2011 BMW 335i - P0015 and N54 Vanos Vanos Solenoid Issues

Question

My 335i is throwing a P0015 (Exhaust Camshaft Position Timing - Over-Retarded). The car idles like it has a huge cam in it and feels really sluggish until I get above 3,000 RPM. Sometimes it goes into 'Engine Malfunction - Reduced Power' mode.

I've been diligent with oil changes every 5k miles with Liqui Moly. I pulled the solenoids and cleaned them with brake cleaner, which helped for about two days, but now the code is back. Is my timing chain jumping or is this just sensors?

EmissionsEric · Accepted Answer

✅ Confirmed fix: Since you cleaned them and the problem persisted, the internal coil of the solenoid is failing under heat. Replace both the Intake and Exhaust VANOS solenoids with new Genuine BMW or Pierburg units.

Avoid the cheap aftermarket ones as they often fail out of the box. After replacement, reset the adaptations using a tool like ProTool or ISTA/D. My car is back to pulling hard and no more rough idle. Cleaning them is only a temporary band-aid for electrical failure.

WesternStarWill · Answer

If the code stayed on the exhaust side even after swapping solenoids, you might have a worn camshaft bearing ledge. The Teflon rings wear a groove into the metal, causing oil pressure loss to the VANOS gears. It's a common, albeit expensive, hardware failure on the N54/N55 engines.

2011 BMW 335i - P0015 and N54 Vanos Vanos Solenoid Issues

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