camshaft setpoint not reached error

[sambb]

16396 - Bank 1: Camshaft A (intake): Advanced Setpoint not Reached (Over-Retarded)
P0012 -35-10- --Intermittent

I've seen this one come up 3 times in the last 6 months now. Anyone else had it or have any knowledge of the likely culprit. I always thought our car only phased the intake for start up/idle - not actively once your motoring around. A big drama or is it one of those things that can crop up but cause no real world problems??

[sambb]

typical, right after I post and after searching for ages I find this:

Chasing a Vag-com message in B6 QT 1.8

hmm I've been chasing transition onto boost hesitations for a long time now. I'm thinking it could be this fault causing it now.

[barcode]

16396 - Bank 1: Camshaft A (intake): Advanced Setpoint not Reached (Over-Retarded)
P0012 -35-10- --Intermittent

I've seen this one come up 3 times in the last 6 months now. Anyone else had it or have any knowledge of the likely culprit. I always thought our car only phased the intake for start up/idle - not actively once your motoring around. A big drama or is it one of those things that can crop up but cause no real world problems??

Hey Sam,

Try the $40 camshaft sensor or your timing is off. even one tooth on the timing belt would be considered a significant amount

[sambb]

The fault points to the timing chain tensioner that phases the intake cam relative to the exhaust. If I was out a tooth on the main belt then both cams would be off which would be a different fault wouldn't it? Man if it could just be the cam position sensor though then that would be best case scenario. It does make sense that that sensor is how the ECU would monitor intake cam position.
Doing the cam phasing actuator looks like a turd job in comparison. From what I've read this oil pressure actuated tensioner gums up with sludge and fails by getting sticky and not making its end positions quick enough. I bought my car 3 years ago with 24k km's on it, It'd been serviced yearly at VW and I do oil changes every 10,000km so I'm having a hard time believing that sludge would be the culprit.
If the car starved of oil during cornering and lost a bit of oil pressure at the same time that the ECU was expecting to see the intake cam moved to a particular position but it couldn't get there due to poor oil pick up - could that cause it?
I'll check the timing marks anyway and check/spray the cam position sensor.

[sambb]

checked cam belt timing marks ok. removed and checked cam position sensor assembly and cleaned and refit. all looks ok.

I found block 094 in vcds was a cam position on/off monitor. Looking further into that, I found that in VCDS I can do output tests for the inlet cam positioning. Has anyone out there done a cam phasing test with VCDS lite and can offer some tips eg I assume the engine would have to be running, but what else?

thx

[h100vw]

checked cam belt timing marks ok. removed and checked cam position sensor assembly and cleaned and refit. all looks ok.

I found block 094 in vcds was a cam position on/off monitor. Looking further into that, I found that in VCDS I can do output tests for the inlet cam positioning. Has anyone out there done a cam phasing test with VCDS lite and can offer some tips eg I assume the engine would have to be running, but what else?

thx

I missed this thread Sam. Pull the cam cover off and check the pads on the VVT solenoid. When I got my Polo it chucked phasing codes a few times and the pads were well worn by the cam chain. So the cams weren't moving as far as they should.

The pads are available on their own. You do need a tool to compress the solenoid but I am pretty sure I have taken the solenoids out in the past without removing the cams.

Gavin

[sambb]

if I do that and it is just the pads, do I need the whole rocker cover gasket kit still or do the cover gaskets generally stay intact/operational? Actually my cars only done 77k km. Would you expect that kind of pad wear with so few kays or does the age thing start to factor in too?

[h100vw]

It's just a thought a sit happened to me. I am sure mine wasn't serviced right contributing to the wear.

Cam cover gasket can be reused. Make sure it's degreased real well, especially the back edge, as the engine is sitting back that's where it'll leak.

[sambb]

hey one last question Gav. Did the car feel any different pre & post the cam code fix ie better idle or meatier bottom end?

[h100vw]

Nah, not that I recall. The code wasn't always there. I guess a couple of degrees is enough to set the fault code. But it's not there to make power in reality.