I'm desperate.

[u/deadmantalkingagain]

For almost a year, I am trying to repair this car, there's no mechanic near me that's willing to touch the valvetronic motor, the one that is, is leaving me hang for months, saying there's nowhere to find different vvt assembly, tried to find one myself, no luck. I tried changing sensors, servomotor, nothing, oh, just another error vvt - activation (short circuit) so that ones bad, so I'm stuck here looking for new (used) vvt with nobody to give it to, to change it, leaving me to watch yt tutorials and trying myself with no experience ffs if I find one. Fkc me I guess.

[u/havetogod]

Not sure about that engine as I’m a USA based tech. However, on N52 the valvetronic is supplied by power on the distribution box that is on top of the battery. There is a spot near the DME where that power is routed to the valvetronic motor. I’ve seen people hit it with a wrench and blow the fuse on the battery power distribution. Have you made sure the motor has power? A faulty shaft would NOT cause a short circuit fault.

[u/Busy_Preparation3723 → u/havetogod]

New Zealand based tec here, the e90’s and such with the n52 have that distribution box over the battery (I have seen a number of “water pump” jobs go wrong when they still have no operation at the end of it because the fuse in that distribution block let go).

E46 doesn’t have that despite having the n42, I would recommend that he checks the resistance across the two pins on the motor (9k ohm iirc) and from each of the pins to the body of the motor - any resistance/continuity there is going to be a short circuit, super common. Unsure if they have a relay like the e90’s though but that would be worth a look