[joekitch]

Well my car wont start this morning, due to the eccentric shaft sensor. i was hoping to do it this weekend but the parts didn't arrive.

two questions

1) my car is at 84,000 miles, i'll be in there for the eccentric shaft sensor (which i know is the cause of my no-start because of code P1017) and might as well do the valve cover gasket. what else should i replace while the valve cover is off?

2) could i do all this in stages? like, spend 2 hours tearing down the engine, then leave it overnight to resume the next day? if i leave the valve cover off for 20 hours, could that damage the engine internals due to atmospheric moisture or oxygen? i dont have enough daylight with my job in order to do the whole operation in one go before the weekend

it's a 6 hour job for a professional, and this will be my first srs business repair on my car, so it'll be an adventure for sure

[thomas88162]

There is no problem with leaving the engine open, just take some preventative measures to keep foreign materials from entering it.

[Sandman614]

Are you leaving it outside or in a garage?

[joekitch]

Originally Posted by Sandman614

Are you leaving it outside or in a garage?

outside unfortunately. no room in the garage for any cars let alone mine. i'll be hanging a tarp from the lip of my garage over the front section of my car so i can work in the shade, and probably covering the engine bay in some plastic tarp when i'm not working on it, as well as storing any removed components in an airtight storage bin

Originally Posted by thomas88162

There is no problem with leaving the engine open, just take some preventative measures to keep foreign materials from entering it.

phew, that's a relief. that gives me much more flexibility during the repair

[Geraldoman]

Just did this over the weekend. Replaced the following:
1. Valve Cover Gasket
2. Eccentric Shaft sensor - and gasket.
3. Valvetronic gasket.
4. Spark plugs.

Be careful when you lift the valve cover of engine. I broke a plastic piece(vent) on the inside of the valve cover when pulling it off.

I now get a "service engine light" and the car runs very rough.

[joekitch]

WELP
my local mechanic called all his suppliers and none of them even stock an eccentric shaft sensor
i called the bmw dealer and they want $575 for the sensor, when every other online outlet has it for $380 and change, at most.
so the bmw dealer is overcharging by $190 because they're a dealer. what the fuck?

[Fitz335]

stealership, I've heard people getting them for $250 online.

[joekitch]

as a precursor to this repair i'm going to attempt something;
clean the plug with brake cleaner, get aaal the oil out of there, and THEN: fill the plug with dielectric grease so the entire plug cavity is full of the stuff.

this might actually keep oil from seeping in for a while and provide an acceptable bandaid solution
i dont know if the sensor is totally dead yet though, how would i know?

[anti1ne]

You'll know if the fault comes right back. Band aid should help you out for a while though.

[joekitch]

for future searches, i looked up all the tool sizes needed for this;
METRIC SOCKET SIZES (8mm, 10mm)
TORX SOCKET SIZES(E8, E14, E18)
TORX DRIVE SIZES (T20,T30)
ALLEN WRENCH SIZES (5mm, 4mm)
OPEN-END WRENCH SIZES (10mm)

[Eat.Sleep.Race]

It will be fine, just make sure you keep it covered overnight. You should also do a DIY for people if one hasn't already been done!

[joekitch]

Originally Posted by Eat.Sleep.Race

It will be fine, just make sure you keep it covered overnight. You should also do a DIY for people if one hasn't already been done!

DIY is almost identical to the standard valve cover gasket procedure, with another 5 minute step
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=697252

[Infidel]

Hey Joe thanks for posting all the tools needed.

I am also getting eccentric shaft sensor faults and have been contemplating doing this repair myself as I really cant afford the $1500-2000 the mechanics want for it. Anyways it looks way out of my comfort zone but I think I'm going to have to try and do it anyways so this information is very helpful.

Your idea about cleaning out the plug and filling it with dielectric grease could potentially be a lifesaver for me if it works. I still need to remove the cabin filter and cover etc. and check to see if there is indeed oil in there. If there is though I may just try your idea. Please let me know if you do it and if it works!!

Also some pictures of your process would be great if your inclined. Good luck let me know how it goes!

[thomas88162]

To all of you without easy access to INPA: Take care to leave the valvetronic motor in the same position. If moved, it may require that the adaptions be reset for the motor's position. Other than that, there is really nothing hard about a Valve-cover removal job

[joekitch]

just got back from the store, getting some tools and fluids...

question; is brake cleaner safe to use on the eccentric shaft sensor plug? will it attack the contacts or the plastic at all?
or should i be using regular engine degreaser instead?

[joekitch]

SUCCESS!
it fired right up! no stalling, no hesitation
i forwent any kind of degreaser and just shot the grease out with an air hose and wiped it with a rag, then stuffed the thing (plug and socket) with the dielectric grease

i'll make a new thread in the DIY section for this.
I'll see how long this lasts me, and probably by the eccentric shaft sensor+valve cover gasket in preparation for the 90k service anyway

EDIT; here is the diy thread
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?p=16337039

[joekitch]

wait nevermind, false alarm, the fix didnt even last one night

[nycbr]

if you have a SULEV/N51 that might be covered by the SULEV warranty

[joekitch]

indeed i do not
i dont think any warranty covers me at 84k miles

[Infidel]

Thanks for the effort Joe I appreciate it, sorry it didnt hold up.

I just replaced my battery (original nov 05) at 128k miles and also cleared the code. I completed a full drive cycle and got my inspection done. So far the P1017 has not come back, and I have yet to physically check the plug for oil but the car is driving markedly better with the new battery. I wonder if it could have been a voltage problem, I will find out soon enough Im sure and Ill report back.

[Infidel]

Light turned back on. Brought it in to have the occupant airbag seat sensor mat recall addressed and when they did a courtesy diagnostic they said the P1017 code was due to : leaking VCG and Eccentric shaft seal. Quoted me for $1459.

Glad to have it confirmed, though I will still check it myself before I dive into this, sooner rather than later since the car didn't start until the third try tonight.

[nycbr]

Originally Posted by joekitch

indeed i do not
i dont think any warranty covers me at 84k miles

I think the SULEV warranty is 150k miles and cars sold as new in Mass had to be SULEV