M278 - P0016 code
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 3
Likes: 1
CL550
M278 - P0016 code
Hello,
I have a CL550 with the M278 twin turbo engine and got the error P0016 (position crankshaft / camshaft sensor A Bank1).
The car runs good otherwise, but normal engine start take longer than normal (2-3 seconds) Start / Stop works fine and has no start delay.
I have replaced the passenger side camshaft position sensor on from the intake side, but unfortunately that has not changed the code (I deleted it after the switch)
My guess now is that the diagnosed error is really there and that the timing chain may have lengthened. The engine has about 110k mls. New, updated chain tensioners and check valves for the oil supply are were installed.
My other assumption is the crankshaft sensor, but AFAIK the signal used by all camshaft sensors and then should show all 4 error codes related to cam/crank correlation (p0016-20), right? Since the sensor is quite cheap, I would swap it just as a test.
Do you have any experience with this issue?
Thanks for the help,
Alex
I have a CL550 with the M278 twin turbo engine and got the error P0016 (position crankshaft / camshaft sensor A Bank1).
The car runs good otherwise, but normal engine start take longer than normal (2-3 seconds) Start / Stop works fine and has no start delay.
I have replaced the passenger side camshaft position sensor on from the intake side, but unfortunately that has not changed the code (I deleted it after the switch)
My guess now is that the diagnosed error is really there and that the timing chain may have lengthened. The engine has about 110k mls. New, updated chain tensioners and check valves for the oil supply are were installed.
My other assumption is the crankshaft sensor, but AFAIK the signal used by all camshaft sensors and then should show all 4 error codes related to cam/crank correlation (p0016-20), right? Since the sensor is quite cheap, I would swap it just as a test.
Do you have any experience with this issue?
Thanks for the help,
Alex
Junior Member
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 23
Likes: 1
From: Salinas, CA
2014 E550 coupe. Previously owned: 08' C63 AMG-totalled, 2nd 08' C63 AMG-totalled too, 05' C55 AMG
What was the outcome?
Hello,
I have a CL550 with the M278 twin turbo engine and got the error P0016 (position crankshaft / camshaft sensor A Bank1).
The car runs good otherwise, but normal engine start take longer than normal (2-3 seconds) Start / Stop works fine and has no start delay.
I have replaced the passenger side camshaft position sensor on from the intake side, but unfortunately that has not changed the code (I deleted it after the switch)
My guess now is that the diagnosed error is really there and that the timing chain may have lengthened. The engine has about 110k mls. New, updated chain tensioners and check valves for the oil supply are were installed.
My other assumption is the crankshaft sensor, but AFAIK the signal used by all camshaft sensors and then should show all 4 error codes related to cam/crank correlation (p0016-20), right? Since the sensor is quite cheap, I would swap it just as a test.
Do you have any experience with this issue?
Thanks for the help,
Alex
I have a CL550 with the M278 twin turbo engine and got the error P0016 (position crankshaft / camshaft sensor A Bank1).
The car runs good otherwise, but normal engine start take longer than normal (2-3 seconds) Start / Stop works fine and has no start delay.
I have replaced the passenger side camshaft position sensor on from the intake side, but unfortunately that has not changed the code (I deleted it after the switch)
My guess now is that the diagnosed error is really there and that the timing chain may have lengthened. The engine has about 110k mls. New, updated chain tensioners and check valves for the oil supply are were installed.
My other assumption is the crankshaft sensor, but AFAIK the signal used by all camshaft sensors and then should show all 4 error codes related to cam/crank correlation (p0016-20), right? Since the sensor is quite cheap, I would swap it just as a test.
Do you have any experience with this issue?
Thanks for the help,
Alex
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 3
Likes: 1
CL550
Thanks for the follow up. I forgot to post the end of the story.
It turned out that all 4 cam adjusters were shot. In particular they were showing significant wear in the area of the locking barrel (you have to disassemble then to check that. Worst offender was the intake adjuster of the passenger side. When one adjuster is worn, the likelihood that the others are also damaged is very high. (mine had 200k km on the clock)
I also switched out both secondary chains. I expected more stretch there, but both were only about 4mm longer than new.
Its all doable with the engine in the car. Get all the WIS docs and its not a problem.
Good luck Alex
It turned out that all 4 cam adjusters were shot. In particular they were showing significant wear in the area of the locking barrel (you have to disassemble then to check that. Worst offender was the intake adjuster of the passenger side. When one adjuster is worn, the likelihood that the others are also damaged is very high. (mine had 200k km on the clock)
I also switched out both secondary chains. I expected more stretch there, but both were only about 4mm longer than new.
Its all doable with the engine in the car. Get all the WIS docs and its not a problem.
Good luck Alex
Junior Member
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 52
Likes: 10
2012 CLS 550, 2015 Q50S, 2007 CLS 550 (sold)
how hard was it to remove the cam adjusters. Are they keyed to insure the teeth are not off when you install the new ones. I'm worried that I may damage the engine by not having the teeth lined up with the chain since the M278 is an interference engine. Also, where did you find the cam hold down brackets to remove the cam adjusters?
Hello,
I have a CL550 with the M278 twin turbo engine and got the error P0016 (position crankshaft / camshaft sensor A Bank1).
The car runs good otherwise, but normal engine start take longer than normal (2-3 seconds) Start / Stop works fine and has no start delay.
I have replaced the passenger side camshaft position sensor on from the intake side, but unfortunately that has not changed the code (I deleted it after the switch)
My guess now is that the diagnosed error is really there and that the timing chain may have lengthened. The engine has about 110k mls. New, updated chain tensioners and check valves for the oil supply are were installed.
My other assumption is the crankshaft sensor, but AFAIK the signal used by all camshaft sensors and then should show all 4 error codes related to cam/crank correlation (p0016-20), right? Since the sensor is quite cheap, I would swap it just as a test.
Do you have any experience with this issue?
Thanks for the help,
Alex
I have a CL550 with the M278 twin turbo engine and got the error P0016 (position crankshaft / camshaft sensor A Bank1).
The car runs good otherwise, but normal engine start take longer than normal (2-3 seconds) Start / Stop works fine and has no start delay.
I have replaced the passenger side camshaft position sensor on from the intake side, but unfortunately that has not changed the code (I deleted it after the switch)
My guess now is that the diagnosed error is really there and that the timing chain may have lengthened. The engine has about 110k mls. New, updated chain tensioners and check valves for the oil supply are were installed.
My other assumption is the crankshaft sensor, but AFAIK the signal used by all camshaft sensors and then should show all 4 error codes related to cam/crank correlation (p0016-20), right? Since the sensor is quite cheap, I would swap it just as a test.
Do you have any experience with this issue?
Thanks for the help,
Alex
Junior Member
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 52
Likes: 10
2012 CLS 550, 2015 Q50S, 2007 CLS 550 (sold)
Thanks for the follow up. I forgot to post the end of the story.
It turned out that all 4 cam adjusters were shot. In particular they were showing significant wear in the area of the locking barrel (you have to disassemble then to check that. Worst offender was the intake adjuster of the passenger side. When one adjuster is worn, the likelihood that the others are also damaged is very high. (mine had 200k km on the clock)
I also switched out both secondary chains. I expected more stretch there, but both were only about 4mm longer than new.
Its all doable with the engine in the car. Get all the WIS docs and its not a problem.
Good luck Alex
It turned out that all 4 cam adjusters were shot. In particular they were showing significant wear in the area of the locking barrel (you have to disassemble then to check that. Worst offender was the intake adjuster of the passenger side. When one adjuster is worn, the likelihood that the others are also damaged is very high. (mine had 200k km on the clock)
I also switched out both secondary chains. I expected more stretch there, but both were only about 4mm longer than new.
Its all doable with the engine in the car. Get all the WIS docs and its not a problem.
Good luck Alex
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 3
Likes: 1
CL550
I changed the CPS also in my car. To 99% its not the sensor. I had the same thought back then. Save yourself the hassle as you have to remove the vacuum pump and you'll still break your hand. Please schedule a time with your MB dealer or somebody with a xentry.
What we did was a test of each adjuster to see if its in the right range of adjustment. One of them was out of range, although the mechanical marks lined up.
We then startet to play around with a filed down cam sensor and moved that left and right in the bore to see in which direction the offset was. This way we were able to pinpoint that it was off one tooth and corrected that.
P0016 is only triggered when there is truly an error in the cam adjusters.
What we did was a test of each adjuster to see if its in the right range of adjustment. One of them was out of range, although the mechanical marks lined up.
We then startet to play around with a filed down cam sensor and moved that left and right in the bore to see in which direction the offset was. This way we were able to pinpoint that it was off one tooth and corrected that.
P0016 is only triggered when there is truly an error in the cam adjusters.
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Junior Member
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 52
Likes: 10
2012 CLS 550, 2015 Q50S, 2007 CLS 550 (sold)
I changed the CPS also in my car. To 99% its not the sensor. I had the same thought back then. Save yourself the hassle as you have to remove the vacuum pump and you'll still break your hand. Please schedule a time with your MB dealer or somebody with a xentry.
What we did was a test of each adjuster to see if its in the right range of adjustment. One of them was out of range, although the mechanical marks lined up.
We then startet to play around with a filed down cam sensor and moved that left and right in the bore to see in which direction the offset was. This way we were able to pinpoint that it was off one tooth and corrected that.
P0016 is only triggered when there is truly an error in the cam adjusters.
What we did was a test of each adjuster to see if its in the right range of adjustment. One of them was out of range, although the mechanical marks lined up.
We then startet to play around with a filed down cam sensor and moved that left and right in the bore to see in which direction the offset was. This way we were able to pinpoint that it was off one tooth and corrected that.
P0016 is only triggered when there is truly an error in the cam adjusters.
I have new adjusters and tensioners installed but I’ve read that if you update the chain you have to buy new adjusters and tensioners because the new chains have different links and are not compatible. Maybe I can find the older style chain to prevent replacing the new adjusters I just installed.
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Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 352
Likes: 91
thanks for the info. I definitely didn’t want to go back into the engine after performing that job the last time but looks like I’ll have to in order to correct the offset. Maybe I’ll do the secondary chains this time just to make sure chain stretch isn’t causing the issue also.
I have new adjusters and tensioners installed but I’ve read that if you update the chain you have to buy new adjusters and tensioners because the new chains have different links and are not compatible. Maybe I can find the older style chain to prevent replacing the new adjusters I just installed.
I have new adjusters and tensioners installed but I’ve read that if you update the chain you have to buy new adjusters and tensioners because the new chains have different links and are not compatible. Maybe I can find the older style chain to prevent replacing the new adjusters I just installed.
These newer cars and their respective engines are junk.They will end up totaled soon when one of many repairs will supersede their value.
Newbie
Joined: Dec 2021
Posts: 9
Likes: 8
W166 ML550
Thanks for the follow up. I forgot to post the end of the story.
It turned out that all 4 cam adjusters were shot. In particular they were showing significant wear in the area of the locking barrel (you have to disassemble then to check that. Worst offender was the intake adjuster of the passenger side. When one adjuster is worn, the likelihood that the others are also damaged is very high. (mine had 200k km on the clock)
I also switched out both secondary chains. I expected more stretch there, but both were only about 4mm longer than new.
Its all doable with the engine in the car. Get all the WIS docs and its not a problem.
Good luck Alex
It turned out that all 4 cam adjusters were shot. In particular they were showing significant wear in the area of the locking barrel (you have to disassemble then to check that. Worst offender was the intake adjuster of the passenger side. When one adjuster is worn, the likelihood that the others are also damaged is very high. (mine had 200k km on the clock)
I also switched out both secondary chains. I expected more stretch there, but both were only about 4mm longer than new.
Its all doable with the engine in the car. Get all the WIS docs and its not a problem.
Good luck Alex
I wonder what is the way to find out which phaser is out of shape without removing it.
I replaced chain tensioners and check valves, but still got the p0016 code and long cranking.
Newbie
Joined: Jul 2024
Posts: 12
Likes: 1
S550, S560, GLS450, CLS550, CLS63
does anyone on here have directions on how to do this with the engine in the car? i have a 2014 cls550 and its doing this issue and i got quoted 17k for it but im pretty sure i can do it i have all the tools i just dont have specific instructions. or a youtube link.
Newbie
Joined: May 2025
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
I have a 2012 and just ran into same issue. I just need instructions on removal and reinstallation.
