Any chance a previous owner had the head off this engine before you got it? I don't know how long you have owned it.

It's very unusual for camshafts to fall out of time on their own. When you set the engine to top dead center (with pin in flywheel NOT by looking at TDC mark on crank pulley.), the rear blocks should be pretty square to the end of the the head. It's okay if one of them is off a tiny bit...Exhaust I think.

 

Yes the car had a sludge problem and the head was taken off for cleaning. I suspect the engine was not timed properly.. i feel the car vibrating between 2k and 3k rpm. Also it idles a bit shaky.
So you say that any engine, when put on tdc, at any moment (by this i mean cold or hot engine), the camshafts will be aligned?

 

Here's a good place to start.
Start after the warning triangle.

newTIS

 

In this case, since the head was off and you don't know if it was re-timed properly, I would get the M54 timing jig (tool) and re-time the engine properly. It is possible to do it without the timing jig, but I have never done it.

Is there a community of BMW owners in Argentina? Maybe someone has it.

In my opinion, this is the best video of the process. Follow-it and you wan't have any problems.

 

Ask your grandparents if they ever changed out the VANOS seals. These go bad over time, depending on how hard it was driven.

 

While watching INPA and reving the engine, you should see the VANOS moving. Attached is a picture of what a good VANOS look like.

It sounds like both your inlet and outlet VANOS is stuck. Because of this, when you go to TDC and look at the camshaft end squares, they will not be in the expected correct alignment positions.

Check/clean the VANOS solenoids.

Look for something common to both, such as a blocked VANOS oil hose.

 

Hello guys, im having an issue with a 328i e46 M52tu engine.
The thing is that the car is throwing this codes P1519 and P1520. The code says VANOS control end position inlet camshaft and exhaust camshaft.
When monitoring the vanos values with INPA, the numbers dont show any movement.
So i opened the valve cover and found that the two square things on the end of the crankshafts don't align when i put the engine at TDC.
Is it possible that the ecu turns off the vanos because of the engine is off timing?
Another question that i can't find information online is, what happens to the crankshafts after engine turns off? Do they return to the original on time position? or they just stay as the vanos adjusted them? Does the vanos has a return position when the oil pressure drops when the engine turns off?
Any help is appreciated

If the VANOS numbers do not move at all, this is a clear indication either the intake or exhaust cam sensor is done for. I had the exact same thing. Vanos did not engage at all, and the numbers didn't move. The cause was the intake cam sensor.

If you look at the square things on the camshafts, and they don't align, I also think this is not a huge deal, as normally you put your vanos in a very specific spot with the special timing tool kit, and only THEN the squares line up. So afaik it is possible that they don't align perfectly in any other situation.

 

...or they forgot to plug in either the intake or exhaust side vanos solenoids.... Let's hope it's as simple as something was left unplugged.