Great videos and loved the test call. That guy Chris sure sounded well versed on these

Really cool to get some more insight into how BMW set these systems up. The way that sensor functions and talks on the network reminds me a bit of the turbos on the 6.7 Cummins. Every part is a module these days. Pretty soon we'll be diagnosing faulty floor mats with a scan tool and a lab scope. I love the tough ones too, makes you a better diagnostician. Great video sir!

I can't wait for the videos about variable valve lift and timing. Thank you sincerely Keith!

Now THAT is a nice scan tool. AWESOME vids the past few days! 👍👍

Thanks, man. And thanks again. This is the kind of information that no manual has. We just fixed a ESS issue with this video. Got a bad sensor, replaced and the problem was still there. Only after finding the graphs in this video we could prove to the client that the new sensor was not working as well. Got a third one and voi la! Car running fine now.

Great video and thank you! I was stuck after installing a new eccentric shaft sensor and this video showed me how to fix it. Thank you very much.

Great diagnostic videos. Thanks for taking the time.

You are an amazing guy the amount of knowledge you have is amazing thank you for sharing your time and knowledge god bless you and your family

I'm still reeling from trying to comprehend how vast your familiarity with the plethora of systems (and strategies that they employ) is... You must get a constant kick outta the myriad challenges that are thrown your way. Awesome vid, yet again! -Cheers!

Man what a complicated system! Man what a machine you are! 👍

Good to see the euro stuff as their systems are so different and complex. If you find a way to bottle your knowledge and experience I'll put in a preorder now. Thanks for sharing man.

Great video! 👍 More European cars Keith! Great explanation of how Valvetronic operates in a nutshell! Hopefully we all learned something here! That Autologic is a sweet tool,I can’t justify it but very good tool! Have you noticed how fast it is? Forget about the factory tool,this is better!

Great information here my friend. I have watched at least 10 times.

Had one of these problem auto this evening. Learned that you can move the vanos manually, and noted feedback sensor going up and down erratic about 70 degrees, with moving vanos just 5 degrees. Concluded defect sensor, tomorrow engine will be opened up. Thanks for video. I was some signal ringing in the clock signal.

Euro-day! Thanks for the information and education.

And Thank you again Keith. Good job.

Rheingold is great, as it can do everything, but it makes you follow a specific process whenever you do service functions (such as logging whether you fixed the fault and what fixed it etc) I guess it's that way for logging history for warranty claims etc. This Autologic tool does look great for quick access to functions.

Impressive. So far I've seen you work on just about every make except Jag & Mercedes. I'm amazed at how diverse your knowledge is. Thanks for the lesson.

Great diagnosis.

All your video are priceless ! Thx.

Good information, people always jump at the sensor, when they get a sensor code. I like the valvetronic concept. And the amount of data you get from it. 👍

I know it's a bit late now, but for anyone who is trying to do the same procedure: The original BMW software (ISTA+) actually tells you how you know that the main relais is off. According to the software, It's when the light in the start button turns off. In my case it took more than 5 minutes. I don't know if this really affects the procedure but it's just something to watch out for.

Regarding interpreting data: the so called "valvetronic sensor" is really 2 identical digital magneto-resistive sensors in one module. It's made by NXP and part number is KMA200. You can look up the datasheet. It talks to DME via SPI. It's a good fun to go through the datasheet.. Because it also measures temperature and exposes it together with angle data (it's unclear if DME cares about it though - most likely not). It also has some self-diagnostic features and reports it via error bit/flag. It shouldn't be too hard to write a protocol decoder for Sigrok, so you could read it with one of those cheap USB signal analysers. Not sure if it'd be of any use though - DME reported codes are usually enough to diagnose faults.

The best video!

Indeed the OEM BMW software, ISTA, is a bit tricky to get around... specially if you don't work with it every days... Autologic is much more user friendly... although I never used one... lol Great video... as always!

This is insane, I just replaced the Eccentric sensor almost 2 weeks ago and now it's giving codes 2A31 and 2A32 as well as Valvetronic codes.

Thanks Keith Very interesting

Holy shit. This thing actually varies the air flow with the valve lift and has the throttle open full most of the time? I had no idea... This thing must be pretty damn reliable.

Awesome information brother :)

Sounds like a nightmare system. Leave it to BMW.... Thanks for the video.

So is this sensor using a SENT protocol Keith? So much information in a short video 👍 as an aside, how do you find the assistplus? Autologic hasn't had the best relationship with UK markets since the blue box scandal, most folk shy away from them here these days. Cheers, Steve.

Keith, you know what this is? They routed a two-channel SPI bus inside a shielded cable between the DME microcontroller and the sensor chips! To do this in an automotive environment is quite... eccentric, this stuff is designed to be used on a circuit board! You can see how much cross-talk there is between the wires... The blue line is called CS (channel select) in the context of the SPI bus, there should be another one like that for the other channel (taken LOW for the second packet we see on your waveform). The yellow line is called CLK (SPI's clock). Deciphering the 16-bit data packet is super-easy if you have the datasheet for the sensor chip (someone should open the bad sensor and check what it is!) Thanks for showing us this electronic insanity! What are they using nowadays, SENT or PSI5?

Nice video!!

I replaced the valve cover myself it took all day. Hardest part was the angle to reinstall. I'm having issues of bad running, idle surge from 500 to 1200 rpm but idles smooth with eccentric sensor disconnect but runs bad. I've replaced crankshaft and both camshaft sensors, all 6 coil packs, plugs and injectors, both vanos solinoids, cleaned both vanos screan filters, replaced evap purge and valve cover with ccv. I'm leaning towards valvotronic motor or eccentric shaft sensor. I guess its time to take it to a shop for confirmation.. $1000.00+ dollars too late. At least i got an awesome tune up. 08 328i 94k miles

Legend

Looked for that valve cover gasket video. "Maic" Salazar, spelled, M-A-I-C. I would not have guessed.

@new level auto How would I be able to test a used sensor if I was to pull it from lets say a junk yard car or a part car.

Haha. When keith says he tried it with "the other tools, not gonna name names" he means literally every other scanner there is because he owns them all.

I’m having this issue and can’t seem to figure it out I replace eccentric se son and VVT motor still getting code I need help

Wow Wow ,, what year is this BMW ? or should I say when did this system start

When my car is off I get 58 degrees is 245 degrees while running too high for The Eccentric shaft sensor angle?

So in this video , what spare parts are damage ?

In my little experience the most important thing to pay attention to as a BMW owner is the oil... Get the proper oil and change it often. BTW Keith (hope it's not inappropriate), how much do you spend on scan tools and softwares subscriptions etc to run your business successfully? PS a lot of the features of the autologic are present in the Autel 906bt

Amazing experience about cars . Thanks Keith .

Just had my eccentric shaft sensor changed. What a pain on the neck!

Is it possible to get the pin-outs to hook-up an oscilloscope? Have the strangest symptoms. 002855 DME: Variable valve gear -plausibility, sensor, bank2. However this error disappears every morning and takes 1/2 hour of idling to reoccur. And when it does, the Valvetronic can't be calibrated and error can't be cleared... strange. However it can be calibrated the next morning. Switched Valvetronic motors and exact same symptoms. Could it be the DME? Eccentric Shaft Sensor? Electrical glitch.. Perplexing. Live in NYC, do you have a shop in Staten Island. Regards.

No intake vacuum? $400 position sensor? I hope you charge $300/hr on these fancy Euro diags Keith. Much respect.

Another prime example of why I don't like euro cars...They have very expensive failures at very low mileage based on my observations.

Hey Keith.. Is this tool the one from tst seminar.. Great job like always amigo.. Euro day it is. 😁

What kind of scanner are you using?

where can I get bmw training in staten island???

LICENSED TO DO THE WORLD !!!

Nice tool Keith, I am sure Dorman has a equivalent part for only $85 😑

I never seen u work on so many euros in one day. Is this a shop u go too that only deals with euros or is it just a lucky day. Wow brother ur knowledge is out this world. Can't wait for the next one

This is gold i know😊

Great info Keith, BMW hard to diagnose? Have European 530 x drive inline6 no turbo code misfire cyl5 BMW change computer coil, injector and coil again problem unsolved symptom like this car cold startup runs fine otherwise................... now they will change all coil and injectors lets see what happen, luckily all is done by warranty. Look forward to more BMW and Mercedes testing

211 $ From VDO manufacturer,an OEM...

Do these vehicles use the valvetronic eccentric hall sensors also as a substitute for cam sensors, no?

Keith, thanks for sharing! Have recently seen this limp strategy with maxed valve angle on a n52 engine. I have a question. Can you clarify what data showed a dead sensor? it wasn't very clear for me. Also about that bmw throttle rumor and mysticism - while I was playing with scantool on an n52 engine I noticed that absolute throttle position was about 18 percent at idle during normal operation with valvetronic controll enabled and 10 percent in limp mode with valvetronic maxed if I recall properly. Didn't have time to look at it, not sure it won't go into limp strategy if part of the intake including MAF will be removed... Maybe I will have opportunity in the near future to watch its throttle operating.

I have a bmw f10 535 with the N55 and I’m having that same problem i replaced the valvetronic and relearn it and still not working car runs good after it warms up but only getting 9.5 mpg when i used to get about 18 mpg

Clean this sensor inside?

SUBSTANTIAL New level Auto My teacher Thank you very much for sharing what you know with us very helpful video Take care and have a great Evening SUBSTANTIAL New level Auto From Nick Ayivor from London England UK 🇬🇧

They have almost put the home mechanic out of luck

This would cause it to not turn on right

My head hurts

where are you located?

$440 sensor plus lots of labor... Why would anyone want to own one of these cars? They're nice and all, but I'd be wondering every time I started the engine if this was the day that the cost to fix something sent me into financial ruin... I'm happy with the old Dodge... I enjoy watching someone else diagnose them though...

I wonder why bmw made this sensor so complicated? Common sense would say that even a simple potentiometer would work

$190 on Rockauto OEM

Kieth I hope you don't get repo'd for having too much fraction of the scan tools that exist in the world. lol

did you know not all have that tool

stupid setup would like to see itz guts tho

BMW=big money waster

The eccentric shaft sensor or I should say is just a hall effect sensor with many outputs to the proper computers. You make it sound like magic when in fact is not the case. The valvetronic system is really just BMW crap with no real benefits. And when it breaks down is a bitch to fix. Even BMW techs hate working on this junk.

ha! first !

Note to self. Do not buy a BMW.