P0011 is a common (and serious) OBD II diagnostic trouble code that can occur in the Kia Sportage. It indicates an issue with your vehicle’s Variable Valve Timing (VVT) system.
The first thing you should do when you have this code is check your Sportage’s oil. If the oil level is too low, the camshaft actuators won’t work properly.
Definition | P0011 “A” Camshaft Position Timing Over Advanced or System Performance (Bank 1) |
Symptoms | Stalling, decreased MPG, rattling, engine running rough, check engine light |
Common Causes | Low oil, wrong oil viscosity, faulty camshaft actuator, timing chain/belt jumped |
Breakdown Risk | Not usually, but in rare cases, the underlying causes can damage the engine |
Repair Cost (Parts Only) | Usually well under $200 |
The technical definition of P0011 for the Sportage is “A” Camshaft Position Timing Over Advanced or System Performance (Bank 1). Here it is separated into its separate pieces, with a quick explanation of each.
Camshaft position timing how your Kia Sportage’s intake and exhaust valves close relative to the location of the crankshaft. The camshaft’s position is constant relative to the crank’s position on vehicles that don’t have variable valve timing.
Vehicles with VVT can change camshaft position timing depending on whether you need power or economy.
VVT allows the engine to act as though it has different camshaft profiles at different RPMs; this is great for both power and fuel economy. Sometimes, the system will get stuck in an over-advanced position.
When this happens, your Kia Sportage will store trouble code P0011.
Valve timing control methods can be quite different for every engine, even from the same manufacturer, but the basics are the same.
Camshaft actuators or phasers change how long the intake and exhaust valves stay open. They are hydraulic, which means that they use the vehicle’s engine oil to change the intake valve timing.
Some simpler systems change the cam timing, while others change cam profiles entirely. Here’s a detailed write-up on exactly how VVT works if you’re interested in learning more.
Bank one is the side of the engine with the first cylinder. If your Sportage has an inline engine, you don’t need to concern yourself with this.
If your Sportage has a “V” engine with two cylinder heads, you’ll need to look up which side is bank 1. It’s usually the cylinder head closer to the front of the engine.
When the cam timing is off, it can cause some issues with the motor. Here are some of the typical symptoms of P0011 in the Kia Sportage:
Quite a few things can cause the P0011 code in your Kia Sportage. Sometimes the P0011 fix is as easy as topping off the oil.
Here are the most common causes, presented to you in order from the easiest thing to check to the most difficult:
The first thing you should do is check your Sportage’s oil. There are three ways that it can cause P0011:
The actuator solenoid itself can go bad over time. You certainly don’t want to start here since, a lot of the time, it’ll be something else that causes the P0011 to appear. Here’s a good video that explains how to test the camshaft actuator using a scan tool:
If your Sportage’s camshaft(s) are no longer synced to the crank properly (such as if the timing chain jumped a tooth), it can cause the engine timing to be off enough to throw the P0011, even though it’s not the actuator’s fault. Here’s more on that from this site: Timing Chain Jumped Symptoms and Diagnosis
The wiring from the solenoid to the ECM can become damaged or broken, this will throw the P0011 OBDII code. The wiring harness to the intake camshaft position sensor may also develop a poor connection—YouTube: How to Find an Open or Short the Fast Easy Way.
If your Sportage’s engine controller goes bad, it may throw this code along with other issues. Here’s how to tell if you have a bad ECM Autoblog: Symptoms of a Bad ECM.
If it has been a long time since you’ve changed your vehicle’s oil, or you find that there may be a reason to believe that the oil thickness is wrong, change the oil and see if that clears P0011 in your Kia Sportage. If it doesn’t, you’ll have to dive into the mechanical issue causing the code. Good luck!
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