Stringbag

ScootCherHienie

If the code is saying you are getting the same problem at the same time on both cylinder banks... that would be cause for relatively serious alarm. It could certainly be some insignificant electrical issue, a cable come adrift, or something, BUT, it would be VERY unlikely for the cam position sensors in both cylinder banks to fail at the same time with the same problem. So if the position sensors are still working correctly, something would have had to happen that got BOTH cams out of proper timing. That would mean something really bad, like the timing chain either being severely stretched or some sort of failure has allowed the camshafts to get out of synchronization with the crankshaft. The cam adjuster system may have stopped working or gotten out of sync, but I'm not sure if there is 1 problem/issue that could cause the problem in both cylinder banks at the same time.

Stringbag

deilenberger

It seems very doubtful that both cams reported an error due to bad camshaft position sensors. They're pretty simple devices and I suspect they either work, or not work. Even if they did fail - I can't fathom how they could report the camshaft being too far advanced.

Notice the 2nd part of the fault description "or system performance" ?? The Variocam adjusters are controlled by an electro-magnetic valve located under the valve cover toward the front of the engine. It has a filter screen of some sorts. If one wasn't diligent about oil changes I could see these valves becoming slow to react - and if so - the camshaft(s) might be over-advanced during a time when the timing of them is being retarded - but they're not retarding enough. That's a WAG on my part - but it goes along with the suggestions you've seen to change the oil.

Good luck with it. Let us know what it turns out to be that's causing this error..

Stringbag

Stringbag

Boscology

I have had my 06 S for 3+ years, the first fall I had it I would get sporadic CPS error codes, for me it was just bank 2. A lot of people even told me that these "hall effect sensors do not fail since it is simply a magnet sending a small charge but I eventually replaced the sensor on bank 2 and that took care of the problems.

The next fall I found a few of the same codes but now on bank one, I replaced that and now it is over a year later, it seemd to be the solution.

ScootCherHienie

I have concluded that "sensors are weird"... On my motorcycle, the crankshaft position sensor stops working periodically (10s of thousands of miles between failures). When I remove it. it often has a "fuzz" of metal shavings stuck to it (the magnet side). Removing the metal shavings restores function, but not for long, the sensor has to be replaced at some point after the initial cleaning of the metal "fringe" growing on the magnet. A cam position sensor on a BMW behaved the same way... short term fix was to remove metal particles (like dust) stuck to magnet, but sensor would fail fairly soon after that happened. The sensor side is essentially a transistor with a magnet on the gate leg and when the gate leg stops "seeing" a consistent signal corresponding to the timing marks. These sensors CAN fail, but my experience so far is that they seem to fail after they have been compromised by too much build-up of metal particles on the magnet. The magnet can be within the sensor or opposite the sensor depending on how the sensor in question works.