Total BMW caught up with Steve Lewis, AKA, Mr Vanos, to get the lowdown on this niche area of engine repairs

Words: Adam Tait | Pictures: Total BMW

How did Mr Vanos begin?
“I’ve owned BMWs for around ten years and I was just an enthusiast at the time. On Christmas Day a couple of years ago I walked out to find a pool of oil beneath my E36 M3 Evo because the VANOS unit had failed. My local BMW dealership wanted £3,000 to put it right. I was building World Superbike (WSB) engines and that’s where I learnt most of my mechanical skills. £3,000 to repair my M3 was half the value of the car, so I decided to have a go at doing it myself. I measured the seals on the VANOS unit and decided to upgrade the material as well. I then approached different companies to make the parts that I required.

After I’d rebuilt it, I couldn’t believe the difference it made to the performance. The VANOS setup is no more than a hydraulic unit and over time it loses its performance. At the time, I was on the E36 Coupe forum and I posted the work I carried out on my journal. Then a few members asked me to come and do their cars. I wasn’t looking to make a business out of it, but it went from there really. Out of curiosity I setup a website and within a week it had gone crazy – I was booking three or four weeks in advance. I had no plans to turn it into what it has become, it’s bizarre!”

Do you cover nationwide?
“Yes, I cover nationwide. I’ve travelled as far as Inverness all the way down to Lands End. I’m in London at least twice a week.”

What changes do you make when rebuilding a VANOS unit?
The actual design of the unit is pretty good but it obviously wears over time. The metal components are soda blasted, we uprate the seals for more hardwearing materials, fit high tensile bolts and the gears are modified to address the rattling. All of the trial and error work was carried out on my own cars. For the E36 M3 Evo we’ve had high tensile spring plates custom made.”

What do you drive?
“I’ve got an E39 M5 at the moment, I’ve had a couple and they’re the best cars I’ve ever owned.”

Have you rebuilt the VANOS units on this one?
“Yes it was one of the first things I did. They are a lot easier to remove than the E36 M3.”

What model keeps you busy?
“The E46 M3 can be a money pit if they haven’t been looked after. Camshaft bolts sheer off and that creates a VANOS noise, but it’s actually a false diagnosis. The VANOS creates a magnetic field and it begins to slowly undo the camshaft bolts. BMW has changed the part number 12 times. I think there should have been a recall because it’s usually at around 70,000-80,000 miles when the problem arises. The VANOS unit on the E46 M3 is reliable but when BMW extended the oil change interval to 15,000 miles it wasn’t ideal for an engine that revs to 8,000 rpm because when the rocker cover is removed on these, it’s usually completely black inside and the oil ways become blocked. Whereas E36 M3s are always golden brown unless they have been neglected.”

How do you see Mr Vanos moving forward?
“The next big thing will be the Valvetronic issues. It starts as a cold misfire that cures when the engine is warm but it’s actually a problem with the eccentric shafts that controls the valve lift. BMW quoted £5,000 to repair a five-year-old 7-Series with the N62 V8 engine. We can do it for £3,600 and that includes an overhaul of the top half of the engine. E60 M5 values have dropped and when more come out of warranty, I can see them keeping me busy.”

What does it cost to overhaul a VANOS unit?
“On an E36 M3 Evo for example, we replace the rocker cover gaskets, reset the timing and rebuild the VANOS for £750 all in. That includes travelling to an address of up to 200 miles from Darlington, then it’s an extra £10 per 100 miles. On the E39 M5 we install the post-facelift parts into any pre-facelift model. To rebuild both units it starts at £500 which includes removing both VANOS units and rebuilding them with new seals, replacing the rocket cover gaskets and resetting the timing. We obviously cover other models, which can be found on the website.”

CONTACT

Mr Vanos
Unit 30 - Evans Business Center,
Lingfield Way, Darlington, DL1 4QZ.
Tel: 0788 6267734
www.mrvanos.com

To read more about Mr Vanos see the April 2011 issue of Total BMW. Back issues available here.