Exhaust or inlet cam timing on bank 2 is sitting further retarded than the ECU commanded. On a V6 or V8 this is nearly always oil-related before it is mechanical.
P0022 — also written POO22, P 0022, 0022 — is the OBD-II code for camshaft position 'a' — timing over-retarded (bank 2). Same code, same fix: this page covers every spelling of it.
P0022 is a engine fault code, typically costing £60–£1600 to put right in a UK garage.
What causes P0022?
- Low or degraded engine oil starving the cam phaser
- Blocked VVT solenoid filter screen
- Sticking oil control valve
- Stretched timing chain on bank 2
- Worn cam phaser
How P0022 is fixed
- Check oil level and condition first — many cases clear with a correct-grade oil and filter change
- Remove and clean the VVT oil control valve and its gauze filter
- Replace the oil control solenoid
- Measure cam deviation on live data before condemning the chain
P0022 repair cost in the UK
Most P0022 repairs land between £60–£1600 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.
Can you drive with P0022?
Short journeys only. Rattling on start-up alongside this code means stop and get it inspected.
Urgency: high.
What P0022 is telling you
Engine-management codes of this type are set when a measured value disagrees with the model the ECU holds for a healthy engine. The code names the circuit that failed the check, not the part that has to be replaced.
On P0022 specifically — camshaft position 'a' — timing over-retarded (bank 2) — the stored code records the moment that check failed, not the moment the part gave up. That gap is why two cars with the same code can need completely different repairs.
How P0022 is diagnosed properly
Each of the known causes is ruled in or out in cost order, cheapest and most likely first. On P0022 that means working through them like this:
- Low or degraded engine oil starving the cam phaser — checked for level and condition first, as the cheapest possible cause and a common one.
- Blocked VVT solenoid filter screen — commanded on and off with the diagnostic tool while its current draw and movement are watched, which separates a stuck part from a dead circuit.
- Sticking oil control valve — commanded on and off with the diagnostic tool while its current draw and movement are watched, which separates a stuck part from a dead circuit.
- Stretched timing chain on bank 2 — confirmed with live data before any part is bought.
- Worn cam phaser — confirmed with live data before any part is bought.
An hour of diagnostic time on P0022 routinely saves more than it costs, because the alternative is buying the most expensive part on that list and hoping.
The repairs that actually clear P0022
- Check oil level and condition first — many cases clear with a correct-grade oil and filter change
- Remove and clean the VVT oil control valve and its gauze filter
- Replace the oil control solenoid
- Measure cam deviation on live data before condemning the chain
After the repair the code is cleared and the car is driven until the relevant readiness monitor completes, rather than handed back as soon as the light goes out. A code that has only been erased will come straight back on the next drive cycle.
What happens if P0022 is ignored
Leaving this one is the expensive choice. The protection strategy the ECU falls into is there to limit damage, and every mile driven with the fault active is a mile the engine or gearbox spends outside its designed operating window.
For reference, P0022 typically lands at £60–£1600 all-in at an independent garage in the UK — main-dealer quotes for the same job usually sit above that.
Getting P0022 looked at
Bob's Mechanical Repairs is an independent garage in Birnam, Dunkeld, Perthshire, with 32 years of Bob's experience on the tools. If P0022 is showing on your car, bring the scan results with you — we will read the live data ourselves, tell you which of the causes above it actually is, and price the repair before any work starts.