nothing" type of rebuild if you want them to put any more significant mileage on them without further problems.

If you're over 100k or so for mileage, you're well into rebuild territory. As in: all or nothing.

Good news is the bottom end on these little buggers is pretty much bullet proof. Built like a tank, at least for what it's intended for. Deeply skirted block, cracked rod caps, integrated main girdle, cross bolted mains, etc so they can/should go a long time. Essentially, no need to touch the crank and bearings and even teh rod bearings are usually good to go for reuse. Same with the low friction rings: crappy oil scrapper design, but usually very little bore wear, if any at all. Mine had no appreciable wear or taper. Pop the pistons and rods out, quick hone, new pistons and do another 100k or so on them without issue. The heads though.....well......yeah.

I'm out.

Good luck (sincerely).
 
#26 ·
flightops said:
That much carbon buildup in the exhaust ports indicates the piston rings are likely worn out too. the oil scraper rings, not the compression rings.

I;m out.

Good luck (sincerely).
Click to expand...
totally agree with you, also that much crud in ports cat will be totally done as well
 
Discussion starter · #27 ·
mike1967 said:
i've put more than 18,000 replies on here so when someone quotes one its needle in haystack in my world then add i work best part of 14 hour days normally and come on here in-between everything else i have going on so impossible for me find much more time going back through things, better off telling what it is doing now and any codes, also will need to do oil pressure test with wet gauge, the codes you have one would point me at mis timed exhaust to crank, might find the vanos sprocket is free wheeling, ie the return spring inside has failed possible, the faults you have are so hard to diagnose even for me with car infront of me it takes me a while to test and retest etc rule out things,
Click to expand...
That makes perfect sense, and I apologize for the quote. According to the tool, the timing is okay and aligns perfectly. The Vanos exhaust and intake sprocket are brand new with new bolts. I replaced them while addressing the previous error, and they seem to be working fine.

The adaptation angles are excellent ( 50 and 151 degrees) after the procedure

The noticed new behavior:
1. Complete timing, adaptation, and first run ( no check engine on the dashboard, but it is already presented in the DME)
2. Start the car - check pops up with 296B error
2. (new) Each next car start is delayed for a small fraction of the time. It feels like you need to spin it more to start compared to the first start after timing and re-assembly
 
#28 ·
what voltage at solonoid plug ignition on should be battery voltage
 
Discussion starter · #29 ·
To conclude the thread, the car was taken to the dealer for a DME reflash. After a month of back-and-forth checks, they finally re-flashed the DME, but the issue persisted. I took the car back.

Today, I replaced the exhaust camshaft, and now the car is running perfectly with no issues.

296B exhaust camshaft sensor fault is gone
 
#32 ·
What do you think it was about the new exhaust camshaft that fixed the problem?
Less wear on the end cap so better oil pressure?
I know that some people warn about using the 27mm hex on the sensor assembly as a counter-hold when undoing/tightening the camshaft Vanos. bolts in case the sensor moves.
 
Discussion starter · #33 · (Edited)
In my case, the camshaft had microcracks (best guess). I think it was not about visible wear. With old camshaft the sensor error appeared immediately after the engine starts. I even did an exhaust sensor wires overlay - I suspected the issue was with the harness. Next reprogrammed DME at the dealer, and after replaced with similar used camshaft. It was used for 80-90k miles before
 
#36 ·
lucky it never worn away head surfaces as many do, time will tell i've done that before and few thousand down the road get oil light on idle as when the added camshaft wears its way in it can open up journals and bleed oil this drops oil pressure, hopefully like you said cracks in camshaft
 
Discussion starter · #37 ·
mike1967 said:
lucky it never worn away head surfaces as many do, time will tell i've done that before and few thousand down the road get oil light on idle as when the added camshaft wears its way in it can open up journals and bleed oil this drops oil pressure, hopefully like you said cracks in camshaft
Click to expand...
Time will show 🙂 I also want to believe in “cracks” theory 🙂
 
21 - 37 of 37 Posts
About this Discussion
36 Replies
4 Participants
Last post:
ssydorenko
MINI Cooper Forum
posts
3.7M
members
176K
Since
2001
Join our Mini Cooper Forums to talk about your new Mini. From reviews, mods, accessories, reliability concerns and more, this Mini Owners Club is full of info!
Full Forum Listing
Explore Our Forums
General Discussion First Generation MINI Cooper S First Generation Faults & Fixes First Generation Interior & Ice New York & New England Region