e46 engin part
 

hey guys
can you tell me what is this part called on the e46 engine , i attached photo and marked the part in red .
Also is it normal that this part is getting hot like hell , you cant even touch it with your hand after driving the car for 30 min ?

Don't know the official name, but that's the cover for the VANOS. It's not surprising that it gets hot, there's lots of spinning parts and oil under there.

Try realoem.com for the part name/number

That is your valve cover.

Bingo!!!! That's the valve cover and it runs all the way back as one single piece. The BMW plate on the top just covers the coils.

Why is it surprising that a part of the engine is getting hot? :confused:

its very hot , cant even touch it , i think something wrong with it , maybe its not oiled well , some fraction causing heat , im just guessing , am i wrong .
also can you tell me what is the average time to get your coupe 323 warmed up o\in the morning ? mine in 1 min gets warm and ready to move , the temperature meter reach abit after the first blue sign . :) :)
maybe im just paranoid from my previous coupe as i had lot of cooling system problems :D :D

To use your words....yes, you are being paranoid......so just relax since this is perfectly normal. The valve cover should be hot to the touch and these cars do heat up within a couple of minutes.

you know why im abit worried , cuz when i blug in the keys to start the car , just switch on the radio not to the end ,as you know all dash board lights turn on and then off , but the engine management light stays on till the car starts . thats why .
is that also normal ?

Yes, normal......a bunch of lights remain illuminated when the key is in the accessory position and then go off once the engine is running.

You should close the hood and let your mechanic do his job.

:rofl: :thumbup:

That's the VANOS unit which has two pistons in it.

Look at this so you can see what's in there

http://www.beisansystems.com/procedu..._procedure.htm