Need help doing vanos test with INPA

[alpinem3e46]

I ended up getting a genuine timing bridge & pin and the crankshaft lock. The intake cam ended up being over retarded like we thought. I went through and reset the timing and afterwards the intake vanos piston was sitting about 1mm lower than the edge of tube it slides through. I assumed that was the cover interface surface since the cover slides up against that.

Afterwards, I rotated the engine and checked the timing and the bridge tool slid in perfectly on both cams with the crank at TDC compression. The car runs significantly better now (feels normal other than having a slight stutter around 5k rpm) but the vanos test for the intake cam is still slightly off. Any thoughts? Here it is:

I cleared adaptations and the vanos test is giving the correct values now. Thanks for your help Sapote! You are an invaluable member of the E46 community.

[alpinem3e46]

no need to buy the tool for checking the timing. Do this: VC rempved, turn crank CW to TDC compression, #1 cam lobes should be pointing at each other at about 45* with the cam holes pointing close to vertical ref to the head top flat surface. remove the vanos IN piston front cover and the vanos piston should be about 1mm below the cover interface surface. in your case I believe the piston protrudes out quite a bit. To correct the problem, keep crank at TDC and with the vanos piston protrudes out, install the cover to push the piston back in at the max retard, loosen the hub bolts and proceed to set the timing such as the IN cam hole is 90* to the head top surface. run the Tool32 again to verify.
Note: the perfect timing set the hole not perfectly 90* to the head surface, but using 90* vertical is close enough for the job without the bridge tool.

I ended up getting a genuine timing bridge & pin and the crankshaft lock. The intake cam ended up being over retarded like we thought. I went through and reset the timing and afterwards the intake vanos piston was sitting about 1mm lower than the edge of tube it slides through. I assumed that was the cover interface surface since the cover slides up against that.

Afterwards, I rotated the engine and checked the timing and the bridge tool slid in perfectly on both cams with the crank at TDC compression. The car runs significantly better now (feels normal other than having a slight stutter around 5k rpm) but the vanos test for the intake cam is still slightly off. Any thoughts? Here it is:

Test file : C:\EDIABAS\ECU\MSS54_VANOS_TESTS.TST
Start : 20.08.2026 21:09:54.4
Nr 1( 1) : 20.08.2026 21:09:54.8
apiJob("mss54ds0","STEUERN_EVANOS1_FRUEHANSCHLAG", "","")
JOB_STATUS = OKAY
EVAN_ISTWERT = -3 FF FF FF FD ÿÿÿý
EVAN_SOLLWERT = -10 FF FF FF F6 ÿÿÿö
EVAN_ISTWERT_EINH = Grad KW
EVAN_SOLLWERT_EINH = Grad KW
Nr 2( 1) : 20.08.2026 21:10:00.3
apiJob("mss54ds0","STEUERN_EVANOS1_SPAETANSCHLAG", "","")
JOB_STATUS = OKAY
EVAN_ISTWERT = 57 00 39 .9
EVAN_SOLLWERT = 75 00 4B .K
EVAN_ISTWERT_EINH = Grad KW
EVAN_SOLLWERT_EINH = Grad KW
Nr 3( 1) : 20.08.2026 21:10:05.8
apiJob("mss54ds0","STEUERN_EVANOS1_VERSTELLZEIT"," ","")
JOB_STATUS = OKAY
EVAN_VERSTELLZEIT_FRUEH = 221 00 DD .Ý
EVAN_VERSTELLZEIT_SPAET = 228 00 E4 .ä
EVAN_VERSTELLZEIT_FRUEH_EINH = ms
EVAN_VERSTELLZEIT_SPAET_EINH = ms
Nr 4( 1) : 20.08.2026 21:10:12.5
apiJob("mss54ds0","STEUERN_EVANOS1_DICHTHEIT",""," ")
JOB_STATUS = OKAY
EVAN_STATUS = EVANOS-1-Einheit vorzeitig weggedriftet
Nr 5( 1) : 20.08.2026 21:10:27.1
apiJob("mss54ds0","STEUERN_AVANOS1_FRUEHANSCHLAG", "","")
JOB_STATUS = OKAY
AVAN_ISTWERT = 0 00 00 ..
AVAN_SOLLWERT = -10 FF FF FF F6 ÿÿÿö
AVAN_ISTWERT_EINH = Grad KW
AVAN_SOLLWERT_EINH = Grad KW
Nr 6( 1) : 20.08.2026 21:10:32.6
apiJob("mss54ds0","STEUERN_AVANOS1_SPAETANSCHLAG", "","")
JOB_STATUS = OKAY
AVAN_ISTWERT = 48 00 30 .0
AVAN_SOLLWERT = 55 00 37 .7
AVAN_ISTWERT_EINH = Grad KW
AVAN_SOLLWERT_EINH = Grad KW
Nr 7( 1) : 20.08.2026 21:10:38.1
apiJob("mss54ds0","STEUERN_AVANOS1_VERSTELLZEIT"," ","")
JOB_STATUS = OKAY
AVAN_VERSTELLZEIT_FRUEH = 191 00 BF .¿
AVAN_VERSTELLZEIT_SPAET = 195 00 C3 .Ã
AVAN_VERSTELLZEIT_FRUEH_EINH = ms
AVAN_VERSTELLZEIT_SPAET_EINH = ms
Nr 8( 1) : 20.08.2026 21:10:44.7
apiJob("mss54ds0","STEUERN_AVANOS1_DICHTHEIT",""," ")
JOB_STATUS = OKAY
AVAN_STATUS = AVANOS-1-Einheit vorzeitig weggedriftet
Stop : 20.08.2026 21:11:01.1
Dauer : 66.7 s

[nextelbuddy]

Did you ever find the cause of this?

just went away on its own. haven't noticed it since

[ejendow]

One of my cars is starting to have the marbles in a can sound at low RPM with a load on the engine. Sounds like pinging but it's a fresh rebuild. It's the same sign you're hearing cars when you run low octane fuel when you get the marbles in the canned sound.

Did you ever find the cause of this?

[sapote]

Code 72 (0x48) isn't saying that it's too retarded, it's saying that there was an electrical fault when attempting to control the intake retard valve in the VANOS unit. The DME has commanded the PWM output to control the valve, and isn't observing the expected measured load on the circuit when doing so.

Thanks for the info.
this site shows 0x48 related to the retard valve and I missed read it as retard value It makes sense now that the retard-solenoid has issue.

Since I have your attention, what's about the como error code 10 and 15 (0xA and F), is this related to the cam timing are off, or the vanos solenoid?

https://bmwfault.codes/Lookup

[sapote]

apiJob("mss54ds0","STEUERN_AVANOS1_FRUEHANSCHLAG", "","")
JOB_STATUS = OKAY
AVAN_ISTWERT = 36 00 24 .$
AVAN_SOLLWERT = -10 FF FF FF F6 yyyo
AVAN_ISTWERT_EINH = Grad KW
AVAN_SOLLWERT_EINH = Grad KW
Nr 6( 1) : 16.09.2023 16:01:23,2
apiJob("mss54ds0","STEUERN_AVANOS1_SPAETANSCHLAG", "","")
JOB_STATUS = OKAY
AVAN_ISTWERT = 39 00 27 .'
AVAN_SOLLWERT = 55 00 37 .7
AVAN_ISTWERT_EINH = Grad KW
AVAN_SOLLWERT_EINH = Grad KW
.....................
but ECU didnt show any error codes on vanos or camhaft position at all

With such a big error on the timing, I wonder why DME didn't issue the error codes.

[karter16]

code 72 (48 hex) makes no sense as the vanos test report shows Intake cam max retard of 57 within 1 degree of the desired 60*, so why code 72 says it's too retarded?


apiJob("mss54ds0","STEUERN_EVANOS1_FRUEHANSCHLAG", "","")
JOB_STATUS = OKAY
EVAN_ISTWERT = -2 FF FF FF FE ÿÿÿþ
EVAN_SOLLWERT = -10 FF FF FF F6 ÿÿÿö

apiJob("mss54ds0","STEUERN_EVANOS1_SPAETANSCHLAG", "","")

EVAN_ISTWERT = 57 00 39 .9
EVAN_SOLLWERT = 75 00 4B .K

Code 72 (0x48) isn't saying that it's too retarded, it's saying that there was an electrical fault when attempting to control the intake retard valve in the VANOS unit. The DME has commanded the PWM output to control the valve, and isn't observing the expected measured load on the circuit when doing so.

[sapote]

It does protrude very slightly - maybe .5mm whereas the Intake is @ 2mm. There are also small cylindrical nubs in the center of the cap that protrude outwards that must provide the 'stop'. You can see witness marks on the pistons if you look closely.

This is the reason why the EX piston doesn't protrude out at the front due to the splined shaft bottomed on the pump disk and it's normal. I was wrong to assume it should protrude out as the IN side.

[sapote]

error codes:
10: Signal: Camshaft sensor, Exhaust
15: Camshaft sensor 1: Synchronization to Crankshaft
185: Function: Exhaust VANOS
72 EVANOS1-late valve

code 72 (48 hex) makes no sense as the vanos test report shows Intake cam max retard of 57 within 1 degree of the desired 60*, so why code 72 says it's too retarded?


apiJob("mss54ds0","STEUERN_EVANOS1_FRUEHANSCHLAG", "","")
JOB_STATUS = OKAY
EVAN_ISTWERT = -2 FF FF FF FE ÿÿÿþ
EVAN_SOLLWERT = -10 FF FF FF F6 ÿÿÿö

apiJob("mss54ds0","STEUERN_EVANOS1_SPAETANSCHLAG", "","")

EVAN_ISTWERT = 57 00 39 .9
EVAN_SOLLWERT = 75 00 4B .K

[sapote]

Good question,
I don't know the routines for the DME to trigger the error codes.
I would expect the DME to check a level / edge from trigger wheel between low and high or visa versa during a certain crank angle window to detect a working sensor.
Maybe the window is small and it can trigger both codes? Even in newer ECU I see these 2 codes sometimes together.

May be the error is too large, above certain threshold -- the IN cam was 38* retarded instead of 0 -- and this caused the DME to issue codes 10 and 15 combo.

[Tomba]

Tomba, If the EX cam was too advance, why the DME didn't just issue the timing error code instead of error 10 and 15 combo? There are distint codes for VANOS too retarded or too advance, but I rarely see the combo of 10 and 15. Also the poster confirmed that after re-timed the cam then the error 10 and 15 gone.

Good question,
I don't know the routines for the DME to trigger the error codes.
I would expect the DME to check a level / edge from trigger wheel between low and high or visa versa during a certain crank angle window to detect a working sensor.
Maybe the window is small and it can trigger both codes? Even in newer ECU I see these 2 codes sometimes together.

[sapote]

I think my next step will be to order the timing tools and see if it’s in time.

no need to buy the tool for checking the timing. Do this: VC rempved, turn crank CW to TDC compression, #1 cam lobes should be pointing at each other at about 45* with the cam holes pointing close to vertical ref to the head top flat surface. remove the vanos IN piston front cover and the vanos piston should be about 1mm below the cover interface surface. in your case I believe the piston protrudes out quite a bit. To correct the problem, keep crank at TDC and with the vanos piston protrudes out, install the cover to push the piston back in at the max retard, loosen the hub bolts and proceed to set the timing such as the IN cam hole is 90* to the head top surface. run the Tool32 again to verify.
Note: the perfect timing set the hole not perfectly 90* to the head surface, but using 90* vertical is close enough for the job without the bridge tool.

[alpinem3e46]

It expects to see 0 and yours is 38, meaning the intake cam is too retarded. Need to remove valve cover and double check the vanos timing on the Intake side.

How did you check the cam timing? Using the bridge tool?

I haven’t checked cam timing yet, the results from that vanos test are what made me think the intake cam timing is likely off. Unfortunately I am not sure what the previous shop that rebuilt the vanos did. The owner of this M3 tells me that it has had that code since the vanos work. I think my next step will be to order the timing tools and see if it’s in time.

Thanks again! I really appreciate your input.

[sapote]

[
Originally posted by JBAshland View Post
10: Signal: Camshaft sensor, Exhaust
15: Camshaft sensor 1: Synchronization to Crankshaft.......

This means that the expected crank angle window/range when a rising/falling edge is expected isn't happening. In your case it might be caused by the missing signal from the error code above.

Tomba, If the EX cam was too advance, why the DME didn't just issue the timing error code instead of error 10 and 15 combo? There are distint codes for VANOS too retarded or too advance, but I rarely see the combo of 10 and 15. Also the poster confirmed that after re-timed the cam then the error 10 and 15 gone.

[sapote]

Compared to the other results in this thread the intake values in test 1 and 2 seem very problematic. Since the minimum value is 38 and goes all the way up to the requested value of 75 do you all think that the intake cam being out of time could be the issue?

I appreciate the help!

It expects to see 0 and yours is 38, meaning the intake cam is too retarded. Need to remove valve cover and double check the vanos timing on the Intake side.

How did you check the cam timing? Using the bridge tool?