I just want to thank you t800 for making this video. I had a problem with a knocking sound coming from the top of my engine (Not a vanos "rattle" an actual knocking sound). I had it inspected by two "BMW specialist shops" and neither could properly identify the problem although one did say a Vanos complete over haul was going to cost me $3800 dollars Canadian to do. So I did all research I could online and with the help of your video (And Beisan Systems detailed written guide) I did it all myself for the cost of the bolts (about $35 Can). The big problem was that the six bolts on the intake side were so loose they were allowing the vanos to knock as it spun. They were almost all worn half way through to breaking but I got them before they did and now all is well. (There are videos showing this problem on youtube as well). This was on an S54 engine with only 71,000KM and the 2006 model. So don't think things were all fixed in the later years people. As assurance I also replaced the 0 rings and gaskets with the Solenoid Pack from Beisan. Which cost about $400 on top. Here's to hoping the Tabs don't go out on me later. They looked in great condition but only time will tell. Again BIG THANKS TO YOU t800!! Your hard work to video this was monumental in my tackling this job on my own and saving me Thousands of dollars!!
Here I am again, 2 years later, back referencing your video. VANOS has been going strong with your video + Beisan Systems procedures, but now I'm performing a cut/cooper ring head gasket replacement! Just wanted to say eternal thanks for your video, wanted to make sure I remembered some minute steps correctly!
I have TWO thumbs, not one. So, know you're given that, mate. I would say, pay no attention to the dislikes. But you have to recognise that hate exists with those who harbour jealously of others who have mastered the craft of his/her talent. Well, done.
Very good vid mate, detailed enough to show the main steps involved. Good, clean and strong looking unit you have there as well ;) Just a tip (If you don't know already), the OEM cam wheel bolts are also a weak point on the S54, they can work themselves loose and strip over time. If they go then as you can guess it's goodbye engine! For this reason decent vanos overhaul specialists fit high tensile bolts instead of the weaker OEM ones.
It isn't so much that the bolts are weak. They're common 8.8 grade used in the rest of the engine. The problem is they come loose over time from vibration or poor assembly, and then get worn out in one portion due to the wiggling as you said. I think OEM bolts are just fine as long as they're torqued down properly with a thread locker :)
не каждый возьмется такое проделать) неожиданно что регулируется только впускной вал, раньше все время думал что на таком двигателе полюбому должны оба.
you need to move the exhaust cam in order to fit the timing pin into the hole in the cam. the engine turns off in the retarded position so you need to advance it manually that way. Then you can access the splined shaft/piston union nut and remove the vanos as shown.
Excellent video, sir. I've watched his perhaps a hundred times (among other videos and DIY guides, particularly Beisan System's procedures) in preparation for performing this DIY. I know this isn't in your video, but did you happen to replace the chain guide at any point? If so, did you simply just re-align the sprockets to the oil residue markings where the bolts insert?
I didn't do the chain guide, but should have. I didn't know it was an issue at the time. If you do it, the timing procedure is the same. Mark everything and put it back the same way you took it apart, ensuring the cams are locked.
I appreciate your prompt reply. "Mise en place" is always the best solution it seems! Just wanted to confirm since Beisan System's procedure says the sprocket rotational position on the chain and camshaft is not significant to timing. Thanks again for this video; I hope this stays up for many years to come, it is invaluable to the rest of the E46 S54 community!!
Beisan is correct. Both methods work if done properly. My video was primarily to show people how it fits together. It can be pretty daunting without seeing how everything looks inside.
Thanks for a very helpful video. Two questions. First, I assume that your removal of the vans piston caps and solenoid serve to eliminate the necessity of the 1-2-3-4 and compressed air BMW tool for putting the vanos in initial position? Second, I assume you disconnect the splined shafts to avoid having to reset the timing of the cams and that if you were replacing cams, you would simply remove the vanos with the splined shafts attached?
Hello, just saw your video and realized at the TDC the exhaust cam is a tad higher from the intake cam. i was just finishing up my vanos refresh and noticed when at TDC my exhaust cam was higher and i got concerned if something was a miss but your vid showed the same scenario as mine.
That's why you have to be very careful to make sure it's reinstalled the same as before. I took before pictures from a few angles to make sure it's perfect.
My m3 has slight bogging around 2000rpm and sometimes has a slight idle bounce cant put my finger on it. Other than that pulls fine, and sounds sweet. Im not confident locking down cams so dont think il try a DIY. Any ideas what o rings can be replaced without the need to get into the whole TDC? Epic video, watched it twice
By chance do you have a torque spec for the bolts at @7:50 I have a slight weep from the motor and think mine were not tight enough but can't find a spec. Thank you
Great VID.! 👍 Does your 24mm wrench fit the cam flats ok? In a different VID they mentioned having to reduced the thickness of the 24mm wrench. Did you need to thin yours or was it good to go as is? Thanks again.
I used a standard wrench, but it was like 1" or so. The cams are very rough cast so as long as you're close it's enough to turn. You could even use a pipe wrench probably.
Sorry, I am back. Just purchased the oil pump disk and rebuilt solenoid pack. Around 1:45 or so when you're turning the exhaust cam slightly to assist in releasing the VANOS unit from the engine, you locked your cam pin to keep it positioned until reinstallation. My question is, when you went to reinstall the VANOS unit after the rebuild, did you have to slightly turn the cam back to its original position prior to slightly turning it to release it? I imagine this is going to happen irregardless, when lining up the exhaust cam hub driver tabs into the oil pump disk holes... am I incorrect on this? Just want to make sure so I don't mess up timing from a small detail such as this. I guess this is why you recommend to rotate the crank by hand to make sure there's no interference.
No you don't need to move it back. When the cam rotates you can see the splined shaft slide outward to give access to the lock nuts. The only thing that matters is that you maintain the relative position of the splined shaft to the outer hub. When you re-install put it back the same way you found it. The car will auto correct the timing advance when you start it up.
confused about the timing. Beisan's method involves loosening up sprocket hub bolts.. this method seems like you aligned the hole on the intake side at the beginning and put in the alignment pin.. and then afterwards while removing the vanos you adjusted the exhaust side while pulling the vanos til its light up and put the alignment pin in w/o loosening any sprocket hub? or did you loosen them??? I was wondering how the exhaust cam shaft moved w/o trying to move the chain..
When removing the vanos I just rotate the cam (while pulling on the front of the vanos unit) to get it to line up with the hole in the timing tool. It doesn't move the chain because the internal splined shaft is also moving along with the vanos unit. Timing is a different story - my method is just putting it back the way you found it. If you didn't keep track, do it the way Beisan recommends.
+t800 thanks for the response. I decided to do the repair myself. I installed the new vanos, cam bolts(all but 2 which were in there tight and resulted in me stripping them) and a Dr.Vanos hub. My question is...since I have completed the repair I have the motor in TDC with the camshafts and crank locked in place. Should I now rotate the engine? When I rotate the engine the cams should lining up correctly for reinsertion of the tool? I plan on doing a valve adjustment for the 1st time also... every time i take a measurement the two lobes for the valve have to be pointing up? Thus I have to rotate the engine for each cylinder? And Lastly before starting the engine do the cams have to be in TDC as if I just removed the camshaft timing tool and crank locking pin. Thanks alot I appreciate you making the video.
+Patrick Nance Once everything is reinstalled and the timing is correct, you can remove the locking tools and rotate the engine to ensure there is no interference or problems, and to do your valve adjustment. The lobes for each pair of valves should be pointing away from the little rocker arm yes. You will have to rotate the engine a little bit each time to do the whole engine. You don't need to put the cams back in any special spot once the adjustment is done. The vanos mechanism will move it into the correct timing for idle.
another question, so I just did my cam bolts thinking it was the cause of the rattle but its not, all of my cam bolts are in perfectly good shape, not even a sign of them wearing down. What else could the rattle come from? I checked my chain guide and it seems to be ok, will change it anyway as I already got the beisan upper chain guide replacement. if it isn't the upper chain guide what else could there be? The rattle sound is pretty distinct especially at 2-2.5k rpm, haven't tried revving the engine over that as a precaution and only revved it to 2.5k twice to see where the sound was coming from, when I checked it was coming from the vanos and when I put my hand on it (on a cold start) I can feel the rattle coming from the vanos and when I put my ear on the vanos I can hear it the most on the intake side hence why I assumed it was the cam bolts as its most common for the intake cam bolts to break off/back off. I checked my spline and there's very little to no play on it as well. I am quite baffled on what the rattle could be. Some say theirs were actually their water pump but I literally just replaced my water pump about less than 50miles before this rattle came up. I will be re-drilling my vanos exhaust pump disk, we just don't have the right drill bit size right now but I have access to a good drill press in my ship. I will most likely cryo treat my hub as well since there's a place locally that does it. Thanks in advance for any tips that you think I should check next!
I have a BMW 328i 2011 coupe. Lately I've been hearing a light clicking noise but there's no engine light on. When I'm driving it feels like it's on manual and it takes long to accelerate. Could it be this? My warranty just expired last month.. How much would it cost more or less if that's the issue to the noise? Wouldn't an engine light turn on? How much does the entire part cost? Thanks ...that noise is stressing me out.
If it doesn't Rev to the full amount , it means that your cam shafts are worn...due to ill lubrication...do you change the oil on the recommended mileage, and you should allow the engine to warm up,before driving hard..as this will wear out component in the engine 😁😁😁 lol hope it's fixed by now 😂😂 , and if you were the first owner , you should keep the Rev under 3000 for the first 3000-5000 miles lmao....🤔🤔
your stupid why should the engine check light be on if the vanos is faulty wtf so many clueless noobs these days plus how many people really know anything about cars or know how to do anything on it change a tyre please most have no clue , also im a mechanic by trade or almost 20 plus years now so dnt even bother replying back
+Gaz Girl Why would the engine light be on for faulty VANOS? Probably because the engine light tends to come on to indicate error codes such as 2A82 and 2A87 which are VANOS codes. It doesn't matter how many years you claim to be a mechanic when your horribly typed response is simply wrong. If anyone else is looking for this info, I have encountered one car with the N54 engine throwing both those codes and all they needed was the VANOS solenoid blown out with compressed air. I assume the previous owner had shitty oil change habits.
+Gaz Girl The vanos has an attached solenoid pack which sends various status codes to the ECU so a simple diagnostic port scan will throw up any stored DTC's from the vanos. Maybe think about your answer before simply insulting someone with the wrong information?
I've lost timing on my s54 because I attempted to do a valve adjustment while doing the beisan upgrade to the vanos while the vanos was uninstalled. take note anyone doing this at home. How do I go about restoring my timing with the cam locking bridge and TDC pin?
waste of time for nothing this Vanos is made as improved old Vanos from m54 engine because of rubber O ring wear. From my point of view this Vanos is lifetime functional.
The unit may be improved but it still has some faults that can arise and need a full overhaul. The exhaust tabs snapping are still very common on even the supposedly uprated unit. The solenoid packs still have the same design which are known to go wrong after so many heat cycles/vibrations which weaken and break the solder points on the pcb. No vanos unit has ever lasted a "lifetime" and has a MTBF like practically all components in an engine.
I just want to thank you t800 for making this video. I had a problem with a knocking sound coming from the top of my engine (Not a vanos "rattle" an actual knocking sound). I had it inspected by two "BMW specialist shops" and neither could properly identify the problem although one did say a Vanos complete over haul was going to cost me $3800 dollars Canadian to do. So I did all research I could online and with the help of your video (And Beisan Systems detailed written guide) I did it all myself for the cost of the bolts (about $35 Can). The big problem was that the six bolts on the intake side were so loose they were allowing the vanos to knock as it spun. They were almost all worn half way through to breaking but I got them before they did and now all is well. (There are videos showing this problem on youtube as well). This was on an S54 engine with only 71,000KM and the 2006 model. So don't think things were all fixed in the later years people. As assurance I also replaced the 0 rings and gaskets with the Solenoid Pack from Beisan. Which cost about $400 on top. Here's to hoping the Tabs don't go out on me later. They looked in great condition but only time will tell. Again BIG THANKS TO YOU t800!! Your hard work to video this was monumental in my tackling this job on my own and saving me Thousands of dollars!!
Who the f!#* gave him a thumbs down? A dealership? Haha
This man has surgical precision. I don't even own an S54 but this was really pleasing to watch. Well done.
Here I am again, 2 years later, back referencing your video. VANOS has been going strong with your video + Beisan Systems procedures, but now I'm performing a cut/cooper ring head gasket replacement! Just wanted to say eternal thanks for your video, wanted to make sure I remembered some minute steps correctly!
I have TWO thumbs, not one. So, know you're given that, mate. I would say, pay no attention to the dislikes. But you have to recognise that hate exists with those who harbour jealously of others who have mastered the craft of his/her talent. Well, done.
For some reason this music is perfect for this video
Best video about VANOS. I was looking for something like this for about an hour.
Best video about VANOS. I was looking for something like that for about an hour
Clean and well done as it should be, Amazing work on a amazing engine and car BMW is one of the loves in my life I do admirer the craftsmanship.
Very good vid mate, detailed enough to show the main steps involved. Good, clean and strong looking unit you have there as well ;) Just a tip (If you don't know already), the OEM cam wheel bolts are also a weak point on the S54, they can work themselves loose and strip over time. If they go then as you can guess it's goodbye engine! For this reason decent vanos overhaul specialists fit high tensile bolts instead of the weaker OEM ones.
It isn't so much that the bolts are weak. They're common 8.8 grade used in the rest of the engine. The problem is they come loose over time from vibration or poor assembly, and then get worn out in one portion due to the wiggling as you said. I think OEM bolts are just fine as long as they're torqued down properly with a thread locker :)
Sir, that is a clean ass engine you got
What a beautiful work of engineering you display, and you do it well.
Mate you know your stuff 👍
Brilliant video, thanks for spending the time making it, much appreciated.
не каждый возьмется такое проделать) неожиданно что регулируется только впускной вал, раньше все время думал что на таком двигателе полюбому должны оба.
Very nice job, hat down, but you forgot to mention one important thing: clean or replace the vanos pressure filter and 2 orings.
This is extremely well done. Thanks!
the truth is that this is only HALF the job. Dont get me wrong what he did was correct. but while he was there he should have replaced all the o-rings
you need to move the exhaust cam in order to fit the timing pin into the hole in the cam. the engine turns off in the retarded position so you need to advance it manually that way. Then you can access the splined shaft/piston union nut and remove the vanos as shown.
Only thing I used was the oil pump disk and sealing plate seals. Dr.Vanos replacement hub for one that broke. OEM cam bolts from the dealer.
excellent vid and good choice of music...
Excellent video, sir. I've watched his perhaps a hundred times (among other videos and DIY guides, particularly Beisan System's procedures) in preparation for performing this DIY.
I know this isn't in your video, but did you happen to replace the chain guide at any point? If so, did you simply just re-align the sprockets to the oil residue markings where the bolts insert?
I didn't do the chain guide, but should have. I didn't know it was an issue at the time. If you do it, the timing procedure is the same. Mark everything and put it back the same way you took it apart, ensuring the cams are locked.
I appreciate your prompt reply. "Mise en place" is always the best solution it seems! Just wanted to confirm since Beisan System's procedure says the sprocket rotational position on the chain and camshaft is not significant to timing. Thanks again for this video; I hope this stays up for many years to come, it is invaluable to the rest of the E46 S54 community!!
Beisan is correct. Both methods work if done properly. My video was primarily to show people how it fits together. It can be pretty daunting without seeing how everything looks inside.
Did you strictly use Beisan's products? My solenoid pack, oil pump disk, and seals came in thr mail today. Pretty excited.
Thanks for a very helpful video. Two questions. First, I assume that your removal of the vans piston caps and solenoid serve to eliminate the necessity of the 1-2-3-4 and compressed air BMW tool for putting the vanos in initial position? Second, I assume you disconnect the splined shafts to avoid having to reset the timing of the cams and that if you were replacing cams, you would simply remove the vanos with the splined shafts attached?
Awesome video man.... Post more DIYs ;-)
Hello, just saw your video and realized at the TDC the exhaust cam is a tad higher from the intake cam. i was just finishing up my vanos refresh and noticed when at TDC my exhaust cam was higher and i got concerned if something was a miss but your vid showed the same scenario as mine.
That's why you have to be very careful to make sure it's reinstalled the same as before. I took before pictures from a few angles to make sure it's perfect.
My m3 has slight bogging around 2000rpm and sometimes has a slight idle bounce cant put my finger on it. Other than that pulls fine, and sounds sweet.
Im not confident locking down cams so dont think il try a DIY.
Any ideas what o rings can be replaced without the need to get into the whole TDC?
Epic video, watched it twice
Mine was not rattling and the splined shafts had no axial play so it was pointless to mess with it
very nice video!
So what special tools are necessary for this? Timing tool to hold the cams and what else?
It's called the Random Access Memories Vanderway remix.
Very useful!
Thanks for share.. lovely video :)
Good job.
By chance do you have a torque spec for the bolts at @7:50 I have a slight weep from the motor and think mine were not tight enough but can't find a spec.
Thank you
well done
Great VID.! 👍 Does your 24mm wrench fit the cam flats ok? In a different VID they mentioned having to reduced the thickness of the 24mm wrench. Did you need to thin yours or was it good to go as is? Thanks again.
I used a standard wrench, but it was like 1" or so. The cams are very rough cast so as long as you're close it's enough to turn. You could even use a pipe wrench probably.
Maybe when I do the subframe epoxy reinforcement I will do it.
Clean engine.
Sorry, I am back. Just purchased the oil pump disk and rebuilt solenoid pack.
Around 1:45 or so when you're turning the exhaust cam slightly to assist in releasing the VANOS unit from the engine, you locked your cam pin to keep it positioned until reinstallation. My question is, when you went to reinstall the VANOS unit after the rebuild, did you have to slightly turn the cam back to its original position prior to slightly turning it to release it? I imagine this is going to happen irregardless, when lining up the exhaust cam hub driver tabs into the oil pump disk holes... am I incorrect on this?
Just want to make sure so I don't mess up timing from a small detail such as this. I guess this is why you recommend to rotate the crank by hand to make sure there's no interference.
No you don't need to move it back. When the cam rotates you can see the splined shaft slide outward to give access to the lock nuts. The only thing that matters is that you maintain the relative position of the splined shaft to the outer hub. When you re-install put it back the same way you found it. The car will auto correct the timing advance when you start it up.
Hi what's the song called in the background
How much do you think it would cost to fix ?
Really helpful, about to have this done on my e46 M3 as well.. what's the name of the second mix if you don't mind :)??
Cresce - Time Passes
thumbs up to you for sharing
So one question so far...how does this guy keep his hands so clean?
Just opening the bonnet and my hands are filth!
Cuz I'm a boss! Or, when you get your hands covered in oil and keep wiping them off, they get sparkly clean.
Do I need to move exhaust cam a bit to remove vanos unit(taking out the bolt connected to the Vanos)?
Nice DIY Video! Thanks
great vid do you have to use compressed airline on the unit or is that optional
no compressed air
Compressed air wouldn't matter with this process as he tightens the hubs before attaching the VANOS head and caps.
confused about the timing. Beisan's method involves loosening up sprocket hub bolts.. this method seems like you aligned the hole on the intake side at the beginning and put in the alignment pin.. and then afterwards while removing the vanos you adjusted the exhaust side while pulling the vanos til its light up and put the alignment pin in w/o loosening any sprocket hub? or did you loosen them??? I was wondering how the exhaust cam shaft moved w/o trying to move the chain..
When removing the vanos I just rotate the cam (while pulling on the front of the vanos unit) to get it to line up with the hole in the timing tool. It doesn't move the chain because the internal splined shaft is also moving along with the vanos unit. Timing is a different story - my method is just putting it back the way you found it. If you didn't keep track, do it the way Beisan recommends.
do you know of any video/diy for timing it? if the timing was off?
@t800 is it mandatory to use the flywheel locking pin during the cam bolt replacement?
Brian Key yes, you don't want anything slipping
how many hours of work is this. I have a shop that claims this is 26 hours of work, which is absurd.
+Patrick Nance
for the vanos and exhaust hub replacement
+Patrick Nance It took me a good 8-10 hours first time. I'd say a shop maybe 6 hours?
+t800 thanks for the response. I decided to do the repair myself. I installed the new vanos, cam bolts(all but 2 which were in there tight and resulted in me stripping them) and a Dr.Vanos hub. My question is...since I have completed the repair I have the motor in TDC with the camshafts and crank locked in place. Should I now rotate the engine? When I rotate the engine the cams should lining up correctly for reinsertion of the tool? I plan on doing a valve adjustment for the 1st time also... every time i take a measurement the two lobes for the valve have to be pointing up? Thus I have to rotate the engine for each cylinder? And Lastly before starting the engine do the cams have to be in TDC as if I just removed the camshaft timing tool and crank locking pin.
Thanks alot I appreciate you making the video.
+Patrick Nance Once everything is reinstalled and the timing is correct, you can remove the locking tools and rotate the engine to ensure there is no interference or problems, and to do your valve adjustment. The lobes for each pair of valves should be pointing away from the little rocker arm yes. You will have to rotate the engine a little bit each time to do the whole engine. You don't need to put the cams back in any special spot once the adjustment is done. The vanos mechanism will move it into the correct timing for idle.
Thanks again for the info
another question, so I just did my cam bolts thinking it was the cause of the rattle but its not, all of my cam bolts are in perfectly good shape, not even a sign of them wearing down.
What else could the rattle come from? I checked my chain guide and it seems to be ok, will change it anyway as I already got the beisan upper chain guide replacement. if it isn't the upper chain guide what else could there be?
The rattle sound is pretty distinct especially at 2-2.5k rpm, haven't tried revving the engine over that as a precaution and only revved it to 2.5k twice to see where the sound was coming from, when I checked it was coming from the vanos and when I put my hand on it (on a cold start) I can feel the rattle coming from the vanos and when I put my ear on the vanos I can hear it the most on the intake side hence why I assumed it was the cam bolts as its most common for the intake cam bolts to break off/back off.
I checked my spline and there's very little to no play on it as well. I am quite baffled on what the rattle could be. Some say theirs were actually their water pump but I literally just replaced my water pump about less than 50miles before this rattle came up.
I will be re-drilling my vanos exhaust pump disk, we just don't have the right drill bit size right now but I have access to a good drill press in my ship. I will most likely cryo treat my hub as well since there's a place locally that does it.
Thanks in advance for any tips that you think I should check next!
did you ever figure out what it was?
I have a BMW 328i 2011 coupe. Lately I've been hearing a light clicking noise but there's no engine light on. When I'm driving it feels like it's on manual and it takes long to accelerate. Could it be this? My warranty just expired last month.. How much would it cost more or less if that's the issue to the noise? Wouldn't an engine light turn on? How much does the entire part cost? Thanks ...that noise is stressing me out.
Sau A This vid is for the S54 engine not your car
If it doesn't Rev to the full amount , it means that your cam shafts are worn...due to ill lubrication...do you change the oil on the recommended mileage, and you should allow the engine to warm up,before driving hard..as this will wear out component in the engine 😁😁😁 lol hope it's fixed by now 😂😂 , and if you were the first owner , you should keep the Rev under 3000 for the first 3000-5000 miles lmao....🤔🤔
your stupid why should the engine check light be on if the vanos is faulty wtf so many clueless noobs these days plus how many people really know anything about cars or know how to do anything on it change a tyre please most have no clue , also im a mechanic by trade or almost 20 plus years now so dnt even bother replying back
+Gaz Girl Why would the engine light be on for faulty VANOS? Probably because the engine light tends to come on to indicate error codes such as 2A82 and 2A87 which are VANOS codes. It doesn't matter how many years you claim to be a mechanic when your horribly typed response is simply wrong.
If anyone else is looking for this info, I have encountered one car with the N54 engine throwing both those codes and all they needed was the VANOS solenoid blown out with compressed air. I assume the previous owner had shitty oil change habits.
+Gaz Girl The vanos has an attached solenoid pack which sends various status codes to the ECU so a simple diagnostic port scan will throw up any stored DTC's from the vanos. Maybe think about your answer before simply insulting someone with the wrong information?
I've lost timing on my s54 because I attempted to do a valve adjustment while doing the beisan upgrade to the vanos while the vanos was uninstalled. take note anyone doing this at home. How do I go about restoring my timing with the cam locking bridge and TDC pin?
Now you must follow the method listed on the Beisan website.
t800 thanks
whats that song?
please, what is a MAF Cleaner at 3:11 ?
Mass air flow sensor (or another solvent cleaner) to remove most of the oil from the threads. It helps the Loctite work better.
Not correct!
waste of time for nothing this Vanos is made as improved old Vanos from m54 engine because of rubber O ring wear. From my point of view this Vanos is lifetime functional.
The unit may be improved but it still has some faults that can arise and need a full overhaul. The exhaust tabs snapping are still very common on even the supposedly uprated unit. The solenoid packs still have the same design which are known to go wrong after so many heat cycles/vibrations which weaken and break the solder points on the pcb. No vanos unit has ever lasted a "lifetime" and has a MTBF like practically all components in an engine.
This DIY is wrong