I been initiated into the "Vanos Club"

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

Changed the oil on the Touring and filled it with Mobil 1 0-40 and started it up to check for leaks.

It sounded like an old VW diesel rabbit, let it warm up…still noisy….drove around…started to quite down a little.

Spent last evening searching the forum for possible problems, Vanos fix kit, chain tensioner, oil pick up gasket.

Had a fit-full sleep filled with dreams of several weekends of fixes.

Checked it this morning and it drove as quite as a Rolex.

Thanks Vanos…

[BillionPa]

my chain tensioner was covered in sludge when i popped it out, used a can of brake cleaner on the thing.

if you do that, lube it with assembley lube inside and out before reinstalling, otherwise the startup is pretty harsh.

[ryan roopnarine]

um, count me as one of the people who have used mobil1 and had motors in good mechanical condition start to rattle slightly--wasn't going to mention it on this board though. (the oil board) has numbers of threads about this.

and about vanos---the variable valve media wants you to believe that it actually does something better than the fixed position camshaft m50, it doesn't. all muffler bearings and blinker fluid.

[Russell]

Mobil 1 0w40 seem to make my engine noisier after it warmed up. However, it did stop the valve rattle on a cold start. I am now using Castrol Syntex 5w50 and engine seem quieter in all modes of operation. Now this is after I did two Auto-Rx treatments to remove sludge and clean rings.
Just my experience.

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

BMW did the last oil change and filled it with 15w 50w and an additive.

So, I guess I'll have to go to a heavier grade.

[BillionPa]

i wouldnt go higher than 40wt in there, there is a compromise between film strength and flow rate when going up in viscosity, and at 50wt, there is about 20% less oil flow.

go for a 0-10W40 oil with either HD or "heavy duty" stamped on it. it will have the same film strength as most 50wt oils, and the higher flow rate as well.