BMW Repair: vanos?, e36 forum, e36 bmw

Question
i have a 1995 bmw 325i conv., could a bad vanos solenoid valve cause the engine to stall after running 15 or so minutes? what exactly is a vanos solenoid? i've replaced the fuel pump, fuel filter, oxygen sensor, crank sensor, fuel line, all vac, hoses! engine runs great for about 15 or so minutes, then shuts down, might take a few minutes to start again! do you have any suggestions? thanks, daniel

Answer
Daniel,
 I'm certainly no expert with the E36 BMW's (1992-1998 3-series), but I can try to help.  
 Vanos is the name for BMW's Variable Valve Timing system.  In laymans terms, its the system that advances or retards the camshaft timing.  It allows for better performance through out the entire RPM band.  The system is mainly based on Oil pressue; as pressure rises it pushes on a plate that adjusts the cam timing.  I'm not sure how the vanos unit would stop your car from running after 15 minutes though.  

 Personally it sounds like some sort of temperature sensor.  Sometimes when the car is running warm, the temp sensor for the computer (ECU) is malfunctioning, telling the computer that the temp is too hot/cold, and to shut off.

 I would suggest you check on some BMW forums for owners who might know more about these cars than I do.

 www.bimmerforums.com has a great E36 forum.

 Good luck,
 Josh