[sherbo]

Hi all,

I've been unable to start my 2011 X3 xDrive28 3.0L... I just bought it and it has 46k miles only!!

The car cranks, starts then stalls immediately.

Testing showed the below error codes:
P1006
P1014
P103a
P105b
P1056
P1017

They are all related to valvetronic High current/low voltage / ESS plausibility reading.

I wanted to eliminate any doubts about the battery, so I connected a booster cable from my other car for 15 mins then kept it connected as I tried to start. The voltage is 13.2v

After that, I removed the Eccentric shaft sensor plug and the car actually started !!!
Later on, i tried again (with and without the sensor connected) but it won't start any more
I think this confirms an issue with the sensor or the harness.

-The sensor plug is clean, no oil there.
-It seems that most sensor failures are related to oil leakage.
-Since the sensor plug is clean, this is giving me some hope that it's the harness that is faulty....

If it's the sensor I will most probably have to tow the car to the dealership (40 miles) and pay an arm and a leg to get it replaced. However if it's just the harness I guess I can do that repair myself...

Any way for me to confirm whether the sensor or the harness is causing this issue? Any diagrams/pinouts would really help...

Regards,
Sherbo

[Asianoak]

Try hitting up the E9x 3 series thread. They also came with the N52 and I've had quite a bit more success on there when it comes to engine related issues. The N52 in the 2011 X3 was the only model year before the switch to the 4 cylinder turbo so not a lot out there.

[Barbera335]

Sounds to me like you have a power supply problem to the Valvetronic motor. I would start checking fuses and relays for the valvetronic motor. After correcting that issue see if the eccentric shaft sensor faults return. My hunch is once you fix the power supply to the Valvetronic motor that will fix the eccentric shaft sensor faults as well as the no start.

[sherbo]

Hi all,

Apologies for not replying earlier (I wasn't getting email notifications).

The issue is SOLVED. Turned out to be the eccentric shaft sensor (even though it wasn't flooded with oil).

Some interesting findings:

-I was able to test the sensor harness continuity, however some of the wires are directional (I guess they have a diode or capacitor on them). For those wires that did not read, I simply flipped the polarity.
-It is possible to run the car with a faulty sensor. You just disconnect the sensor & valvetronic motor, and turn the valvetronic motor counter-clockwise all the way using a 4mm allen key.
-Opening up the valve cover to replace the sensor was easier on the 2nd gen X3 (as opposed to E90 3-series and E60 5-series), because the hood is bigger and there's less stuff that needs to be moved around.

Regards,
Sherbo