OBD-II Code
P0371
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)
$200–$1,400
From this code's diagnostic notes. Varies by vehicle, diagnosis, parts, and local labor. This is not a repair quote.
P0371 means the Timing Reference High-Resolution Signal A is reporting too many pulses per crank revolution — the PCM expected a specific number of edges from the high-resolution crank or cam reference (typically 58 teeth on a 60-2 missing-tooth wheel, or 24 evenly-spaced pulses on GM's 24X reference wheel) and is counting more than that.
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 procedureP0371 means the Timing Reference High-Resolution Signal A is reporting too many pulses per crank revolution — the PCM expected a specific number of e…
P0371 means the Timing Reference High-Resolution Signal A is reporting too many pulses per crank revolution — the PCM expected a specific number of edges from the high-resolution crank or cam reference (typically 58 teeth on a 60-2 missing-tooth wheel, or 24 evenly-spaced pulses on GM's 24X reference wheel) and is counting more than that.
This is a signal-integrity problem
electrical noise inducing phantom pulses on the signal wire, a damaged trigger wheel with an extra burr or weld bead, a CKP sensor reading too close to the wheel and picking up trailing-edge bounce, or wiring routed too close to a high-current load (injector harness, ignition coil primary, alternator). Cheapest-first ladder: scan live data and capture the freeze-frame RPM and engine load when the code set — phantom-pulse counts at idle point at noise pickup; counts under WOT point at mechanical resonance or trigger-wheel damage. Backprobe the CKP signal wire at the PCM with a scope: a healthy 60-2 VR signal cranks at 0.5 to 1.5 V AC peak-to-peak and rises to 5 to 12 V AC at 2,000 RPM with two clearly visible missing teeth per revolution; a Hall-effect sensor produces a 0 to 5 V square wave with sharp edges. Extra pulses appearing between expected teeth = noise or mechanical damage. Inspect the trigger wheel visually for added material, burrs, weld spatter, or a cracked/loose wheel. Verify CKP sensor air gap (typically 0.030 to 0.050 inches, FSM-specific). Check signal-wire shielding and routing — bundled with injector wiring is a frequent culprit. Expensive misdiagnosis caveat: on GM Vortec early-LS systems with the 24X reference, P0371 immediately after a harmonic balancer or front timing cover replacement is almost always a damaged trigger wheel or a misaligned CKP sensor — pull the front cover and inspect before chasing wiring or PCM faults.
Vehicle-specific patterns1996-2002 GM Vortec early-LS systems with 24X reference (LS1 Camaro/Corvette/Firebird, LS6 Z06) throw P0371 from a damaged 24X reluctor wheel behind…
- 1996-2002GM Vortec early-LS systems with 24X reference (LS1 Camaro/Corvette/Firebird, LS6 Z06) throw P0371 from a damaged 24X reluctor wheel behind the harmonic balancer — the wheel cracks or loses a tooth and the PCM counts phantom edges.
- 1999-2007Ford 4.6L/5.4L Modular V8 (F-150, Expedition, Mustang GT) throws P0371 after balancer or front-cover service when the technician disturbs the CKP sensor mounting and the gap drifts below spec, causing the sensor to pick up trailing-edge bounce.
- 2005-2010Chrysler 2.7L/3.5L V6 (300, Charger, Pacifica) throws P0371 from a known TSB-style issue where the CKP signal wire chafes against the timing cover and picks up alternator noise.
- 2007-2012Nissan VQ35DE (Altima, Maxima, 350Z) throws P0371 from a cracked reluctor ring on the back of the flywheel after a clutch or torque-converter job where the technician pried on the wrong tab.
Estimated repair$200 to $1,400.
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