Fault codes › Powertrain › Generic (SAE standard) › Fuel and air metering, plus auxiliary emission controls
P0016 Crankshaft/camshaft position correlation (bank 1)
Urgent Risk of damage or of being stranded. Stop, or get it seen, now.
What does P0016 mean?
P0016 is a generic powertrain code, defined by the SAE standard, so it means the same thing on every make and model: crankshaft/camshaft position correlation (bank 1). It belongs to the fuel and air metering, plus auxiliary emission controls group of codes.
A control module stores the code when something it watches stays outside what it expects for long enough. On its own the code says which system complained, not which part has failed — the causes below, most likely first, are where to start.
Is it safe to drive with P0016?
Urgent. Get this looked at before driving far — mechanical timing faults can damage the engine.
Common causes of P0016
- Stretched or jumped timing chain.
- Failed cam or crank sensor.
- Variable-valve-timing phaser stuck.
Symptoms
- Hard starting.
- Loss of power.
- Engine may not start at all.
What to check first
- Timing chain and tensioner.
- Sensor signals on a scope.
- Phaser operation.
Can I just clear P0016?
You can, and the light goes out — but a fault that is still there sets the code again, often within a drive or two. Clearing also erases the freeze frame (what the engine was doing when the code was stored) and resets the emissions readiness monitors, so an MOT, smog or inspection test will wait until they have run again. Fix the cause first, then clear it, then watch whether it returns.
Read and clear P0016 from your iPhone with OBDTrip
Plug a Bluetooth OBD-II adapter into the car and OBDTrip reads every stored, pending and permanent code, explains each one in plain English like this, shows what the engine was doing when it was set, and clears the check engine light once the fault is fixed. It keeps a history of when each code comes back, and records every drive on its own from then on.
Needs a Bluetooth Low Energy adapter such as the Vgate iCar Pro — which adapters work with iPhone. Reading and clearing codes is part of an OBDTrip subscription.
Related codes
- P0010 Camshaft position actuator circuit (bank 1)
- P0011 Camshaft position — timing over-advanced (bank 1)
- P0030 Oxygen sensor heater circuit (bank 1, sensor 1)
- P0071 Ambient air temperature sensor range/performance
- P2002 Diesel particulate filter efficiency below threshold
- P2096 Post-catalyst fuel trim system too lean (bank 1)
General guidance from OBDTrip's fault-code catalogue, not a diagnosis of your car. When a code points to brakes, steering, overheating or a flashing check engine light, have the car looked at before driving on.