P0011 Code: Check the Oil Before You Buy a Solenoid

A P0011 code is the OBD-II engine code, or diagnostic trouble code (DTC), for "A" camshaft position, timing over-advanced or system performance, bank 1. You meet it as a check engine light, sometimes with a rough idle, a hesitation or a stall, and the "A" camshaft is the intake one on the carmakers' own lists.

The part that turns the camshaft ahead or back is pushed by engine oil, so a low or worn-out oil can set the code with nothing broken. That makes the dipstick the cheapest diagnostic tool in the garage, and three carmakers put it ahead of the parts counter.

Below is what the code means, how oil moves the camshaft, what the carmakers' bulletins blame, when to stop driving and what the parts cost. It draws on 24 carmaker bulletins and the 127 federal complaints that name the code.

What does P0011 mean?

P0011 means the intake camshaft on bank 1 isn't where the engine computer told it to be: too far ahead in its turn, or not following the order at all. The camshaft opens the valves, and on engines with variable valve timing the computer moves it ahead or back while you drive to trade between power and fuel economy.

Bank 1 is the side of the engine with cylinder 1, and a four-cylinder engine in a row has only one bank, so there bank 1 is your whole engine. On a V6 or V8, the P0174 page explains how to find which side is which.

GM's bulletins give the code its own name, Intake Camshaft Position System Performance, and many GM owners type it as P0011-00 or P0011:00. GM prints it as plain P0011 in every bulletin we read, so the first five characters are the ones you look up.

It's also typed PO011, POO11 or P011 with a letter O or a dropped zero, and all of them mean the same code. The general guide to reading any code is on our check engine light codes page.

The camshaft codes come as a family, and a neighbor stored beside your P0011 changes what it means. Here's how GM names P0011 and the codes stored beside it:

Where the names come from 4 docs

• GM PIP5096C, 2012–15 3.0L and 3.6L V6Names P0011, P0014, P0021 and P0024 as the intake and exhaust camshaft position system performance codes for bank 1 and bank 2.
• GM PIP4543D, 2011–16 Cruze, Sonic, Aveo 1.6L and 1.8LNames P0016 as the crankshaft and intake camshaft position correlation code.
• Kia PS731 and Subaru 09-104-23Give the generic wording: "A" (intake) camshaft position, timing over-advanced or system performance, bank 1.
• Honda 24-070Calls it a variable valve timing control (VTC) A system malfunction on the 2023–24 Civic Type R.

What are the symptoms of a P0011 code?

Some cars show nothing but the light, and some stall at the next stop sign. You may notice one of these four signs, and stalling is the P0011 symptom owners report most, by a wide margin:

• Stalling or shutting off.The engine dies at a stop or while driving; car shuts off while driving covers what else does that.
• Hesitation or lost power.The engine is breathing on the wrong timing, so it pulls weakly or stumbles when you press the gas.
• A rattle, knock or tick.A noise from the top front of the engine, where the timing parts sit.
• A rough idle or no start.The engine shakes at a standstill, or cranks without catching.

We counted the signs owners describe in the 127 federal complaints that name P0011, once per complaint for every sign it mentions. Stalling leads with 50, about twice the 24 that describe hesitation or lost power, which is why the safety section starts with it.

How does oil move the camshaft?

Through two parts you'll hear a shop name: a solenoid that steers oil, and a phaser on the end of the camshaft that the oil turns. Cloyes, a timing-parts maker, describes the solenoid sending oil into one of two ports, one to advance camshaft timing and one to retard it, on command from the engine computer.

The phaser is a small hub with vanes inside, bolted to the camshaft where the timing chain drives it. Oil pushed against one side of the vanes turns the camshaft ahead of the chain, and oil on the other side turns it back.

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P0011 sets when the camshaft won't follow the order. One of GM's newer bulletins tells technicians to read the difference between the commanded and actual camshaft angle, which should normally sit below 3 degrees.

Because oil is the muscle, its level and condition decide whether the system can do its job, which is why your dipstick comes first. Cloyes says an internal pin locks a phaser solid when its oil supply runs very low, and it links skipped oil changes and the wrong viscosity to chain wear.

Not every engine works this way. Mazda's 3.3-liter inline six moves its intake camshaft with an electric motor, and its bulletin for P0011 replaces that motor, not an oil part.

How the makers describe it 3 docs

• Cloyes, Ford 3V V8 timing guideThe solenoids control the oil supply to the actuators, one port to advance camshaft timing and one to retard it; with very low or no oil supply, an internal pin locks the actuator. Going too long between oil changes, or the wrong viscosity, wears the timing chain until it stretches.
• GM PIP6082, 2025 Encore GX and Trailblazer 1.3LIntake and exhaust cam variance should normally be below 3 degrees.
• Mazda SA-033-25, 2024–25 CX-90, 2025 CX-70 3.3LP0011 or P0012 from the intake electric variable valve timing motor; replace the motor, not the cam actuator.

What causes a P0011 code?

Something in the oil path that moves the intake camshaft: the oil itself, the solenoid that steers it, or the phaser it turns. Fewer bulletins point at timing parts out of place after engine work or at the computer's own software, and Subaru checks the wiring along the way.

1. Low or wrong oil

Engine oil is the fluid the phaser runs on, so too little of it, or oil past its life, leaves the system short of pressure. Honda and Ford both list checking the oil level as the first step in their P0011 bulletins, and Subaru checks the level and condition before it inspects the timing chain.

The grade matters too: GM's owner's manual for the Equinox names SAE 5W-30 as the best viscosity for its engine and warns against thicker oils such as 10W-30. If the oil is low or overdue, that fix comes before any part, and what happens with the wrong oil explains why heavier isn't safer.

Oil first, in the carmakers' words 4 docs

• 2023–24 Honda Civic Type R, 2024 Acura Integra Type SCheck the engine oil level, update the engine software and run the camshaft learn. Bulletins 24-070 and 24-026.
• 2019–20 Ford F-150 5.0LVerify the engine oil is at the proper level, then replace only the timing solenoid tied to the codes if it persists. Special service message 49583.
• 2022–24 Subaru BRZInspect the oil level and condition; if either is wrong, change the oil and filter. Bulletin 09-128-24.
• 2014 Chevrolet Equinox owner's manualSAE 5W-30 is the best viscosity grade; don't use 10W-30, 10W-40 or 20W-50.

2. Sticking solenoid

The solenoid, also called the oil control valve or VVT solenoid, is an electric valve that bolts into the engine and opens the oil path the computer asks for. When it sticks, oil keeps flowing to the wrong side of the phaser and the camshaft runs ahead of where it should.

Eight of the 13 GM bulletins we read name the solenoid or its bolt, on Equinox and Terrain engines, Silverado V8s and the small turbo in the Trailblazer. Ford and GM both have their technicians cycle a stuck solenoid on and off with a scan tool before replacing it, since a little debris can be what's holding it.

Solenoid cases 7 docs

• 2010–12 Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Terrain 2.4LRough running, hesitation, hard starting or stalling with P0010, P0011, P0013 or P0014; replace both camshaft solenoid valves and update the engine software. Bulletin 17-NA-098.
• 2012–15 Equinox, Terrain, LaCrosse and others, 3.0L and 3.6LCheck the engine label for an "A" before the serial number; if there's one, fit GM's service solenoid from a different supplier. PIP5096C.
• 2014–18 Silverado, Sierra, Tahoe and others, 4.3L, 5.3L, 6.2LCrank, no start with P0011; command the solenoid 4 or 5 times with the scan tool, then try starting. PIP5130J.
• 2019 Silverado and Sierra 1500, 5.3L and 6.2LA sticking oil control solenoid; GM authorizes a new valve bolt for P0011. PIP5600.
• 2020–21 Buick Encore GX, Chevrolet Trailblazer 1.3LThe solenoid bolt sticks internally when the oil is hot; replace both bolts. Bulletin 20-NA-151.
• 2020–21 Buick Encore GX, 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer 1.3L, dealer stockThe oil control valve center bolt could stick or bind, setting P0011 or P0014 with a rough-running engine and reduced power. Service update A202304840.
• 2017 Ford F-150 and other Ford and Lincoln modelsSmall debris can stick the timing solenoid; cycle it 10 times with the scan tool before any replacement. Special service message 47170.

3. Debris on the solenoid screen

Each solenoid has a fine screen where oil enters it, a filter for the last few inches of the trip. Sludge or debris on that screen starves the phaser of oil just as a low level would, even when your dipstick reads full.

GM tells technicians to pull the solenoids, look at the screens and clean any debris off with brake cleaner before buying a phaser. On those engines, a clogged screen is a cleaning job, and you shouldn't be billed for a parts order.

GM's screen check 1 doc

• 2013–14 Malibu, Impala, Regal, LaCrosse, Verano, ATS, CTS, 2.0L turbo and 2.5LRemove the camshaft solenoids and inspect the screens; clean debris with brake cleaner, and replace the camshaft actuator only if the code returns. PIP5162.

4. Worn phaser or timing chain

The phaser can wear, stick or work loose, and the timing chain that drives it can stretch with age. Either one leaves your camshaft out of step with the crankshaft however well the oil and solenoid behave.

Subaru's test for this needs no new parts: swap the two solenoids side to side, and if the code moves with the solenoid, it's the solenoid; if it stays put, it's the camshaft sprocket. GM's bulletins add a check of the oil for metal, because a phaser that has come apart can leave pieces in it.

Phaser and chain cases 4 docs

• 2011–15 Subaru Forester, Impreza, XV, Legacy, Outback; 2013 BRZContamination in the camshaft sprocket or the oil control solenoid; swap the solenoids to tell which. Bulletin 02-132-12R.
• 2019–23 Silverado and Sierra 1500 2.7L turboA loose intake camshaft actuator with a ticking or rattle; if the cam carrier is damaged, GM recommends a new engine because of metal debris. PIP5921B.
• 2025 Encore GX and Trailblazer 1.3LPossible debris in the cam actuators; check an oil sample for metal, and if found, replace both actuators and both solenoid bolts. PIP6082.
• 2022–24 Subaru BRZAfter the oil, inspect the timing chain, then the wiring, then test oil pressure. Bulletin 09-128-24.

5. Timing parts out of place after engine work

A P0011 that shows up right after a head, camshaft or engine job points at the job. A part left out, the wrong part fitted or one put back in the wrong position gives the computer a camshaft that can't match its target.

GM describes two ways this happens and Kia one, and none of them is fixed by a new solenoid. If your code started after a repair, take the car back to the shop that did it before you buy anything.

After-repair cases 3 docs

• 2011–16 Chevrolet Cruze, Sonic, Aveo 1.6L and 1.8LAfter cylinder head or actuator removal, missing actuator oil sleeves; without them the computer can't control the actuator. PIP4543D.
• Escalade, Camaro, Yukon Denali 6.2LP0011 after a camshaft replacement, from the wrong camshaft part number. PIP5115.
• 2010 and later Kia SoulAfter an engine replacement, the camshaft reluctor wheel the sensor reads may sit in the wrong position. Bulletin PS731.

6. Engine software

The engine computer decides how far to move the camshaft and how much error it will accept before it sets the code. A carmaker can tighten or relax that logic with a software update at the dealer, and no part changes hands.

Honda and Subaru have both done it, and GM has told technicians not to replace parts on one engine that sets all four camshaft codes with no driving complaint. That's why you search your VIN, the 17-character vehicle identification number, for bulletins before you order a part.

Software cases 3 docs

• 2023 Subaru ForesterNew engine computer files with enhanced logic for P0011 and P0021; reprogram if they set. Bulletin 09-104-23.
• 2023–24 Honda Civic Type RThe valve timing can overshoot its target while the engine warms up; oil level, software update and camshaft learn. Bulletin 24-070.
• 3.6L V6 in the Enclave, Traverse, LaCrosse, CTS and othersP0011, P0014, P0021 and P0024 all set with no drivability concern; GM asks technicians not to replace parts for now. PIP5568.

Federal complaints show which of these parts owners name most, each complaint counted once for every part it names. None of these counts is a diagnosis:

Can you drive with a P0011 code?

Not before you check the oil, and not at all if the engine stalls, won't idle or rattles. Stalling is the sign owners name most, in 50 of the 127 complaints, and an engine that dies in traffic is a safety problem before it's a repair bill.

GM's bulletins describe the same code with a crank-no-start on its V8 trucks and a rough-running engine with reduced power on its small turbo. So we'd stop driving and have it towed or checked if:

• It stalls or won't stay running.The camshaft is far enough out of step that the engine can't idle; a car that won't start covers the no-start side.
• The oil pressure light comes on.The engine is short of the oil that lubricates it, not just the oil that moves the camshaft; the oil light page says what to do on the spot.
• It rattles or knocks.GM's 2.7L bulletin ties a ticking intake actuator to metal in the oil, and in the worst case to a new engine.

If the oil is at the full mark and the car drives normally, the code is still a reason to book a shop soon rather than a reason to wait. Engine power reduced covers what it means when the dash adds that message.

How do you diagnose a P0011 code?

In the order the carmakers write it: oil first, then the solenoid, then the phaser and chain, with each step ruling out the cheaper part before the dearer one. If your shop starts with a timing chain quote, it has skipped the cheaper steps.

When several camshaft codes set together, the carmakers start with what the camshafts share. Ford's fix for four of them on the F-150 5.0L begins with the oil level, and GM's answer to all four on its 3.6L V6 is to replace nothing yet.

The neighbor owners name most often is P0010, beside P0011 in 15 of the 127 complaints, and GM's 2.4L Equinox bulletin lists it with P0013 and P0014 for the same failed solenoids. On that engine, a P0010 with your P0011 points the shop at the solenoids first.

Here are the tests you can ask the shop for, in the order the bulletins run them, and what each one rules out on a P0011 code:

• Oil level and condition.Honda, Ford and Subaru check it first, and Subaru adds an oil pressure test further down its list.
• Cycle the solenoid.Ford commands it 10 times and GM 4 or 5 with a scan tool, to free a sticking valve before replacing it.
• Swap the solenoids.On engines with two alike, Subaru swaps them side to side: a code that moves condemns the solenoid, one that stays condemns the sprocket.
• Check the wiring and plugs.Subaru inspects the engine harness and the connectors at the solenoids and the camshaft and crankshaft sensors before it tests oil pressure.
• Pull the solenoid and look at its screen.GM cleans a dirty screen before it orders an actuator.
• Read the camshaft angle and the oil.GM compares the commanded and actual camshaft angle and checks an oil sample for metal before a phaser or engine job.

A bad camshaft position sensor isn't on that list. None of the 24 bulletins we read replaces the sensor for P0011, though Subaru checks its wiring; Kia's one sensor-side case is the wheel the sensor reads, misplaced after an engine swap.

Which cars get a P0011 code most?

Any engine with variable valve timing can set P0011, but GM models fill more than half of the complaints. GM brands account for 69 of the 127 federal complaints that name the code, and Hyundai and Kia for 30.

The Chevrolet Equinox and its twin, the GMC Terrain, carry 28 of the 127 on their own, more than any other model. Nissan and Infiniti owners search for this code often, yet they filed only 10 of the complaints.

On some 2012 and 2013 cars GM's 2.4-liter engine also used oil faster than normal, and GM ran special coverage for that oil use, separate from P0011.

Those coverages for excessive oil consumption ran 7 years and 6 months or 120,000 miles from the date the car was first sold, so they've ended on the model years they named. They show that a 2.4L Equinox can run low between changes, the first thing to rule out on a P0011; how much oil an engine should burn explains how to measure it.

GM's 2.4L oil coverage 2 docs

• 2012 Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Terrain 2.4LOil use of more than a quart every 2,000 miles from piston ring wear; new pistons and rings, 7 years 6 months or 120,000 miles. Special coverage 16118.
• 2013 Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Terrain 2.4LThe same condition and terms; GM notes an oil pressure warning or "Oil Pressure Low – Stop Engine" can appear. Special coverage N192291100.

How much does it cost to fix P0011?

Every intake solenoid in the box below costs under $90 at the counter, so labor and which part failed decide your bill. A solenoid takes about an hour where a carmaker prints the time, and the camshaft sprocket four to five.

Your labor is the carmaker's book time, the hours a dealer is paid for the job, times what an independent shop charges you. Almost half of 752 US shops in a 2025 industry survey charged $120 to $159 an hour, so that's the rate used here.

GM's and Ford's bulletins point to their published labor times without printing the hours, so we don't give a GM or Ford figure. Before any of it, a shop charges to read and test the code, and what a diagnosis costs covers that fee.

Where the hours come from 3 docs

• Honda 24-070, 2023–24 Civic Type RUpdate the engine software, 0.2 hours, plus 0.2 hours for the camshaft and intake timing learn.
• Subaru 02-132-12R, 2013 BRZ and 2011–15 Impreza, XV, Forester, Legacy, OutbackSwap the solenoids, run the drive cycle and replace one solenoid, 0.9 to 1.1 hours by model; the same with a camshaft sprocket, 4.5 to 4.9 hours.
• Subaru 09-128-24, 2022–24 BRZOil change to fix the timing system's operation, 1.0 hour.

How do you fix a P0011 code?

By ruling out the free and cheap causes before the expensive ones. To fix a P0011 code, work through the 6 steps below, in order:

1. Check the oil level and its age. Park on level ground and read the dipstick with the engine off; low or overdue oil gets an oil and filter change in the grade your owner's manual names before anything else.
2. Read and save every code and its freeze frame. The freeze frame is the snapshot the computer saves when a code sets; a neighbor such as P0014 or P0021 changes where the shop looks next.
3. Run the VIN. A dealer checks bulletins and software updates by VIN, and our free VIN checker shows open recalls and owner complaints first.
4. Clear the code and drive. If it doesn't return after a fresh oil change, the oil was the cause; Subaru repeats its drive cycle after every repair to confirm the fix.
5. Ask for the solenoid tests. Cycling it with a scan tool, swapping it with its twin and cleaning its screen all come before buying one.
6. Then the phaser and chain. Only when the solenoid passes, and after the oil is checked for metal, does the timing set come apart.

The oil check is yours to do, and from the solenoid on it is shop work on most engines. A quote for a timing chain with no oil check or solenoid test behind it skips the carmakers' own steps, and reading a repair estimate shows what else to ask about.

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Common questions

Asked most often

Can an oil change fix a P0011 code?

Sometimes, when low or worn oil was the cause. Subaru lists an oil and filter change as its fix on the 2022 to 2024 BRZ, and Ford and Honda check the level before any part; clear the code afterward and see whether it returns.

Can a bad camshaft position sensor cause P0011?

None of the 24 bulletins we read replaces the sensor for P0011, though Subaru checks its wiring. Kia's one sensor-side case is the reluctor wheel the sensor reads, sitting in the wrong place after an engine replacement.

Is P0011 intake or exhaust?

Intake. Kia's bulletin labels the "A" camshaft as the intake and GM calls P0011 its intake camshaft code; the exhaust camshaft on the same bank has its own code, P0014.

How much does it cost to fix P0011 on a Chevy?

The intake solenoid is $12 to $62 at the counter for a 2014 Equinox 2.4L and $22 to $75 for a 2014 Silverado 5.3L, parts only. GM doesn't print its labor hours, so the shop's quote sets the labor, and GM's 2010 to 2012 Equinox bulletin replaces both solenoids.

Will a P0011 code clear itself?

Yes, the light can go out on its own: under the OBD-II rules it turns off after three drives in a row without the fault, and the code is erased after 40 warm-ups without it. A P0011 from low or worn oil comes back unless the oil is fixed, which is why Subaru reruns its drive cycle after every repair.

Prices are ranges compiled in October 2026 for the US market and vary by region, engine and shop rate. Prices from $10 up are rounded to the nearest dollar, so $14.13 reads as $14 and $14.52 as $15. Below $10 they're exact. This article is general information, not advice about your specific vehicle. See the disclaimer.