P0011 Code: Camshaft Position Timing Over-Advanced (Bank 1)

What happens if you don't fix it

Symptoms you can actually notice

• Rough idle
• Rattle at cold start
• Reduced power
• Poor fuel economy

What the computer is actually complaining about

The oil control valve feeds pressurized oil to the cam phaser, and the phaser twists the camshaft relative to the chain. The ECU commands an advance angle, then compares the cam sensor signal against the crank sensor signal. If the cam arrives early and stays early, the ECU sets P0011. Sludge in the valve or a stretched chain produces the same reading.

Most likely causes, cheapest check first

What you need in your hands

• OBD-II scanner with live data

  Any $25 Bluetooth reader plus a free phone app shows the commanded and actual cam advance angle. No shop tool needed for this one.

• VVT solenoid Optional

  The oil control valve for bank 1 runs $40 to $120 at most parts stores. Buy it only after the free tests fail.

• Oil and filter Optional

  An oil and filter change runs $40 to $90. On a sludged engine that alone clears P0011 more often than the valve does.

Test it yourself, step by step

Do these in order. Each step tells you what to do, what to look at, what counts as fine, what counts as broken, and what you will actually see.

1. 1 Plug the scanner into the trapezoid port under the dash on the driver side, above your left knee. Key to ON, engine idling warm. Open live data and pick the commanded cam advance angle and the actual cam angle.

   Look at

   Compare the commanded advance angle with the actual cam angle at idle, then raise the rpm to 2000 and hold it for ten seconds.

   Fine if

   Actual tracks commanded within about 3 degrees at idle, and both climb smoothly when you raise the rpm.

   Broken if

   Actual sits 8 degrees or more away from commanded, or it hangs on one number while commanded moves. That is the phaser not following the valve.

   What you'll see Two degree numbers side by side on the screen. At idle they sit close together and drift by a degree or two, not ten.

2. 2 Pull the yellow loop handle of the dipstick out of the block at the front of the engine, next to the exhaust manifold on most four cylinders. Wipe it on a rag, push it back in, pull it again.

   Look at

   The oil level against the two marks, and the color and grit of the film on the rag.

   Fine if

   Level sits between the low and full marks, and the oil is amber to light brown with no grit between your fingers.

   Broken if

   Level below the low mark, oil black and thin, or metal flecks in the film. Dirty oil starves the phaser and sets P0011.

   What you'll see A wet line on the stick between the two holes, and a brown smear on the rag with no shiny specks in it.

3. 3 Find the VVT solenoid bolted to the top front of the valve cover on the driver side, a black plastic cylinder about the size of a film can with one connector. Unplug it and undo the single 10mm bolt.

   Look at

   The fine mesh screen on the tip, and whether the pins inside the connector are wet with oil.

   Fine if

   Screen clean enough to see light through, and the pins dry with no green crust on them.

   Broken if

   Screen packed with black sludge, or oil inside the connector. Sludge blocks oil pressure and the phaser cannot advance.

   What you'll see A brass colored mesh tip about the width of your finger. Clean mesh looks like a tiny window screen, sludge looks like wet coffee grounds.

4. 4 Slide a drain pan under the oil pan at the bottom of the engine, behind the front bumper cover. Crack the drain plug with a 17mm wrench and let it run for ten minutes.

   Look at

   What comes out in the first few seconds, and whether the old filter has grit in the pleats.

   Fine if

   Steady dark brown stream, no sludge blobs, no glitter. Fresh oil and filter restore phaser pressure on a sludged engine.

   Broken if

   Oil comes out in slow black ropes, or you see brass colored flakes. That points at chain and tensioner wear, not at the valve.

   What you'll see A thin hot stream into the pan, about four quarts in ten minutes, and a filter with brown pleats and no metal dust.

5. 5 Bolt the new solenoid into the bore on the top of the valve cover on the driver side, and push the connector on until it clicks. Clear the code, then road test with the scanner still plugged in.

   Look at

   Whether commanded and actual cam angles track each other now, and whether the rattle at cold start is gone.

   Fine if

   Cam angle follows commanded within 3 degrees through a 20 minute drive, and the light stays off for two cold starts.

   Broken if

   Angles still split by 8 degrees or more with a new valve and clean oil. At that point the chain or the phaser is worn.

   What you'll see The angle trace on the scanner now moving with the throttle instead of hanging flat, and a quieter top end.

What the repair costs

Reference range compiled from 2 source type(s), as of 2026-11. This is not a quote — actual cost depends on your vehicle, region, and which part turns out to be the real cause.

Basis: reference · 2 source types cross-checked · Data as of 2026-11 · Confidence: medium

How to confirm it's really fixed

✓ Clear the code, then do two cold starts with a full warm up between them. Watch commanded and actual cam angle on live data for 20 minutes of mixed driving. If they stay within 3 degrees and P0011 stays off, the repair held. If it returns with clean oil and a new valve, the chain is the next suspect.

Common questions