Camshaft position sensor performance on Mercedes — M271/M272/M274 sensor failure with intermittent stall.
Mercedes-Benz P0341 — Camshaft position sensor performance on Mercedes — M271/M272/M274 sensor failure with intermittent stall. Typical UK independent garage cost: £140–£420.
What actually causes P0341 on a Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes P0341 — sensor itself fails with heat-soak. Cheap fix once you confirm the harness is intact.
Mercedes-Benz engines that log P0341
- M271 1.8 Kompressor/turbo
- M272 V6 3.0/3.5
- M274 2.0 turbo
How we diagnose P0341 on a Mercedes-Benz
- Live cam vs crank correlation
- Sensor signal scope test
- Harness inspection
- Replace sensor
The common misdiagnosis to avoid
Don't replace the cam adjuster (£600+) for P0341 — sensor first. Cam adjuster is P0011/P0014 territory.
Mercedes-Benz P0341 repair cost in the UK
Expect £140–£420 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.
Bob's workshop tip
Mercedes P0341 — sensor swap, 30 minutes. Don't be sold an adjuster.
Codes usually seen alongside P0341 on Mercedes-Benz
- P0340
- P0335
Symptoms drivers report with P0341
- Engine cranks noticeably longer than usual before catching — especially hot restarts after a shop stop
- Loud metallic rattle for the first 2–4 seconds of a cold start (the classic 'death rattle')
- Rough lumpy idle at traffic lights, sometimes stalls when you dip the clutch
- Turbo feels lazy or flat below 2,000 RPM — ECU has retarded timing to protect the valvetrain
- Stop/Start stops working (ECU disables it once cam adaptation drifts past spec)
- MPG drops 3–6 mpg with no other obvious cause
- P0011 / P0014 / P0016 / P0335 often stored alongside — that combination is chain, not sensor
Repairs that clear P0341
- Sensor replacement
- Timing chain inspection
For the generic, all-makes explanation of this code — meaning, every known cause and UK cost bands — see our P0341 guide.
Reading P0341 on a Mercedes-Benz properly
A generic reader will show P0341 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 P0341 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 P0341 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.