Crank/cam correlation Bank 1 on Mercedes — M271 chain stretch (single-cam) and M276 stretched chain.
Mercedes-Benz P0016 — Crank/cam correlation Bank 1 on Mercedes — M271 chain stretch (single-cam) and M276 stretched chain. Typical UK independent garage cost: £600–£2600.
What actually causes P0016 on a Mercedes-Benz
M271 chain stretch is well documented; M276 chain failures became a Mercedes service-campaign topic. Check VIN for any open campaigns.
Mercedes-Benz engines that log P0016
- M271 1.8 Kompressor/turbo
- M276 3.5 V6
- M133 2.0 turbo AMG
How we diagnose P0016 on a Mercedes-Benz
- VIN check for chain campaign
- Cold-start rattle
- Live cam deviation
- Full timing kit only
The common misdiagnosis to avoid
M271/M276 P0016 — full chain, guides, tensioner, sprockets. Partial fixes always come back.
Mercedes-Benz P0016 repair cost in the UK
Expect £600–£2600 including parts and labour at an independent garage. Main-dealer quotes on Mercedes-Benz 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.
Service campaign / TSB note
Mercedes has service-action coverage on selected M271/M276 chain failures.
Bob's workshop tip
Mercedes P0016 — never half-fix the timing. The whole kit is the only honest job.
Codes usually seen alongside P0016 on Mercedes-Benz
- P0017
- P0341
Symptoms drivers report with P0016
- Loud metallic rattle for the first 2–4 seconds of a cold start — the classic 'death rattle'
- Long cranking before the engine catches, especially after standing overnight
- Rough lumpy idle at traffic lights, occasionally stalls
- Stop/Start stops working (ECU disables it once cam correlation drifts)
- Turbo feels lazy or flat below 2,000 RPM — timing is retarded to protect the valvetrain
- MPG drops 4–8 mpg with no other obvious cause
- Code P0011, P0014, P0017 or P0341 stored alongside P0016
Repairs that clear P0016
- Measure cam-to-crank deviation with manufacturer-aware scan tool
- Plan full timing chain kit if stretched
- Replace cam phaser if mechanically faulty
For the generic, all-makes explanation of this code — meaning, every known cause and UK cost bands — see our P0016 guide.
Reading P0016 on a Mercedes-Benz properly
A generic reader will show P0016 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 Mercedes-Benz 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 P0016 without fixing it
Erasing the code resets the Mercedes-Benz'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 P0016 is showing on your Mercedes-Benz, 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.