# Timing belt



## Christopher Smart (Jan 21, 2015)

I recently had my timing belt replaced at 100, 100 miles I have a 2012 LT, after I shut my car off my mil. light came on and the code was p0017 bank 1 sensor B. My scan tool says "camshaft / crankshaft correlation is off, the car ran fine untill I turned it off and restarted it, which side of the motor is bank 1 so that I can re-time this car. Are the timing marks supposed to lign up and meet in the middle? I watched the guy do it and after he put the belt in he cranked the motor for several seconds and checked the timing again and the marks were still ligned up so what gives? Did it jump a tooth when I put a load on it? Any help here would be much appreciated.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

Not sure if this was posted in error but a 2012 Cruze LT came equipped with a 1.4T, which has a lifetime timing chain. Only the LS cruze with 1.8L has a timing belt. Sure sounds like your car jumped timing though.


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## jsusanka (Jan 31, 2011)

Did you mean a 2012 LS? The LT's only came with the 1.4 turbo and those have timing chains. Or did you mean the accessory belt that drives the a/c and alternator etc.


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## Christopher Smart (Jan 21, 2015)

Yes I did mean a 2012 LS 1.8L Eco. Now that we've cleared up all the technicallities how do I know which cam jumped time and how are the marks supposed to line up?


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## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

P0017 - Exhaust camshaft position not plausible

The following can also set the DTC:


A short to ground in a camshaft position actuator solenoid valve control circuit
Crankshaft end playout of specification
Crankshaft reluctor wheel that has moved with respect to top dead center.

Inspect the following and repair as necessary:


A Q6 Camshaft Position Actuator Solenoid Valve stuck in advance or retard position
Correct installation of the Q6 valves
Correct installation of B23 Camshaft Position Sensors
Correct installation of B26 Camshaft Position Sensor
Timing belt tensioner
Incorrectly installed timing belt
Excessive play in timing belt
Timing belt with damaged teeth
Crankshaft reluctor wheel that has moved with respect to top dead center.

Just as a side note, looking at the procedure for replacing the belt, there's a number of locks that are supposed to be installed. Perhaps because of the variable valve timing. Looking at the instructions, the intake camshaft does NOT match the exhaust mark. The intake is supposed to be a little high.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

A timing belt is distinguished from say a serpentine belt is one that has teeth in it. Even one tooth off either cam for the crankshaft, the engine will not even start or if it does, would run extremely rough. 

And once it jumps a tooth, will never come back. Kind of had it with timing belts, typically never the belt but the tensioner or idler pulley bearing with a drop of grease on the inside seizes up breaking this belt. They are also exposed to the environment, meaning dust and dirt. Whereas a chain is totally enclosed and constantly lubricated. Gets fresh stuff with each oil change.

Some use timing marks, others like Ford require a bunch of special tools for proper belt alignment. Best are punch marks in the sprockets with lines drawn on the belt. But still dealing with very limited lubricated ball bearings. And some tensioners and idler pulleys are made out of plastic!

Then there is the so-called interference engine, with timing just a tad off, the piston will crash into an opened valve. Either bends the valve stem, knock a hole in the piston, or even cracks the head! Can't believe someone will even design an engine like this!

Erratic problems would have to deal with sensors. another bad joke on the public, a random wound very thin magnet wire on a permanent magnet core with two dinking wires connected to it. Can't even use a layered wound coil protected with silastic. Some are dipped in epoxy where thermal expansion will break that coil.

Then so-called precision pulses are fired into a microcontroller, where its all important code is stored in erasable memory. They do this so if they screw up on the code can easily reload it. But not cheap if paying some shop 85 bucks an hour to fool around with a computer trying to find the correct firmware as it is called.

And that microcontroller needs a virgin pure 5 volts to properly operate, any glitches will cause the program counter to skip a beat and really confuse it.

Ha, often said if the American public knew what was going on, would just leave these darn things in the showroom, and government interference sure doesn't help.

My only option is to carry towing insurance and a cell phone so I can call for help.


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## Christopher Smart (Jan 21, 2015)

ChevyGuy said:


> P0017 - Exhaust camshaft position not plausible
> 
> The following can also set the DTC:
> 
> ...



Thanks alot chevy guy you help was most appreciated, of all the useless quotes here yours was the most helpful. I contacted my mechanic and he doesn't have the cam locking tool so i ordered it for him. My car runs fine until i "get on it" i can hear the valves leaking into the exhaust but it only does it when i force the variable timing to advance by putting a heavy load on the motor, i don't plan to drive the car unless i have to and to baby it if i do. the locking kit is coming out if England so it won't be here for 10 days, i drove it 30 miles home from the mechanics house, if it was going to bend a valve it sure would have by now cuz i was hammering the motor pretty hard ( with the MIL on) I love my chevy's and they've never left me stranded, so again thanks for your help


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Have to post a worthless post now and than, but the key reason why practically all the major manufacturers got away from timing belts. Subaru still uses one in the H-4, suggested to a friend to get the H-6 that uses the chain. But he didn't care for the poorer fuel economy, can't win. Shocked Chevy brought it back, but was good reason for me to jump to the 1.4L.

Are you using conventional oil in this thing? Should be using synthetic in the higher operating temperature vehicles, conventional tends to gum up. If you variablevalve timing solenoid is sticking, could be freed by adding Seafoam to the engine oil, just follow the directions on the can.

On some engines, can cost as much as 3000 bucks to change a timing belt, component kit is around 200 bucks for the LS, have no idea what labor is. This and the fact cruise control wasn't even an option led me up to the LT series.

Ha, save money or spend it later, for me would be in high insurance rates due to an excessive amount of speeding tickets, then worrying about the bearings in that timing belt seizing up.


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