ScottS2

Frank, can you elaborate on what happened with your DME diagnosis? You mentioned that it was found to be faulty but you also said that replacing the wire harness to the gearbox as well as replacing the connector at the gearbox solved your problem. Which was the root cause of your P1397?

Just for reference so that any poor slob is trying to search for the same problem in the future: I have a '99 C2 that has the same P1397 code with the CEL lit-up but the car runs fine, I can turn-on and turn-off the variocam solenoids/actuators through the Durametric with the resultant change in idle smoothness, cam timing has been checked and is fine, the reluctor on the cam for the position sensor is fine, and all wires to the cam position sensor have continuity from the DME connector to the cam position sensor with no signficant resistance. I'm hoping to scope the cam position sensor signal wire tonight but indications are that the DME is not receiving the signal. Cam position sensor is new by the way.

As a precursor to all this, my cam deviation for bank 1 was always "0" and bank 2 changed from -15° to -12° to -9°, to -6°, and now finally to "0" through a series of diagnostic trips into the welded connections inside the cockpit and engine bay where the three sets of ground, +5vdc, and signal wires for the cam position sensors make their vairous splices. Those are ultrasonically welded and fine but I took the recommendation of another Rennlister and soldered all those connections. As of today, there are no longer any traces present to watch the cam deviation on the Durametric if I watch in real-time as well.

Thanks in advance for any help.