Cam Shaft Sensor Code: 11 Interesting Facts To Know

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Knowing the position of crankshaft drive in the engine is essential. Cam shaft position sensor is used to get the required information.

This information is necessary to calculate the ignition point and injection point. This article gives a deep insight on functions of cam shaft sensor code, cam shaft sensor and steps required to follow after replacement of camshaft sensor.

Cam shaft position sensor

Camshaft sensor and crankshaft sensor work in harmony to know the exact position of crankshaft drive. The combination of readings from both sensors helps the engine control unit in determining the exact time when the first cylinder is in the top dead point.

Cam shaft sensor works on the Hall principle. A ring gear is located on the camshaft whose rotation is scanned by the sensor. Rotation of this ring gear is responsible for change in the Hall voltage of Hall IC in the sensor head. This change in voltage is translated to the required data by the engine control unit.

Sensor code P0340

The camshaft position sensor is essential for calculating the exact time of ignition and injection.

Without this sensor, the engine will not know when to ignite the fuel, leading to increase in fuel consumption and sometimes engine damage.  

Sensor code P0340 symptoms

There are many ways by which P0340 can be identified/suspected.

Major symptoms of code P0340 are-

  • Check engine light on dashboard
  • Poor acceleration
  • Engine stalling
  • Car jerking
  • Problems shifting gear
  • Low fuel mileage
  • Ignition problems

Sensor code P0340 causes

There can be many causes behind the setting of P0340 code.

Following are the reasons behind P0340-

  • Defective sensor
  • Defective ring gear on the camshaft
  • Damaged or corroded wiring in Camshaft sensor circuit
  • Fault in crankshaft sensor
  • Damaged or corroded wiring in crankshaft sensor circuit

How serious is P0340?

Any alarm is dangerous which is why it is called “alarm”. The intensity of problem maybe low in the beginning but if the alarm is ignored for a longer period then it may lead to severe damages to the engine.

The engine will initially start running erratically. The engine will give low fuel efficiency or mileage. If left untreated, then engine parts can be damaged due to improper ignition timing.

Camshaft sensor code P0016

Another code relating to camshaft sensor is code P0016.

Code P0016 is a generic OBD-II code which indicates the cam shaft position sensor whether bank 1 correlates to the signal from the crankshaft position sensor or not.

Symptoms of P0016 code

There are many ways through which this code can be identified/suspected.

Some symptoms of P0016 code are-

  • Check engine light turns on.
  • Engine runs abnormally/erratically.
  • Engine mileage decreases.
  • Reduction in power

Causes of P0016 code

 There are many ways through which this code can appear.

Major causes of P0016 are-

  • Oil control valve has restriction in Oil control valve filter
  • Camshaft timing is out of position.
  • Camshaft phaser is out of position because of fault with phaser.

How severe is P0016?

As discussed for problems pertaining to code P0034, P0016 code has similar problems.

The engine will start stalling or running erratically. Then fuel mileage will go down. At last leading to severe damages to the engine depending upon the failed part.

What to do after replacing camshaft sensor?

The camshaft sensor must be installed in correct orientation. After orienting in the correct direction, one must reset the sensor before using the vehicle.

  • The resetting procedure is simple. Firstly, one has to focus on switch ON and OFF function, these switches are connected to magnets that need to be adjusted first.
  • After doing this, engine light, crank sensor and engine block needs to be checked for damages. Then, trouble codes also need to be checked with the help of a code reader to see if the problem still persists or not.
  • After doing this, turn off all the parts that are connected to battery and start driving vehicle at 70 Kmph-80 Kmph for five minutes and then decelerate it to 50-60 kmph. This way the timing chain is changed or the sensor is reset.

If one faces problems while resetting then he/she can consult a mechanic to perform this procedure.  

Cam shaft sensor code
Image: Replacement of camshaft sensor
Image credits: “Camshaft Position Sensor Replacement” by Teresa Trimm is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Camshaft sensor code after replacement

It is not necessary that replacing the camshaft sensor will solve the issue. The error light might still be ON in some cases This happens when there is a fault in sensor wiring harness.

If the error doesn’t show after replacing the sensor then it is safe to test drive the vehicle, if the error still shows then it is desired to seek professional help. A professional mechanic can have a check engine light inspection which will ensure him whether the issue is fixed and can reset the code. There is no need of calibrating the sensor as it has been installed in correct orientation.

After installation of sensor, OBD II reader must be used to reset the codes. Most likely the sensor is fine. The only problem lies in resetting of codes that turns off the light in the sensor.