gnsmith

Hi all,

This is my first post. I have managed to get all the information I have needed from reading the threads on this forum so far - great and very knowledgeable contributors here.

Like many others, when the engine threw the P0394 I checked all the easy things like the VTC solenoid and the strainer (that wasn't all that easy), etc. first and all looks OK there.

I pulled the valve cover last night and as expected the timing is off - way off. It looks to me as though the timing is off about 5.7 degrees when the crankshaft pulley is at TDC and about 11 degrees off when it is at the middle of the three closely spaced timing marks (checking at 5BTDC was just a sanity check). The engine is running amazingly well - getting 22 MGP in a heavy traffic suburb - idles a little rough but I wouldn't notice it if I wasn't looking for it. It looks like it skipped a tooth but the chain is tight. As an experiment, I took off the top guide and rotated the engine a little by turning the rear cam shaft expecting to pull up any chain slack but there was none - the crankshaft rotated and the chain between the cams was still tight so it appears that the chain is not stretched so far that the tensioner cannot compensate. I pretty much have to take an 800 mile trip tomorrow and I don't have a replacement chain or the crankshaft harmonic balancer pulley tool yet so I am hoping it hangs together a little longer. I was telling a buddy about what I found and he wondered if the tensioner got stuck and when I changed the oil right after the code came up it started working again. I think that is a long shot but it got me thinking because I would have expected there to be a period where the code would come and go when the chain stretch was right on the edge (assuming I kept resetting it) and it has just been hard on ever since it came on. So I have a few questions that I hope someone might have answers or opinions on.

1) How far off does the timing have to be for P0341 code to be thrown?

2) Can you see how far the tensioner is extended by taking off the chain case cover (the small plate just above the crank sensor) with the crankshaft pulley still attached?

3) Is there a known relationship between how much the timing is off and how far the tensioner is extended? (I know it depends on the guide wear and probably other things but I was wondering if I found that the tensioner was not extended further than X that it might indicate that the chain skipped).

If it weren't for the fact that in the past month I put new tires on the car and replaced the starter motor (which was not all that much fun) I would say that the car had a good run and it's time for something newer...

Thanks in advance,

Greg

gnsmith

I have a more straight-forward question and am asking for opinions.

It turns out it is possible to compress the tensioner through the timing chain cover port. What do you think about the idea of pulling the tensioner in and moving the chain/cam sprockets one tooth as a temporary measure until I can put a new chain on?