nismax

What was the source of the problem?

Schnell Gelb

Actuator

nismax

Good to know. I'm still sorting out this issue and another, smoking when revving it out, post-AOS replacement.

Schnell Gelb

There may be residual oil in the intake ducts after the TB . Easy to clean out.

nismax

I will try that. I drove around for 150 miles but it kept setting off smoke clouds.

Another potential cause it seems is if the oil pumps are installed incorrectly.

Lastly, could possibly a blown AOS cover the camshaft next to to it with so much smoke & oil to foul the camshaft sensor into giving cam deviations that are out of spec?

Schnell Gelb

The oil pumps ar easy to reorient if they are installed incorrectly.There are plenty of photos showing which way to get the 1-3 or 4-6 pointed.

nismax

Thanks

nismax

Actuator fixed it.

Schnell Gelb

That is unusual. The Solenoid is usually the first part of the Variocam System to fail(electrically). Fortunately it is easy to test.
A failed Actuator produces a rough idle.A failed solenoid does not.The Actuator can be dismantled to observe the cause of failure.
It may be wise to do this? Like any hydraulic device the issues are usually seal failure,dirt/blockage or scoring/wear.