Engine

P0016 — Crankshaft/Camshaft Position Correlation (Bank 1 Sensor A)

Severity: high Drive with care, to a shop

What P0016 means

The engine control unit compares the crankshaft position sensor signal with the bank 1 camshaft sensor (Sensor A). Because a chain or belt links the two shafts, their relative positions should always stay the same. When the offset goes beyond the allowed limit, the ECU sets P0016 and turns on the check engine light.

Symptoms

  • Check engine light on
  • Rough idle or misfires
  • Reduced power and sluggish acceleration
  • Hard starting or no start
  • Rattling or ticking from the timing chain area, especially on a cold start
  • Stalling

Possible causes

  1. Stretched timing chain or belt, jumped teeth or misaligned timing marks
  2. Worn chain guides or tensioner
  3. Faulty bank 1 camshaft position sensor (Sensor A)
  4. Faulty crankshaft position sensor
  5. Damaged wiring or connectors to the sensors
  6. Variable valve timing (VVT) fault: oil control valve or cam phaser
  7. Low or degraded engine oil affecting VVT operation

How to diagnose

  1. Read all codes and freeze frame data, and look for CKP/CMP sensor or misfire codes
  2. Check oil level and condition, and change it if needed
  3. Inspect the wiring and connectors at the crank and cam sensors
  4. Check sensor signals with a scope or scan tool against known good patterns
  5. Listen for chain rattle on a cold start
  6. Verify timing mark alignment, or judge chain stretch from scan tool cam/crank data
  7. Command the VVT valve and compare actual and desired cam angle on the scan tool
  8. Inspect the cam phaser for play or contamination

Common fixes

  • Replace the timing chain or belt along with tensioner, guides and sprockets, then set timing correctly
  • Replace the camshaft position sensor
  • Replace the crankshaft position sensor
  • Repair wiring or replace connectors
  • Replace the VVT valve or phaser and change the oil and filter

P0016 on different brands

Ford · manuals
On Ford, P0016:00 is part of the gasoline engine monitor strategy and means crank/cam position correlation (bank 1); it identifies the detected condition, not a confirmed failed part.

Questions and answers

Can I drive with a P0016 code?

It is best not to. If the engine runs smoothly you may carefully drive to a shop, but with rattling, misfires or hard starting you risk serious engine damage.

What most often causes P0016?

A stretched timing chain or misaligned timing marks is the most common cause. Camshaft and crankshaft sensors, wiring and VVT problems are also frequent.

Will replacing the camshaft sensor fix P0016?

Only if the sensor is actually faulty. Check timing alignment, oil and wiring first, or you may waste money on the wrong part.

This is general information about the code. The meaning can differ between makes and models: a scan tool and the repair manual for your car will show the exact cause.