Cause of fault code P0018? New chain recently fitted

[VECom]

Hi,

I have a VE Commodore 08/2006 with about 135k km on it. It had a stretched chain and was rattling quite bad on start up. No fault codes at that time. I replaced the chain about three weeks ago. It was perfect and no rattle now. Now fault code P0018 has just started coming up.

When I did the chain I replaced the three chains, the guides, tensioners and primary gears.

Does anyone know what could be causing it?

Greg

 

[Benboy]

Here's some links on the matter - some light reading for the weekend. Good luck.

https://www.google.com.au/search?do...:1;&hl=en&gws_rd=cr&ei=oi0xWbGPDcGy0AT5pKjgBQ

 

[VECom]

Thanks, but I've done plenty of googling and read quite about it and haven't yet found a cause except from plenty of "your timing chain is stretched and needs replacing".

I'm wondering if there's another possible cause.

Greg

 

[VS_Pete]

I use this site to lookup codes.
https://www.obd-codes.com/p0018

https://www.obd-codes.com/

 

[Xplaya]

Hi,

I have a VE Commodore 08/2006 with about 135k km on it. It had a stretched chain and was rattling quite bad on start up. No fault codes at that time. I replaced the chain about three weeks ago. It was perfect and no rattle now. Now fault code P0018 has just started coming up.

When I did the chain I replaced the three chains, the guides, tensioners and primary gears.

Does anyone know what could be causing it?

Greg

An easy thing to try is swapping the left and right Cam actuator solenoid's (The alloytec if my memory is right, had 2 on each side held in each with one bolt). If the code changes to P0009 P0019 or another number I would start wit that for the fix (Clear the code first before changing over).

Did you use an aftermarket kit or genuine? I had a Mace kit installed on mine, and the code came back after a few months (Also a rattle was present on start up). So we decided to go to Genuine parts through holden (Which ended up close to the same price as the mace kit anyways :/)

There was a difference between the mace tensioner's and the genuine. Cant remember exact issue, as this was some time ago now, It was either to do with the size of tensioner or some type of oil/squirter hole on it was larger then the genuine.

Now I cant say that this difference was the culprit, but it never gave the engine light again once all changed o

 

[VECom]

Sorry I missed the posts as I didn't get the notification.

Xplaya I swapped the actuators and cam sensor. Then about a week later it developed a slight rattle then two days latter its stopped running.

It ended up being stuffed chains. A complete timing chain kit had been installed only 5 weeks before hand. Chains stretched to the point that they were about to come of the gears after only about 700 or 800 km or running.

Xplaya your post has been very helpful. Same supplier same problem.

 

[kungfumike]

Sorry to reopen this post... so you are saying the Mace kit is crap ?
I put one in my car about 8 weeks ago, had 2 tensioners fail so went genuine but kept their chains. Now it's throwing P0008 and P0009 codes. I'm already peed off about the tensioners, now if the chains are gone .... !!!

 

[Xplaya]

Sorry to reopen this post... so you are saying the Mace kit is crap ?
I put one in my car about 8 weeks ago, had 2 tensioners fail so went genuine but kept their chains. Now it's throwing P0008 and P0009 codes. I'm already peed off about the tensioners, now if the chains are gone .... !!!

I cant say if it was a bad batch or anything, but in my experience, I wouldnt recommend them to a mate.
We changed out the whole kit to Genuine and no problems after that. We also noticed when we swapped the mace back to genuine new, there were marks on the guides, that looked more worn then my 1st original guides :/