Camshaft position sensor performance on Mini — N12/N14/N18 Prince sensor and VVT solenoid overlap.
Mini P0341 — Camshaft position sensor performance on Mini — N12/N14/N18 Prince sensor and VVT solenoid overlap. Typical UK independent garage cost: £100–£420.
What actually causes P0341 on a Mini
Mini Prince P0341 — sensor or VVT solenoid. Same diagnostic flow as Peugeot/Citroën EP6 since shared engine.
Mini engines that log P0341
- N12/N14 1.6 (R56)
- N18 1.6 (R56/R60)
How we diagnose P0341 on a Mini
- Clean VVT solenoid screens
- Sensor swap
- Live cam deviation
The common misdiagnosis to avoid
Mini dealer pricing for sensors is twice what an independent BMW specialist charges — shop around.
Mini P0341 repair cost in the UK
Expect £100–£420 including parts and labour at an independent garage. Main-dealer quotes on Mini 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
Mini Cooper P0341 — clean VVT screens first. Free fix.
Codes usually seen alongside P0341 on Mini
- P0340
- P0011
- P0016
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 Mini 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 Mini 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 Mini'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 Mini, 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.