Variable valve timing
P0011
"A" Camshaft Position: Timing Over-Advanced or System Performance (Bank 1)
The engine computer can't move the camshaft timing to where it wants it. Modern engines shift the cam timing with oil pressure to save fuel and add power.
Fix it soon
Can I keep driving? For a short while, gently. Have it checked in the next few days, and stop if the car feels, sounds or smells different. It usually drives, but with less power and more fuel. If the cause is a stretched timing chain, leaving it can damage the engine.
What the words mean
- Bank 1 is the side of the engine with cylinder 1. A four-cylinder engine has only one bank.
- The "A" camshaft is usually the intake cam.
Common causes
- Low, old or wrong-grade engine oil (the most common cause)
- A sticking oil control valve (VVT solenoid)
- A worn cam phaser
- Wiring or connector trouble at the solenoid
- A stretched timing chain
Listed roughly from most to least likely. The same code can have different causes on different cars.
What to do
- Check the oil level and top it up.
- If the oil change is overdue, do it with the grade in your manual, then clear the code and see if it returns.
- If it comes back, have the oil control valve and the timing chain checked.
General guidance. Your owner's manual wins. If a red warning light is on or the car drives differently, stop safely and get help.
Related codes
- P0010"A" Camshaft Position Actuator Circuit (Bank 1)
- P0012"A" Camshaft Position: Timing Over-Retarded (Bank 1)
- P0013"B" Camshaft Position Actuator Circuit (Bank 1)
- P0014"B" Camshaft Position: Timing Over-Advanced or System Performance (Bank 1)
- P0020"A" Camshaft Position Actuator Circuit (Bank 2)
- P0021"A" Camshaft Position: Timing Over-Advanced or System Performance (Bank 2)
- P0022"A" Camshaft Position: Timing Over-Retarded (Bank 2)
Track this automatically in Tagwell Auto
Tagwell Auto keeps your car's service dates and mileage, so when a code shows up you know what was done last. With a Bluetooth reader for the car's diagnostic port (called OBD-II), the phone app can read the code itself.