BMW E36 VANOS fault: rattle, sticking and oil leak
My E36 VANOS rattles or is noisy, what can be done?
The older-type VANOS can rattle. Upgrade parts (retrofit) are available, and from March 1995 a newer part has been used at the factory. If the noise comes only from the VANOS, it is not usually dangerous.
My E36 VANOS sticks, how is it fixed?
In the M52B28 engine, sticking is fixed by replacing the VANOS piston seals. The seal kit can be ordered, and the timing chain does not need to be renewed. In the M3 S50 engine replacing the seals is fairly simple, while replacing the rattle kit that reduces noise is more laborious.
Oil is leaking from the VANOS area of my E36, what causes it?
A common cause is perished O-rings on the solenoids (solenoid valves). They are cheap parts. It is worth replacing the cover bolts too. If the solenoid connector is unplugged, the engine may not necessarily run any differently, but a fault code is set.
Does the E36 have one VANOS or two?
The M50 and M52 engines of the E36 have a single VANOS. Double VANOS came only to the M52 engines in the E39 from September 1998 and to the E46. The Vanos M50 can be recognised by the bump at the end of the valve cover, and they came from around late 1992.