Camshaft position sensor B circuit on Ford — Ti-VCT solenoid sticking with sludge on 1.6/2.0 Duratec & Sigma.
Ford P1340 — Camshaft position sensor B circuit on Ford — Ti-VCT solenoid sticking with sludge on 1.6/2.0 Duratec & Sigma. Typical UK independent garage cost: £90–£380.
What actually causes P1340 on a Ford
Ti-VCT engines log P1340 when the intake variable-valve solenoid sticks open with oil sludge — symptom is rough idle and reduced economy. Oil and filter on schedule is the prevention.
Ford engines that log P1340
- 1.6 Ti-VCT Sigma (Fiesta/Focus)
- 2.0 Duratec HE
- 1.6 EcoBoost
How we diagnose P1340 on a Ford
- Inspect oil condition / service history
- Activate VVT solenoid via FORScan output test
- Replace VVT solenoid and fresh oil/filter
- Re-test live cam timing under rev
The common misdiagnosis to avoid
Don't replace the cam sensor first — on Ti-VCT it's almost always the VVT solenoid (£55) sticking due to dirty oil.
Ford P1340 repair cost in the UK
Expect £90–£380 including parts and labour at an independent garage. Main-dealer quotes on Ford are usually higher for the same job, and the spread exists because the cheap cause and the expensive cause throw the same code — pay for the diagnosis before you pay for parts.
Bob's workshop tip
Sigma Ti-VCT P1340 — solenoid + service. Don't hand the car back without the fresh oil or it returns.
Codes usually seen alongside P1340 on Ford
- P0011
- P0014
- P0340
Reading P1340 on a Ford properly
A generic reader will show P1340 and nothing else. What matters is the freeze-frame data stored with it — engine speed, load, coolant temperature and fuel trims at the moment the fault was logged — plus whether any other module on the Ford has logged something at the same time. Codes rarely arrive alone, and the order they were stored in usually points at which one is the cause and which are the consequences.
Clearing P1340 without fixing it
Erasing the code resets the Ford's readiness monitors as well as the light. The fault returns on the next drive cycle if the cause is still there, and in the meantime the incomplete monitors can stop the car passing an emissions check. After a genuine repair, the car is driven until the relevant monitor completes before it is handed back.
Bob's Mechanical Repairs is an independent garage in Birnam, Dunkeld, Perthshire, with 32 years of Bob's experience on the tools. If P1340 is showing on your Ford, bring any scan results with you — we will read the live data ourselves, confirm which cause it actually is, and price the repair before any work starts.