# P0017: Crankshaft Position - Camshaft Position Correlation (Bank 1 Sensor B) **Verdict:** Drive to a shop this week Camshaft timing - Generic OBD-II code, applies to all gasoline cars and light trucks sold in the US since 1996. - **Typical cost:** $150-$3,000 - **Urgency:** This week - **Most likely:** Timing chain stretch or exhaust cam sensor - **DIY?:** Shop job ## Quick answer P0017 means the engine computer sees the bank 1 exhaust camshaft and the crankshaft out of step with each other. The usual reason is a stretched timing chain or worn timing parts. A faulty exhaust cam sensor, a stuck exhaust cam phaser or timing set up wrong after a repair can also cause it. ## What does P0017 mean? A timing chain or belt links the crankshaft to the camshafts so the valves open in step with the pistons. The engine computer watches a crankshaft position sensor and a separate position sensor for each camshaft, and it knows where each cam signal should land relative to the crank signal. On engines with variable valve timing, it also allows for how far each phaser can move. P0017 sets when the bank 1 "B" cam signal falls outside its expected window relative to the crank. Under SAE J2012, "B" means exhaust, right or rear, so on most engines this is the exhaust cam. Many makers run the check at idle with the phasers parked and set the code after two trips. Bank 1 is the side with cylinder 1. P0016 is the matching intake-side check, and P0018 and P0019 cover bank 2. ## What are the symptoms of P0017? - Check engine light on - Rattle from the front of the engine for a few seconds after a cold start - Rough idle or a slight shake at stops - Longer cranking before the engine starts - Reduced power and fuel economy ## What causes P0017? Ranked from most to least likely. Check them in this order: the cheap, common causes first. 1. **Stretched timing chain or worn guides and tensioner** (most common). Chain wear lengthens the chain, so the camshafts fall behind the crankshaft. Plastic guides and the oil-fed tensioner wear along with it. High mileage, long oil change intervals and the wrong oil speed the wear. P0016 often sets with P0017 when stretch is the cause, but P0017 alone can still mean stretch. 2. **Timing set wrong, or chain or belt jumped a tooth** (common). If P0017 appeared after a timing belt, chain, head gasket or phaser job, the exhaust cam may be one tooth off. A failing tensioner can also let a chain or belt skip. On interference engines, a jump of several teeth can let valves hit pistons, so a code that appears right after timing work deserves prompt attention. 3. **Faulty exhaust cam sensor or damaged tone wheel** (less common). A cam sensor with a weak or noisy signal, or one mounted with debris under it, can make the timing look wrong. Tone wheels on the cam or phaser can be damaged or shifted during engine work. A cam sensor circuit code such as P0365 alongside, or a scope pattern with missing teeth, points here. 4. **Exhaust cam phaser stuck away from rest** (less common). If the exhaust phaser cannot return to its rest position because of low oil, sludge or a broken lock pin, the cam may sit outside the correlation window even with a healthy chain. Exhaust cam timing codes such as P0014 or P0015 usually set too. Commanding the exhaust solenoid and watching cam angle helps separate this from stretch. 5. **Crankshaft sensor or reluctor ring problem** (rare). Because the check compares two signals, a fault on the crank side can also set P0017. A crank sensor with a weak signal, a damaged reluctor ring, or a slipped outer ring on a front pulley that carries the crank trigger can shift the reference. A crank sensor code such as P0335 often appears alongside. ## How do you diagnose P0017? 1. Read all codes; P0017 with P0016 suggests chain stretch, while P0017 with P0365 suggests the exhaust cam sensor circuit. 2. Check oil level and condition, and ask about any recent timing, head or phaser work. 3. View cam/crank correlation or exhaust cam deviation values on a scan tool at warm idle. 4. Have a shop scope the crank and exhaust cam signals together to measure the offset. 5. Confirm by removing the valve cover or timing cover to check chain slack, guides and timing marks. ## How do you fix P0017, and what does it cost? | Fix | Typical cost | What it involves | | --- | --- | --- | | Replace exhaust cam position sensor | $150-$400 | Only when testing shows a bad signal and the timing itself is correct. | | Correct timing installed a tooth off | $300-$1,000 | Labor to re-time a belt or chain after a recent repair, if no internal damage occurred. | | Replace timing chain kit (chain, guides, tensioner) | $1,200-$3,000 | The usual fix for stretch; labor depends on how much of the engine must come apart. | Full price breakdowns: [timing chain replacement cost](/cost/timing-chain-replacement), [timing belt replacement cost](/cost/timing-belt-replacement), [camshaft position sensor replacement cost](/cost/camshaft-position-sensor-replacement). ## Is it safe to drive with P0017? > **Drive to a shop this week.** Limit driving and have it checked within a few days. A stretched or jumped chain can skip more teeth or break, and on interference engines that can bend valves and ruin the engine. Stop driving at once if you hear a loud rattle or the engine suddenly runs very rough. ## Will P0017 fail an emissions test? With P0017 stored and the light on, the car will fail an OBD-II plug-in emissions test in most states. A cam that is out of time can also make the misfire and catalyst monitors harder to complete. Testers check readiness, so after a timing job allow a week or so of normal driving before the retest. ## After the repair: clearing P0017 Clear the code and check the exhaust cam correlation or deviation value, which should now sit near zero or within the maker's range at warm idle. A startup rattle caused by chain stretch should be gone. Drive several trips including cold starts and recheck for pending codes, since many makers run this test only at idle. ## How to prevent P0017 - Change oil on schedule with the specified grade to slow chain, guide and tensioner wear. - Get a cold-start rattle checked early instead of waiting for correlation codes to set. - After any timing work, ask the shop to verify cam correlation values with a scan tool. - Replace a timing belt and its tensioner at the interval in the owner's manual. ## P0017 by make | Make | What to know | | --- | --- | | Mercedes-Benz | Some M272 V6 engines from the mid-2000s are known for worn balance shaft sprockets that set P0016 and P0017 together. | | GM | GM 3.6L V6 engines from roughly 2008 to 2011 commonly set P0017 alongside other correlation codes when the timing chains stretch. | ## Codes often seen with P0017 - [P0016](/codes/p0016): Crankshaft Position - Camshaft Position Correlation (Bank 1 Sensor A) - [P0018](/codes/p0018): Crankshaft Position - Camshaft Position Correlation (Bank 2 Sensor A) - [P0019](/codes/p0019): Crankshaft Position - Camshaft Position Correlation (Bank 2 Sensor B) - [P0014](/codes/p0014): "B" Camshaft Position - Timing Over-Advanced or System Performance (Bank 1) - [P0015](/codes/p0015): "B" Camshaft Position - Timing Over-Retarded (Bank 1) - [P0365](/codes/p0365): Camshaft Position Sensor "B" Circuit (Bank 1) - [P0335](/codes/p0335): Crankshaft Position Sensor "A" Circuit ## Frequently asked questions ### Can I drive with a P0017 code? You can usually drive a short distance with P0017, but limit it and get the car checked within days. If a stretched timing chain is the cause, it can skip teeth or break. On interference engines that bends valves, turning a chain repair into an engine replacement. ### What does P0017 mean in simple terms? P0017 means the exhaust camshaft on bank 1 is not lined up with the crankshaft the way the engine computer expects. The computer compares the cam and crank sensor signals, usually at idle. When they drift too far apart, it assumes the timing chain, belt or one of the sensors has a problem. ### What is the difference between P0016 and P0017? P0016 checks the bank 1 intake cam against the crankshaft, and P0017 checks the bank 1 exhaust cam. Seeing both together points strongly to timing chain stretch or a jumped chain, since that affects both cams. P0017 alone makes an exhaust cam sensor or phaser problem more likely. ### How much does it cost to fix P0017? Most P0017 repairs cost $150 to $3,000 at an independent shop. An exhaust cam position sensor runs $150 to $400, and re-timing a chain or belt installed a tooth off about $300 to $1,000. A timing chain kit with guides and tensioner costs $1,200 to $3,000. ### Can a bad camshaft sensor cause P0017? Yes, a faulty exhaust camshaft position sensor can cause P0017, though chain stretch is more common. A weak or noisy sensor signal can make the timing look wrong. A sensor circuit code such as P0365 alongside P0017, or a scope pattern with dropouts, points to the sensor or its wiring. ### Can low oil cause P0017? Low oil can contribute to P0017 on engines with variable valve timing. Without enough oil pressure, the exhaust cam phaser may not return to its rest position during the idle check. Low oil also speeds timing chain and tensioner wear, which is the most common cause of this code. ### Why did P0017 appear after a timing belt or chain job? P0017 right after timing work usually means the exhaust cam was installed a tooth off, or a tone wheel or sensor was disturbed. Take the car back to the shop that did the work soon. They should check the timing marks and correlation values before more driving causes damage. ### Can I fix P0017 myself? Most owners can only handle the first steps, such as reading codes, checking oil and replacing an accessible cam sensor. Diagnosing chain stretch needs a scan tool that reads correlation values, and replacing the chain requires special timing tools. Mistakes can wreck an interference engine, so this is usually a shop job. ### Will P0017 cause engine damage? P0017 itself does not damage the engine, but its most common cause can. A stretched chain keeps wearing and can eventually jump teeth or snap, and on interference engines that lets pistons hit valves. Early diagnosis usually means paying for a chain kit instead of a far costlier engine rebuild. ### Is a rattle on startup related to P0017? Yes, a rattle lasting a few seconds after a cold start often goes with P0017. It usually comes from a stretched chain slapping worn guides before the tensioner fills with oil. That noise plus P0017 is a strong sign the timing chain set needs replacement. ## Sources - [SAE J2012: Diagnostic Trouble Code Definitions](https://www.sae.org/standards/content/j2012_201812/) - [EPA: On-Board Diagnostics (OBD)](https://www.epa.gov/state-and-local-transportation/vehicle-emissions-board-diagnostics-obd) ## Other camshaft timing codes - [P0010 "A" Camshaft Position Actuator Circuit (Bank 1)](https://diagxcar.com/codes/p0010) - [P0011 "A" Camshaft Position - Timing Over-Advanced or System Performance (Bank 1)](https://diagxcar.com/codes/p0011) - [P0012 "A" Camshaft Position - Timing Over-Retarded (Bank 1)](https://diagxcar.com/codes/p0012) - [P0013 "B" Camshaft Position Actuator Circuit (Bank 1)](https://diagxcar.com/codes/p0013) - [P0014 "B" Camshaft Position - Timing Over-Advanced or System Performance (Bank 1)](https://diagxcar.com/codes/p0014) - [P0015 "B" Camshaft Position - Timing Over-Retarded (Bank 1)](https://diagxcar.com/codes/p0015) - [P0016 Crankshaft Position - Camshaft Position Correlation (Bank 1 Sensor A)](https://diagxcar.com/codes/p0016) - [P0018 Crankshaft Position - Camshaft Position Correlation (Bank 2 Sensor A)](https://diagxcar.com/codes/p0018) - [P0019 Crankshaft Position - Camshaft Position Correlation (Bank 2 Sensor B)](https://diagxcar.com/codes/p0019) - [P0021 "A" Camshaft Position - Timing Over-Advanced or System Performance (Bank 2)](https://diagxcar.com/codes/p0021) - [P0365 Camshaft Position Sensor "B" Circuit (Bank 1)](https://diagxcar.com/codes/p0365) ## Symptoms - [Why is my car idling rough?](https://diagxcar.com/symptoms/rough-idle) - [Why does my car crank but not start?](https://diagxcar.com/symptoms/car-cranks-but-wont-start) - [Why does my car lose power when accelerating?](https://diagxcar.com/symptoms/car-loses-power-when-accelerating) ## Repair costs - [Timing chain replacement cost](https://diagxcar.com/cost/timing-chain-replacement): $1,200-$3,500 - [Timing belt replacement cost](https://diagxcar.com/cost/timing-belt-replacement): $500-$1,300 - [Camshaft position sensor replacement cost](https://diagxcar.com/cost/camshaft-position-sensor-replacement): $120-$350 --- Source page: https://diagxcar.com/codes/p0017 Updated: 2026-11-03 General information, not a substitute for a qualified mechanic.