Brendan Hughes

I read the one thing scaring people off certain BMWs is the risk of VANOS failure, and thus the need for a warranty; the latter is less likely on a car now some years old.

Are these inherent in the design of the engine, or is it a manufacturing problem that can be fixed once and for all, say by replacing parts for better ones? Can you look for a second-hand car that has "had the operation"?

Just wondering whether or not to strike the MCoupe off my list of desired cars...

J4CK50N

I looked into getting an M3 Evo and M Coupe a while back. The VANOS issue crops up regularly. The best place to go would be...................

Here

Then do a search on VANOS. It tends to come up quite often!!!

Sorry cant be more help!

Cheers

J4CK50N

Brendan Hughes

Thanks for that.

£1200 to fix and no guarantee that a new unit is more reliable than an old one - ouch!

Mark Miwurdz

Brendan

I can see your dilemma.

If you can find a car that's had the VANOS unit(s) replaced and the car has an extended BMW warranty, I would rest easy whilst the car's still covered. I haven't heard of recurrent failures but for any car out of cover, that's bound to be an issue. Having said that, replacement VANOS units must have a period of guarantee.

Cheers
Kav

Brendan Hughes

Kav, to be really honest, I didn't quite get the point of the warranty. At 500 quid a year, if your unit lasts more than 2.5 years (which you'd bloody hope so!), it's cheaper just to pay for its replacement out of your pocket! Of course this doesn't cover anything else that goes wrong. I'd hope the period of guarantee of a unit would be the 2-year minimum that I believe is now the EU standard (not sure if it applies to car parts).

If you read some of the threads on the site above, it seems there are a number of people who know someone (note the third person reference, but I think they post across BBSs) who has had multiple failures.

I also couldn't work out whether or not the E46 engines had similar problems as the E36.

Still, it really is academic as I don't have the 15 grand minimum to buy the car. Honestly I don't...

New_scooby_04

iTrader: (4)

Brendan,

I read about this in a buyers guide in Evo Magazine a while back. If memory serves it's an inherent design flaw/weakness, but there is a simple and cheap fix to stop the VANOS giving up. Try going to Evo's website and seeing if you can get a re-print of the buyers guide to the M Coupe and roadster. If not, go to the BMW owners club and have a poke around.

Best

awd wrx

I think the problem is the oil filter going to the vanos unit gets blocked and starves it of oil , I have a 98 Evo coupe that has been in with the prvious owner on a recall and had some modification done , I have had no problems at all with it since owning it , apart from getting it too sideways in the wet

Senior_AP

VANOS is 'likely' to fail. Signs are slightly erratic acceleration and less power, particularly lower in the rev range. Once a new unit is fitted it should last many, many years. Considering this is a 320bhp car, the running costs are very low compared to many other quick cars I could mention.

Don't let it put you off. If it goes, it goes - get a new one and be safe in the knowledge its not going to fail again this side of 6 or so years....if at all.

camk

its like anything, go onto the Porsche site and there are loads of people with engine failures , same on here. Buying a car is a lottery.

WRXCFC

The latest edition of evo has a buying guide for £20k BMWs. Replacing the VANOS system on an E36 M3 costs £1410.

Freak

the actual vanos part you need to replace costs in the region of 350 quid....
its the labour to fit the bugger that costs... space is tight

Senior_AP

Good old labour charge eh!! A gasket went on my 944 Turbo, parts - £26, labour - £380.


Life can really suck ****!!!

Mark Miwurdz

Is Life a nice girl? Can you get me an introduction?

Tractor

Check out www.bm3w.co.uk, they are currently running a poll on the VANOS.

A few points:

1. It is a VERY common problem. BMW have gone as far as possible without admitting to it being a design flaw. The reason...
2. They keep on going. Just because it has been fixed does not mean it will not go again. Some guys have had it go three times......
3. It generally only afflicts the M3 evo, not the earlier non-evo version, or the later E46 M3. All cars with this engine are afflicted, so the Z3M and M Coupe (before the e46 engine was fitted) have the same problem.
4. It can cost up to £2k to fix. Any fix should carry a 12 month warranty at least.
5. If you have less than 60k miles on the clock and full bmw service history, BMW UK will normally pay the parts.
6. Keeping the warranty extended on an M-power beemer is a VERY good idea - more than just the vanos may fail (and cost), plus they are worth considerably more at resale.

Great cars, But buy carefully.

Mike

Senior_AP

lol. Unfortunetely life uses its teeth though. Grraaaaaagghhh!!!

m3matt

I read the stories about the Vanos too (got an M3 Evo) and it seems to affect some cars and not others. BMW did an upgrade to the bolts on the unit (they were too weak) and that appears to have cured a lot of problems.

They also run a diagnostic on the Vanos during services, it exercises the unit and passes/fails it. To be honest, I wouldn't worry, if it goes, get it fixed. If you haven't got BMW Warrenty, the AA do a warrenty that covers upto the first £1000 of any bill for £100 a year - can't be bad.

Lots of cars are prone to problems, the M3 is a fantastic car, enjoy the thing and if it breakes, fix it like you would any other.

Senior_AP

Exactly

M3 Evo is the least troublesome of any car in its performance bracket, and the performance bracket above it. Having owned one (and will again soon) I could barely fault it.

Lovely motor.

Atleast if Vanos goes, you know what it is - fix it and bite the bullet cos f$ck all else goes wrong with them!!! Bombproof. What Porsches profess to be (but are not - oil leak anyone??).

e36 Evo is as good a car you'll get this side of 25k.