Bob's Mechanical Repairs

P0016 — Crankshaft / Camshaft Position Correlation (Bank 1)

Bob's Mechanical Repairs — independent family-run garage in Birnam, Dunkeld, Perthshire. Call 01350 727 276 or email [email protected].

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The crank and cam sensor signals are out of phase — usually a stretched timing chain, especially on VAG TSI/TDI and PSA engines.

P0016 — also written POO16, P 0016, 0016 — is the OBD-II code for crankshaft / camshaft position correlation (bank 1). Same code, same fix: this page covers every spelling of it.

Crankshaft and camshaft sensors are out of phase — nine times out of ten it's a stretched timing chain on VAG 1.2/1.4 TSI, BMW N47 diesel, Mini/Peugeot 1.6 THP or Ford 1.0 EcoBoost. On modern engines this is a stop-driving-now code: another skipped tooth and it's a bent-valve, scrap-engine bill.

P0016 is a engine fault code, typically costing £400–£2500 to put right in a UK garage.

What P0016 actually feels like to drive

  • 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

What causes P0016?

  • Stretched timing chain
  • Slipped chain on guides
  • Failed cam phaser / VVT actuator
  • Mis-installed timing components

UK vehicles that throw P0016 most often

  • VW Golf / Polo / Audi A1 / A3 1.2 & 1.4 TSI (EA111) — 2008–2015 chain stretch epidemic
  • BMW 1 / 3 / 5 Series 2.0d N47 (2007–2014) — rear-mounted chain, engine-out job
  • BMW X3 / X5 3.0d N57 — same rear-chain design as N47
  • Mini Cooper / Cooper S 1.6 (N14/N18 Prince engine) — 'death rattle' from cold
  • Peugeot 208 / 308 / 3008 1.6 THP (shared Prince engine)
  • Ford Fiesta / Focus 1.0 EcoBoost — wet-belt debris blocks oil pickup and belt jumps
  • Ford 1.6 TDCi (PSA DV6) — stretched HPFP-side chain
  • Toyota Auris / Verso / Avensis 2.0 D-4D — cam actuator failure
  • Vauxhall Corsa / Adam / Astra 1.4 Turbo (A14NET) — well-known chain stretch
  • Citroën DS3 / C4 1.6 VTi & THP — Prince chain wear

How P0016 is fixed

  • Measure cam-to-crank deviation with manufacturer-aware scan tool
  • Plan full timing chain kit if stretched
  • Replace cam phaser if mechanically faulty

The P0016 misdiagnosis that wastes money

Cheap garages and DIY forums love to throw camshaft and crankshaft sensors at P0016 — we see it every week. On a VAG 1.2/1.4 TSI, a BMW N47, a Mini Prince or a Vauxhall A14NET, the sensor is almost never faulty; it's doing its job by reporting that the mechanical timing has drifted. Fitting a £40 sensor buys you a week of relief before the light returns. The other common miss is blaming the VVT solenoid (N205) — worth cleaning on a VAG engine, but if the cam adaptation value is over 4–5 degrees on a scan tool, the chain has stretched and no solenoid clean will save it. On the Ford 1.0 EcoBoost, P0016 is even more urgent: the oil-immersed 'wet belt' has shed rubber into the oil pickup and jumping teeth is imminent — this is a trailer-it-in job, not a drive-it-in job.

What a UK garage should charge for P0016

UK independent garage: diagnostic + cam-adaptation live read £60–£100, VVT solenoid clean/replace £120–£220 fitted, full timing chain kit (chain, tensioner, guides, sprockets, seals) on a 1.2/1.4 TSI Golf £600–£950 fitted with genuine or Febi/FAI parts, BMW N47 rear-chain replacement (engine and gearbox separation required) £1,400–£2,200 at an indie or £2,500–£3,500 at a main dealer, Ford 1.0 EcoBoost wet-belt + oil-pump job £700–£1,100 fitted, Mini Prince chain kit £700–£1,000. Never authorise cheap eBay chain kits — the plastic guides are the failure point and unbranded kits fail again within 20,000 miles.

P0016 repair cost in the UK

Most P0016 repairs land between £400–£2500 including parts and labour. The spread is wide because the cheap fix (a sensor, a hose, a leak) and the expensive fix (a major component) throw the same code — which is why a proper diagnosis before parts are bought saves the most money.

Bob's tip on P0016

The instant you see P0016 on a chain-driven engine, park it and get it recovered — do not drive the car another mile. One more cold-start skip on an interference engine (which nearly every modern turbo petrol and diesel is) and you're buying a rebuilt engine, not a chain kit. When you get to the garage, insist they read 'Camshaft Adaptation' or 'Phase Position' on a manufacturer-level scan tool before touching a spanner: under 2 degrees the chain may be fine, 3–5 degrees marginal, over 5 degrees the chain is finished. Always fit branded parts — Genuine, INA, FAI, BGA or Febi Bilstein — and never let a garage reuse the old tensioner or guides to save you £80. After the job, drop your oil change interval to every 8,000 miles with fully synthetic 5W-30 (VW 504.00 or BMW LL-04 spec) — the biggest single cause of chain stretch is long-life 18,000-mile oil intervals and cheap trade oil.

Can you drive with P0016?

Stop driving — a snapping chain destroys the head on interference engines.

Urgency: high.

P0016 on specific UK makes

P0016: quick answers

Is P0016 serious?

Yes. This is one of the codes to take seriously. It often means the timing chain has stretched. If the chain jumps or snaps on an interference engine, the valves hit the pistons and the repair bill runs into thousands.

Can I drive with P0016?

We'd say no, especially if there's a rattle on cold start. Get it checked before you drive it any distance. A chain job costs far less than a new engine.

How much does P0016 cost to fix in the UK?

£400–£2,500. It depends on whether it's a sensor or VVT solenoid (cheaper) or a full timing chain kit (dearer). A proper diagnosis before any parts go on is essential.

Will P0016 fail an MOT?

If P0016 has the engine warning light on when the car goes in, yes — an illuminated engine management light is an MOT failure. Clearing the code the morning of the test doesn't work either: the readiness monitors reset and the tester can see it. Fix the cause, drive the car for a few days, then book the test.

Read the code but still stuck? A code is a clue, not a diagnosis. Fault code help walks through the free next steps, whether a garage quote is fair, and when to stop driving — with a written mechanic answer for £14.99 if you need one.

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