Cold Start and VANOS Knock?

[Mercenary(FH)]

So i have 2...well sorta 3 Questions, plz ease my mind. also im new to the forums so HELLO EVERYONE eheheh

first off, I took my car to the shop to fix a rattle, (heats shield on muffler was loose, SO ANNOYING made my car sound like a mitsu) and When i tried to start it up (remember it had been 3 days) My car idled like REALLY rough, like it was choking and hadnt been started up in 50 years, Now Abeit I drive it everyday, so...it had been 3 days, and it hasnt done it since and never did it before, it quit idling rough after i let it warm up, but....plz tell me this isnt something serious, btw for record my car is a 93' 325is, has 118k on it, but runs like a beaut.

next questions, My vanos (the silver thing in the front of my engine) will sometimes make like a knocking noise....is this normal? it's like an intermediate knock, and it's def coming from the silver thing. cause I can hear it, that is my vanos right, and is that normal?

and 3rd.....sorta, do any of yall notice that when u drive next to walls ur car makes kinda a rattly metal sound, but my car doesnt do it when i rev it just sittin, kinda sounds like marbles in a can? prolly my cat.


btw getting plugs and fuel filter changed. but plz help me not worry, and explain those 3 things I know it's alot. and any suggestions would be appreciated too :-D thx

[nick_318is]

Welcome to the site.

3 - might be a wheel bearing, i had a similar sound on one recently, replaced the wheel bearing and its gone.

[xsperf]

for the VANOS, did you change your oil recently? thats called the "vanos noise" and on a lot of cars it happesn right when us tart up the car but goes away after like 3 secs(literally), it just b/c oil hasnt gotten to that part of the engine yet... not sure about the 1st thing

[c1apton]

#1) Welcome
#2) With quality of fuel these days & seasonal temp changes - consider running injector cleaner through it. (I've been preaching this alot lately but it's common during season changes & temp swings. And as sensitive as our rides are we notice it more than "average Joe" in his American "land yacht"
#3) Vanos are notorious for clatter on cold starts, and as "perf" said it's the oil getting up there that quiets it down. No worries unless it does it more often than at a cold start
#4) Rattling near walls - could be harmonics making exhaust hangar or other sheilds rattle and it's more evident from outside the car or with windows down. (gas tank sheild, brake dust sheilds/backing plates)

Lastly, don't ever feel stupid asking a question here. (As long as it's not where you left your keys or socks) The guys & babes here are pretty damn sharp and they won't steer you wrong.

[Mercenary(FH)]

yeah i fingered about the rattle, and yeah.. ur prolly right about fuel cleaners.....i mean i do need spark plugs changed,

and the vanos noise isnt on cold start, it's not like a loud kncoking it's more like a hum knocking, and it'll do it when i Rev it, especially after like.....I've been driving for awhile, and I just got my oil changed and my oil doesnt leak, and the silver thing is the vanos right?



OH btw I noticed one HUMID morning I started it up and let my friend drive it, and a lil grey smoke came out when he floored it from a standstop, now my coolant isnt leaking and my oil isnt leaking, it was like a lil grey smoke, well more like greyish white? and I saw like water droplets kinda drip out of the exhaust, it was on a cold start so PLZ tell me this is condensation from the humidity? cause burning oil smells, this didnt smell like oil and was a light grey/whitish smoke, and no my coolant levels dont change? so plz tell me this is humidity? and not oil, cause fuel is blue, and it was a small amount, and i've never seen my car do it when i floor it driving normal?

thx

[Mercenary(FH)]

remember my spark plugs havent been changed in the entire life of the car......or at least 80k so keep that in mind

[c1apton]

The silver thing is the Vanos solenoid/control unit (it's electrical) the actual Vanos is a piston & a spool valve that adjusts the intake camshaft timing. If it's just a "hum" that's normal - if it clatters after reving it - you might be using to thin an oil.
What you saw on a humid morning is the condesation/moisture that accumulated overnight. (as hot exhaust cools down, cool air gets sucked into exhaust forming condensation) If you see a little puff under hard acceleration that's normal.
NOTE: FUEL = Black smoke, Oil is blue, coolant is white or steam

[Mercenary(FH)]

So the exhaust thing is normal
and the hum/knocking noise is coming from the silver thing, like i can put my ear up to it and hear it. so the actual VANOS chains and stuff isnt on the silver thing, cause if so i dont see what the silver thing would be doing to make a noise
and yeah it was a puff(ish)(more like a puff that went on for a sec then went away) the more it was driven the less of a puff I saw of white/greyish (but more lightly colored grey) smoke, DEF not black and DEF not blue, smelt like Hot exhaust when he floored it, so i guess thats normal? i guess the water dripping out the back gives it away, but would the exhaust get hot enough that fast to do that? im guessing?

[Mercenary(FH)]

but yeah the smoke DEF Wasnt black or BLUE, so that rules out oil anyways right

[c1apton]

LOL, relax - it's normal...

[Mercenary(FH)]

ok lol, ahahah

[shendhie]

whats the different betwen M50 with VANOS and without VANOS? Im not sure if my 1994 320i E36 M50 equiped with VANOS.Does anyone have a pic of a VANOS engine??
Thanks