How to Replace Intake Variable Valve Timing Solenoid 2001-05 BMW 325Xi
Created on: 2019-09-05
Learn how to replace the variable valve timing solenoid on your 01-05 BMW 3 series vehicle. 1A Auto shows you how to do it yourself in this video!
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step 1 :Removing the Cabin Air Filter Tray
- Disconnect the negative battery cable by loosening the 10 mm nut
- Unlock the three twist locks to release the cabin air filter cover at the rear of the engine compartment
- Remove the cabin air filter
- Remove the four T30 screws along the rear of the cabin air filter tray
- Pry the tabs along the wiring retainer to remove the wiring
- Remove the cabin air filter tray
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step 2 :Removing the Intake Variable Valve Timing Solenoid
- Remove the two 10 mm bolts to remove the middle engine cover
- Disconnect the valve cover breather hose
- Disconnect the variable valve timing solenoid electrical connector
- Remove the variable valve timing solenoid by twisting it counter clockwise with an adjustable wrench or large pliers
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step 3 :Installing the Intake Variable Valve Timing Solenoid
- Install the solenoid, and tighten it with an adjustable wrench or large pliers
- Connect the solenoid electrical connector
- Connect the valve cover breather hose
- Install the engine cover and secure it with the two 10 mm bolts
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step 4 :Installing the Cabin Air Filter Tray
- Reinstall the cabin air filter tray and secure it with the three T30 screws
- Reinstall the wiring harness and hose into the retaining bracket and close the locking tabs
- Reinstall the cabin air filter
- Reinstall the cabin air filter cover and secure it with the three twist locks
- Reconnect the negative battery cable and tighten the 10 mm nut
Tools needed
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Adjustable Wrench
Side Cutters
Socket Extensions
Flat Blade Screwdriver
T30 Socket
10mm Socket
Ratchet
What's up guys? I'm Andy from 1A Auto. In this video I'm going to show you how to replace the intake variable valve timing solenoid, also known as a VVT solenoid on this 2001 BMW 325xi. If you need this part or other parts for your vehicle, click the link in the description, head over to 1aauto.com.
With the trunk open, over on the right side or the passenger side, there should be a cover that goes right here. This vehicle doesn't have one, but you're going to want to remove that cover. Battery is located right here. First thing I'm going to do is take a 10 millimeter socket and a ratchet. Loosen up this nut for the negative terminal, and that's loose. Slide off the cable, slide it out of the way. I'm going to take this cover off right here. Just take these clips, twist it to the side, just like that. Grab this, slide it out. This weather strip might be in the way, it should slide forward, and take the cabin filter out. That slides out as well.
I need to remove these wires from this housing right here. You can either take the cover off or you can slide it up right there. I like to take this cover off. Just take a screwdriver, slide that off like that. Pull that out of the way. Grab these wires, pull that down. Pull this one down. Now I'm going to use a T30 socket extension and a ratchet, and I have four screws right there. Take those off. So it was all loose, you can you just slide this panel up. Slide it out of your way. We're going to take this cover off. Normally you'll have some little covers over here, kind of like these. You just take a screwdriver and pop those out, and then there's two 10 millimeter bolts. I'm going to use a 10 millimeter socket extension and a electric ratchet. You can use a regular ratchet if you don't have one. Loosen those up. Just use a magnet, grab my bolts, grab the cover, slide it off.
Just going to disconnect this hose right here. Just squeeze the tabs. Just try to slide it out. Be careful. Generally these hoses crack. They get pretty brutal. This one's okay. There's a connector right here. We want to disconnect this connector. Just push down, just try to slide it off, just like that. Slide that out of the way. The size of the wrench you're going to need to use on this is going to be bigger than one and one eighth. I'm not exactly sure on the size, so I'm just going to use a large adjustable wrench and then just loosen it up. Once you loosen it, you should be able to do it by hand, and slide it out. There you go.
Take the solenoid, slide it in position and twist that in. Then I'm going to take my adjustable wrench and just snug this up, not too tight. You really can't get a torque wrench on this. All right, it should be good. Take the connector, slide the connector in position and lock it in place. Take this hose and just lock that in position too. And it's good. Take this cover. There is some tabs on the backside, so that's going to slide underneath right there and then take the bolts, install those. Take this bolt, get that lined up and then one in the back. Just use a 10 millimeter socket. Then just take a ratchet and snug it down and snug down the back one. And then your vehicle may have covers. You want to put those covers back on. This one does not have those covers.
All right, now we want to install this. Just get this lined up, you can get these screws started. Now I'm going to take a T30 socket extension and a ratchet. Tighten these up. Now reinstall these wires in this cover right here. Just like that. Take this cover, line it up and that's good. Take the filter. We're going to slide it in with the curved side towards the vehicle, so the bode side more towards the out of the vehicle.
Just slide that in position like that. We'll take this cover, it's going to just slide in underneath this weather stripping. Just push it in, get these lock tabs to line up and lock them down. They're spring loaded, and the last one and you're good to go. Now we can take the negative side, connect the negative side, take the same 10 millimeter socket and ratchet, tighten it up. That's good. At this point, if you had that cover, you're going to want to put the cover back where goes.
Thanks for watching. If you want the parts to do it yourself, check out 1aauto.com, the place for DIY auto repair.
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