OBD-II Code
P0346
Severity
Not yet reviewed
Nobody on our side has assessed this code yet, so we are not going to guess at how serious it is.
Can you drive it
We cannot say
Treat it as unknown until a shop reads it with live data. If the check-engine light is FLASHING, stop driving as soon as it is safe to — that means an active misfire, whatever the code.
Indicative cost (USD)
$90–$2,800
From this code's diagnostic notes. Varies by vehicle, diagnosis, parts, and local labor. This is not a repair quote.
P0346 means the Bank 2 Camshaft Position Sensor A signal is in range electrically but does not correlate properly with crankshaft position over the ECM's monitoring window - the pulse pattern arrives, but the cam-vs-crank phase angle drifts beyond the ~6 to 8 degree tolerance the PCM expects for that engine.
How a shop works this
Work from evidence to part, not the other way round. A code names a circuit or a symptom; it does not name the part that failed.
Note every code that is set, not just this one.
Codes that appear together usually narrow the cause faster than any one of them read alone.
Read the freeze frame — the conditions the fault was recorded under.
Cold or warm, idle or load, road speed and engine speed. A fault that only appears cold is a different fault from one that only appears under load, even with the same code on the scanner.
Confirm the fault is current rather than history.
Clear the code and see whether it returns under those same conditions. A code that does not come back may have been logged during a repair, a flat battery, or a bad connection that has since been disturbed.
Then follow the diagnostic notes further down this page, in the order they are written.
They are written in the order a shop works this code, cheapest checks first. Where they name a component, inspect its wiring and connector before replacing it.
If the code comes back after a repair, the underlying fault is still there. That is the point to bring in a scanner with live data and freeze-frame, or a shop that has one.
Common symptoms
- Check engine light
Read the full diagnostic procedureP0346 means the Bank 2 Camshaft Position Sensor A signal is in range electrically but does not correlate properly with crankshaft position over the E…
P0346 means the Bank 2 Camshaft Position Sensor A signal is in range electrically but does not correlate properly with crankshaft position over the ECM's monitoring window - the pulse pattern arrives, but the cam-vs-crank phase angle drifts beyond the ~6 to 8 degree tolerance the PCM expects for that engine. This is a performance code, not a hard circuit failure (those are P0347/P0348), so the sensor itself is often fine.
Cheapest-first ladder
- scope the Bank 2 CMP signal during cranking and at warm idle - a healthy Hall-effect CMP produces a clean 0 to 5V square wave (some platforms 0 to 12V) with sharp edges and consistent pulse width matching the reluctor tooth profile; a VR (variable reluctance) sensor produces a sinusoidal AC waveform that grows from ~0.5V peak-to-peak at cranking to 3 to 8V at idle.
- Check the air gap with a feeler gauge (typical spec 0.020 to 0.050 inch).
- Inspect the reluctor wheel on the cam for chipped or oil-fouled teeth.
- Compare commanded vs actual VVT phaser angle on the scan tool - if commanded 25 degrees and actual reads 8 degrees, the cam is mechanically lagging the command, which throws P0346 even though the sensor is reading exactly what is happening.
- The expensive misdiagnosis is replacing the CMP sensor before checking for a stretched timing chain or worn VVT phaser that is creating a real cam-vs-crank offset - on high-mileage VVT engines (Ford Cyclone, GM LFX, Chrysler Pentastar, Nissan VQ), the chain or phaser is the actual fault and the sensor is just the messenger.
Vehicle-specific patterns2007-2014 Ford 3.5L/3.7L Cyclone V6 (Edge, Flex, MKX, Taurus, F-150) sets P0346 from stretched secondary timing chains on the rear bank that retard B…
- 2007-2014Ford 3.5L/3.7L Cyclone V6 (Edge, Flex, MKX, Taurus, F-150) sets P0346 from stretched secondary timing chains on the rear bank that retard Bank 2 cam timing - listen for cold-start chain rattle and budget for a full timing kit because the chains, guides, tensioners, and VVT solenoids should all be done together.
- 2010-2016Hyundai/Kia 3.3/3.8 Lambda V6 (Genesis, Santa Fe, Sorento, Sedona) throws P0346 from oil-control valve (OCV) screen clogging on Bank 2 - the rear-bank OCV sees less oil flow and clogs first; a screen service plus fresh 5W-30 often clears it.
- 2008-2017GM 3.6L LFX/LLT (Camaro, Equinox, Traverse, Acadia) sets P0346 from worn Bank 2 cam actuators - the rear-bank phaser is buried under the intake manifold and gets neglected during routine service; full timing kit at 100k+ miles is the OE-pattern fix. Nissan VQ35/VQ37 (Altima, Maxima, 350Z/370Z) Bank 2 CMP gets oil-soaked from valve cover gasket weep and throws P0346 - replace the gasket and clean the connector before condemning the sensor.
Estimated repair$90 to $2,800.
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