P0010 Camshaft Position Sensor

[Eyebolt]

So yesterday my 08 with the 2.4L felt like it misfired a bit on acceleration once and the service engine soon light came on. Stopped by Autozone this morning and had it read...P0010 Intake camshaft position (CMP) actuator solenoid control circuit bank 1.

Their probable causes list of course an open/close condition in bank 1 of the solenoid circuit, failed actuator solenid bank 1, ECM Fault, and also likely the intake camshaft sensor itself.

I'm trying to decide weather to take it to the local dealer who deals with Saturn's now...or just try replacing the sensor. Anyone have any experience?

[Low Saturn]

How many times has this happened? If only one, then reset the codes and see if it does it agian. If it doesnt, continue on your way and enjoy your car. If it does, then start diagnosing and possibly take it in.

[Eyebolt]

This is fthe first time that the code has been thrown...but not the first time that I felt the misfire like it did.

[Badman]

I had a 2000 LS2 that the crankshaft position sensor went out. The car would turn off. I f I waited 15 minutes the computer allowed me to start it again. these are sensor that allow the computer to run properly. here is the sad part. Saturn had a 4 cylinder and a 6 cylinder. the crank shaft positioning sensor for the 4 cyl. was $25 and the sensor for the 6 cyl. was $125. i could understand the big price difference but it was easy to install. it s was 2 bolts and an electrical fitting. the camshaft sensor should be fairly easier, but I doi not have the 4 cyl. so i could not say. I did google the price and found ac delco anywhere from $23 to $45. should be easy to replace. it looks like one bolt. but we need to find where its located.

[Eyebolt]

Ordered it up from Autozone this afternoon after talking the dealer and also finding that it wouldn't be covered under the powertrain warranty...the Autozone manager called up his tech-line who suggested it as well. Ordered up the $45 part. Worst case...I'm out $45 and eventually it goes to some other shop.

Found the sensor on the front of the engine just under the cover...looks to be a pretty easy swap.

Question...should I use any loc-tite for the one bolt it uses???

part: http://www.autozone.com/autozone/par...estid=3262149#

[alleninpa]

It may come with some dried loctite already on the threads. If you want to use loctite you can, just make sure you use the removable type (I think it's blue). However, the bolt doesn't control rotation, just keeps the sensor from popping out, so I don't think you will have any issues if you just tighten it to spec without loctite.

[greenman]

In my experience that P0010 code is for the intake camshaft position actuator solenoid valve. This is a small electrical solenoid located on the top of the engine. It controls the intake camshaft actuator. The code is for a bad solenoid. Pretty easy DIY. Not sure if its covered by the powertrain warranty.
I would advise against taking advice from Autozone employees.

[greenman]

But follow Low Saturn's advice first: purge the code & see if it returns.

[Eyebolt]

greenman...thanks for the tip on the solenoid valve. Would I have to get this from the dealer parts department? I can't seem to find any at Advance Autoparts or Autozone.

If the sensor replace doesn't work...then I'll move on to this. In the end...doing these two will still probably cheaper than the dealer even looking at the thing.

[greenman]

Originally Posted by Eyebolt

greenman...thanks for the tip on the solenoid valve. Would I have to get this from the dealer parts department? I can't seem to find any at Advance Autoparts or Autozone.

If the sensor replace doesn't work...then I'll move on to this. In the end...doing these two will still probably cheaper than the dealer even looking at the thing.

The sensor isn't the problem. First thing is to reset the code. If it recurs then pull the manifold cover off & carefully clean the electrical contacts on the intake camshaft position actuator solenoid valve. Then reset the code & see if it comes back. Only then should you start thinking about replacing it. PM me with your email address & I'll send the how-to from the SM.
Also, there's no big problem driving it like this. You might notice some hard shifting though.

[servodave]

My 09 threw this code once when the fuel rail was contaminated with rust and sludge, Basically the engine would hardly run and there were lots of erroneous codes listed, including a persistent one regarding the traction control system. I cleared them after fixing the fuel problem and they never came back.

For what its worth, while researching this I ran across some info an HHR site about the cam sensors on the 2.4 eccotech possibly being fouled by foundry sand due to casting flash around that mounting boss from the manufacturing process. This issue apparently appeared on some low mileage vehicles immediately after oil changes. (The fix was to clean the sensor and de-bur the inside of the hole with a de-burring tool.)

The sensor looks easy to change, btw.

[greenman]

Originally Posted by servodave

My 09 threw this code once when the fuel rail was contaminated with rust and sludge, Basically the engine would hardly run and there were lots of erroneous codes...

Ever figure out the source of the contamination? Fuel has rust-inhibitors in the formula.

[servodave]

Originally Posted by greenman

Ever figure out the source of the contamination? Fuel has rust-inhibitors in the formula.

No--not a clue and I sort of expected other Saturn owners with that engine combo to mention they had the same trouble but no one seems to have. Glad I am the only one so far! A few in the eccotech HHR forums and malibu forums have reported it.

No clue what that was, almost like rust and red mud, sort of like slime. Reminded me of the gunk in the bottom of the diesel tank on an old bulldozer I worked on.

I saw a report last night online about a few hundred cars with the same problem from the east coast. This was due to a contaminated gasoline shipment. The mechanics were talking about a gooey slime inside the fuel system requiring a full fuel system flush and replacement of fuel injectors in some cars. One of the reasons I was so concerned about these cars not having an inline fuel filter, especially without an regulator return line back to the tank.

[servodave]

Here's the post from the HHR forum on misfires that led me to my fix:
http://www.chevyhhr.net/forums//showthread.php?p=277895

The news story about bad gas clogging fuel systems recently:
http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/news/busines...y-bad-gasoline

[greenman]

Originally Posted by servodave

No clue what that was, almost like rust and red mud, sort of like slime. Reminded me of the gunk in the bottom of the diesel tank on an old bulldozer I worked on.

I would imagine if it was well enough dissolved in the fuel, to the point that it was no longer in solid particle form (or maybe just too small of a particle), no particle fuel filter would have trapped it out (at least not the cheap ones they use in cars). Has to happen occasionally, I guess. You must have drawn the lucky straw. Were your injectors salvageable?
Even so, count me in on the side of returning to the easy-to-replace inline filters.

[servodave]

I think it was just plain bad luck.

The injectors seem to work OK now. The car only had 37k on it when this happened. I was going to replace the injectors but I was told that involved more money having them rebalanced so I washed them down the best I could and just let it go. It's been fine for 30k miles since.

I ran bg44k through it two times since I cleaned the fuel rail--not sure if the bg44k helped or not--it helped a lot on some old junkers I had in the past but did not seem to do much in the Saturn.

[alleninpa]

Sound like you may have run into some real high ethanol % blend.

[greenman]

Originally Posted by alleninpa

Sound like you may have run into some real high ethanol % blend.

You could be right. Non-flex fuel vehicles call for a minimum ethanol concentration of E90. Though I'd think you'd have to run that fuel for awhile for it to take its toll.

[greenman]

Here's a 40 micron in-line secondary filter one might use closer to the fuel rail. I have no idea why it says not for EFI.

http://www.jcwhitney.com/see-thru-fu.../p2002781.jcwx

[greenman]

Originally Posted by servodave

I think it was just plain bad luck.

The injectors seem to work OK now. The car only had 37k on it when this happened. I was going to replace the injectors but I was told that involved more money having them rebalanced so I washed them down the best I could and just let it go. It's been fine for 30k miles since.

The only people who balance injectors are Nascar teams. It just means putting them on a flow rate tester & pairing up the ones that flow closest to a standard deviation. For street cars its completely unnecessary. Might have been interesting to have that bad fuel composition-tested. Maybe you could have tracked it to the source, maybe not.