Hi all, My car runs lumpy for the first 5 mins early in the morning. A diagnostic tool says P1386-Variable camshaft timing over advance, and P1388-Variable camshaft timing under advance. Has anyone got any ideas as to the possible fix?, or even what it means?
I have changed the oil, and would also like to add an additive, as it has been suggested that a cleaning type agent could clean the actuators and things, in case there is a build up, if that makes sense. Does anyone now of a prefered additive.
Hope you can help me "down under - Australia"
Gary

 

You need to put a hydraulic oil gauge on the car. Check the pressure when it is hot. You may find that the car has low oil pressure, if so the engine is no good. The main bearings are worn.

 

Gary,

I've moved your question from General Tech Help to S-Type forum. This is the place to post tech questions about your model and members here with the same model will be able to help.

Graham

 

Thanks for the information. I will be requesting the pressure check from my mechanic. Any possibility of an alternative problem. You seem so convinced that the problem will be a stuffed motor. I'm just flying out, and won't get the car back to the mechanic for 2 weeks. Tell me there is another possible scenario..Please

 

you are a long way from deciding your engine is blown. Valve timing can be the control solinoids, or loose chains or a worn tensioner,expensive stuff but not like a blown engine. You need more diagnostics before getting too nervous. The warm up miss could be the cold start part of your fuel injection and not related to the valve code. Keep digging

 

Hi All, Just a quick update, in case anyone has some great ideas. My mechanic has checked the engine oil pressure. It's 80psi cold, and 60psi hot. He has added a detergent type additive, and we are monitoring it. Come on guys and gals, someone must have a clever suggestion as to what it might be? Thanks for your help so far, and I look froward to any further suggestions. Cheers Gary

 

Well.

Our 2 had similar, but NOT the same, when first aquired, and getting that engine on the CORRECT spec oil, Full Synthetic, and a good long run, using the power, which makes the VVT operate, and after a few K kms, and 3 oil changes, both are sweet.

Both cars had good service records, but the engine oil did NOT reflect the paperwork, COMMON.

When home with the new toys, I did as I always do, and have done for 40+ years, got them back to spec with ALL the fluids, NEW spark plugs, and coils.

The Black Beast has a very intermitant stumble at idle, sometimes, and I have narrowed it down to an injector, coz when I run a decent injector cleaner in it, that stumble is gone, and it has been 4 days since I felt it, so maybe it has eventually got the message, and taken a hike.

NO CODES, ever.

I also run our 98 octane fuel, and NO Ethanol blends EVER.

You have not mentioned KMs travelled, so maybe that addition might be helpful.

How long since the plugs/coils were renewed?.

Mine run Nulon 5W30, Synthetic, all year round.

Then we get to the PCV elbow in the V.
The trunking from the air cleaner to the throttle body.
Dirty throttle body internal bore, and throttle disc.

Nothing to do with the codes you have, just saying.

 

Clean oil that is of the correct specification is needed for the VVT solenoids to operate correctly.

If one of the VVT solenoids is failing, or has failed, replacing them is labour intensive, but this is not common with the AJ-V6 engine.

 

Do some more reading. Your engine is fine and no the oil pressure is also fine.


People have fixed the VVT's by running a quart of transmission fluid in the oil for 500 miles before changing oil. It's cheap and easy to do even if it does not fix your problem. The VVT have very small oil passages that are somewhat easy to clog or restrict.


Try that before you do anything else.


Then report back to this forum.
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Thanks heaps. I'll take this all on board, Grant Francis, NBCat &tbird6. It has done 108,000 kms....er....68,000 miles. Need to check the service history, but I believe some, of the coils, and all of the plugs have been changed, but need to check. I was told by my previous mechanic, that I had the right oil, and it has been changed recently, as I said. Will pass all of this info onto my mechanic. Thanks again.

 

Hey, I meant to acknowledge the support of a home town member (Adelaide)..Grant Francis. It's nice to know I have local help in Aus.

 

There are more of us than people realise.

At 108000kms the plugs are due, so if there is PROOF they have been done, so be it. The coils, that is just a common sense thing for the 3 under the inlet manifold whilst that thing is off.

That stumble in the Blask Beast is still there, not as bad as it was, but still gets up my nose. I smacked the Nulon rep around on Friday for a bottle of their "Total Fuel System Cleaner", and poured it in. Things have changed for the better, so a good blast tomorrow will suck some more through the system.

I am NOT a "snake oil" advocate, and never have been, but this seems to be working. Wife drove home last night and commented on how much "stingier" mine is as compared to hers, haha. I will follow up in a few days.

 

Dear Gary,

As far as the two codes you are getting, what weight oil are you running? On my '02, I have been running 10W-40. Although the factory preferred oil is 5W-20, I do remember seeing an official document that 10W-40 was acceptable. Now, of course, I can't find that reference, but can say I've been running 10W-40 almost exclusively for about 5 years now with no issues.

In fact, the only oil-related issue I had was when I decided to try the thinner 5W-20 oil. Almost immediately, I started getting the same codes you've been getting for the variable valve timing. There were no other codes, low oil pressure light, or any indications of actual low oil pressure. After a few hundred miles, I changed the oil back to 10W-40 and have never had the faults return.

I'll have to search some more for the document stating 10W-40 oil is okay to use, or maybe somebody else is familiar with this. If you've been running the thinner stuff, a simple change in oil weight may be all your engine needs. This would sure beat the expense of replacing the actuators.

 

Oil spec is in the Handbook and for later cars does not include 5W20 - sorry don't know about earlier cars. Preferred for later ones is 5W30.

 

Might have been a brain fart from me. It's been a while, so am a bit fuzzy on the details on the oil weight. I do remember looking up the oil specs at the time, and used 5W-Something that one time. It may very well have been -30. The only thing I'm sure is that it started with 5W. Sorry for any confusion.

 

Thanks kr98664, JagV8, & Grant Francis. In particular kr98664. I know the Jag had Penrite HPR5 at the time of the problem. On further checking of the handbook, it says 10W-40 synthetic for our climate, so I guess it is worth another change to that oil, from your issues with the same fault codes as I am getting.
Checked my records, and in 2011 I had a set of spark plugs changed after a misfiring cylinder. The Repair sheet says.."Checked ECU fault codes, engine misfire. Removed upper inlet plenuem chamber, replaced No6 cylindercoil & set of Platinum / Resistor type spark plugs, and upper inlet manifold gaskets"
GaryGGve
1999 S-Type V6
108,000 Kms (looking up my member control panel)

 

Further more to kr98664's comments... Why did you change to a thinner oil in the first place? ie, Were you having any other issues at the time? Us Aussies are nosey Ha Ha
GaryGGve
1999 S-Type V6
108,000 Kms (looking up my member control panel)

 

Gary,

Aussie related, as what follows is not available by brand elsewhere that I know of.

Nulon spec 10W40 Synthetic as option #1. Then 15W40 Semi Synthetic as option #2. Then 15W40 Premium Mineral as option #3.

Penrite lists HPR5 (5W40) as option #1. Then Everyday Plus 5W40 as option #2.

I have tried the 10W40 in the Black beast, and all OK, but it just has that "labouring" feel when cold, and thats just me, and old age. The 5W30 of Nulon is just a happier sounding/feeling engine all round.

The Silver unit runs the HPR5, and is just fine.

I note that the X202 engines have a different spec suggestion from both companies.

MY OPINION.

I would NOT run Semi Syn, or Mineral in these engines, the VVT demands the thin oil, and the cleaning ability of Synthetic to keep those small orifices open and operating as designed.

For that mechanic to replace ONE coil under the inlet is just silly (politeness here) in my opinion. If one has failed, the other 2 are the same age, and the labour involved for 2 more is just a waste. They are NOT expensive in the big scheme.

Side note:
The intermitant stumble in the Black car is now 100% gone. I have put 300kms on it with that Fuel System Cleaner I mentioned earlier, in a full tank of 98 Ron fuel, and the engine is significantly happier all round.

 

Nope, no other issues at the time. I'd been using 10W-40 because it was okay to use (was it per the owner's handbook?) and this simplified things as I used the same weight in my other vehicles.

Then I remembered being taught to use the thinnest recommended weight unless that causes low oil pressure issues. Didn't work for me, though, so I switched back.

 

Having the oil replaced today. 10w 40. Will keep you all informed.
thanks all, for the feedback.