Cleaning Vanos Solenoids Caused Rough Idle

ae0622 · 03-23-2015, 12:34 PM

Guys,

I had a p1553 code during the winter with very little symptoms besides slight hesitation during acceleration.

The code went away after 5 start ups. i researched and found that the vanos solenoids were a problem. This weekend i removed them and cleaned them. there was a lot of dirty oil on both.

After i re-installed them, my startups have been rough for the first 10 seconds then smooth out after. This never happened before. Now i'm getting a SES light with the following codes:

p0174
p0171
p0440
p1553

Does this mean the solenoids need replaced? How did i cause symptoms by cleaning the solenoids

2006 325i
98,000 miles

GTKrockeTT · 03-23-2015, 12:37 PM

might be time to go ahead and replace them.

fravel · 03-23-2015, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ae0622

Guys,

I had a p1553 code during the winter with very little symptoms besides slight hesitation during acceleration.

The code went away after 5 start ups. i researched and found that the vanos solenoids were a problem. This weekend i removed them and cleaned them. there was a lot of dirty oil on both.

After i re-installed them, my startups have been rough for the first 10 seconds then smooth out after. This never happened before. Now i'm getting a SES light with the following codes:

p0174
p0171
p0440
p1553

Does this mean the solenoids need replaced? How did i cause symptoms by cleaning the solenoids

2006 325i
98,000 miles

P0174 and P0171 are codes related to running too lean... when's the last time you changed your air filter/cleaned your MAF sensor?

P0440 is an evap system code... is your gas cap tight?

P1553 is intake VANOS - did you swap the solenoids when you cleaned them? If not, clean them again and do that and see if you get a P1554 (exhaust VANOS) code. If the code follows the solenoid the solenoid is bad. If you get another P1553 code then I'd suggest you change your oil and reduce your oil change intervals. If it doesn't come back then you just didn't do a good enough job of cleaning them the first time.

ae0622 · 03-23-2015, 03:00 PM

Is it weird that I only got those codes right after i cleaned the solenoids and reinstalled? It was the same day after I took it for a test drive after reinstalling

fravel · 03-23-2015, 03:56 PM

Could be, but it could also just be coincidence. Are you sure you plugged everything back in correctly/didn't lose any of the spacers/o-rings that go around the VANOS solenoids when you cleaned them?

ae0622 · 03-23-2015, 04:16 PM

Yeah I made sure everything was installed correctly. Maybe I should Check the connectors and clean those too?

03-23-2015, 12:34 PM	#1
ae0622 New Member 3 Rep 8 Posts Drives: 2006 BMW 325i Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Indianapolis iTrader: (0)	Cleaning Vanos Solenoids Caused Rough Idle Guys, I had a p1553 code during the winter with very little symptoms besides slight hesitation during acceleration. The code went away after 5 start ups. i researched and found that the vanos solenoids were a problem. This weekend i removed them and cleaned them. there was a lot of dirty oil on both. After i re-installed them, my startups have been rough for the first 10 seconds then smooth out after. This never happened before. Now i'm getting a SES light with the following codes: p0174 p0171 p0440 p1553 Does this mean the solenoids need replaced? How did i cause symptoms by cleaning the solenoids 2006 325i 98,000 miles
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03-23-2015, 12:37 PM	#2
GTKrockeTT Second Lieutenant 22 Rep 198 Posts Drives: Join Date: Sep 2007 iTrader: (1)	might be time to go ahead and replace them.
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03-23-2015, 03:00 PM	#4
ae0622 New Member 3 Rep 8 Posts Drives: 2006 BMW 325i Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Indianapolis iTrader: (0)	Is it weird that I only got those codes right after i cleaned the solenoids and reinstalled? It was the same day after I took it for a test drive after reinstalling
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03-23-2015, 03:56 PM	#5
fravel Colonel 1645 Rep 2,494 Posts Drives: Monaco Blue '06 330i Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: The Nasti 'Nati iTrader: (1)	Could be, but it could also just be coincidence. Are you sure you plugged everything back in correctly/didn't lose any of the spacers/o-rings that go around the VANOS solenoids when you cleaned them? __________________
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03-23-2015, 04:16 PM	#6
ae0622 New Member 3 Rep 8 Posts Drives: 2006 BMW 325i Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Indianapolis iTrader: (0)	Yeah I made sure everything was installed correctly. Maybe I should Check the connectors and clean those too?
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