Fault codeP0016

MODERATE

Crankshaft Position Camshaft Position Correlation (Bank 1 Sensor A)

What this code means

Crankshaft Position Camshaft Position Correlation (Bank 1 Sensor A).

“Bank 1” is the side of the engine that holds cylinder number 1; “Bank 2” only exists on V and flat engines. An in-line engine has a single bank.

P0016 is a generic code: it means the same thing on every make. P0016 belongs to family P00xx — Fuel and air metering, auxiliary emission controls. Its page explains how to read a code and groups all its codes by part.

Camshaft–crankshaft timing

The control unit compares the signals from the crankshaft and camshaft sensors. On a healthy engine the two always keep the same relationship; when it drifts, the timing between the crankshaft and the camshafts has shifted. These codes do not point to a sensor but to that relationship.

Symptoms

Long or impossible starting, engine running badly, clear loss of power, sometimes a chain noise on start-up. The control unit finds that the crankshaft signal and the camshaft signal no longer line up as they should: the timing has shifted, or one of the two sensors is lying.

Common causes

Stretched timing chain or failed tensioner — common on high-mileage chain engines
Timing belt that has jumped a tooth, or was set wrongly after replacement
Camshaft phaser stuck outside its rest position
Faulty camshaft or crankshaft position sensor, or damaged reluctor
Degraded oil preventing the phaser from returning to its stop

How to diagnose it

If the code appeared right after a belt replacement, the timing is the first thing to check. Otherwise listen to the engine cold: a chain noise for a few seconds means a tensioner no longer holding pressure.

Compare the two sensor signals on an oscilloscope, or check the timing marks visually by removing the cover. Do not keep cranking if the engine refuses to start: on an interference engine, jumped timing destroys valves and pistons.

Watch it live in Klaro

With an OBD2 adapter plugged in, these live readings show the part at work, when your car reports them:

Engine RPM
Timing advance

What to do

Have it checked this week. The car remains usable, but the fault will not clear itself and will fail the roadworthiness test.

Clearing a code switches the light off but repairs nothing: if the fault remains, the code comes back. Clearing a fault code yourself →

Repair cost

A sensor: €30 to €100. A timing belt: €300 to €800 fitted. A chain with tensioner and guides: €600 to €1,500, more if the engine is hard to reach.

How to read this code

PPowertrain
0standardised code
0Fuel and air metering, auxiliary emission controls
16P0016