Hi everyone, hope you can help. I have a 54 plate st170 and have P1381 - Cam Timing Advance is excessive. i have to admit I don't have a clue what this means as I can only just change a spark plug ! Can anyone tell me what this means and what I will have to do about it ? Any info would be much appreciated, Thanks Loz.

 

Its the VVC on the inlet cam. Its either knackered, the timing belt has jumped, or someone has changed the cambelt and not timed it up correctly.

 

Forgive me Louis for sounding like an amateur but thats exactly what I am ! Is this an expensive job ?

 

Sorry to say, yes, it's likely not going to be cheap, especially as im guessing you've not just changed the belt... Joys of Ford ownership shall we say. Deep breaths

 

Thanks Simon. I took it to halfrauds for a free cambelt check and they said its not working checking the cam because the car has only done 45k !

 

Hmmm, I never would put my trust in a halfords check for anything important (There is the odd acception to that rule I'm sure so no offence intended Halfords guys!) But if I were you id get it down to a proper mechanics ASAP to fully diagnose what's gone wrong there. You never know, you may be lucky buddy. But I've found, expect the worst and then anything better than that is a bonus!!

 

If the belt had slipped that engine would toast. Not enough valve to piston clearance to survive that much timing change. I'd say the Vvt has failed

 

Hi, can anyone advise me where I could take the car to check what is causing the p1381 fault code please ? I spoke to my local garage today and was stunned to be told not to take it to a normal garage but to a ford dealership as they know what their doing !

 

I agree with them

 

had the same prob with the misses puma

you need to replace the oil controlled vvt system
they are expensive as fook @ ford's if your up to the job maybe a second hand..

as thats what i did :-d

 

Took car into ford dealership today for a diagnostic to tell me what needed done about the p1381 code. They told me cam needed striping down and gave me a price of £700 with parts and labour ! The thing is the car was running fine for a year even though the engine light was on. When i went to collect the car, started it up, it was spluttering, idling at 2000 rpm and tried to drive off and it stalled 3 times before I even left the dealership car park ! I immediately questioned this and they said the car sounded rough when they took it in when I know it was driving and sounded fine before they messed about with it ! argued the toss with them but they said it was f**ked when i took it in ! Got to go back monday and said im not paying anything until the car is running like it was when i took it in but im guessing its my word against theirs ! What do i do ?