Off Their Rockers: SureTrack Community Fix

February 8, 2022 by Nick Taylor

Real Fixes from Mitchell 1’s SureTrack® expert information resource are documented issues from actual shop repair orders and community discussions. Read on to see how SureTrack can help you correct issues that are not easily diagnosed using OEM information alone. SureTrack is available at no additional cost in our ProDemand product.

Any time a customer works on their own vehicle before bringing it to you can cause you to try and figure out if the work they did caused the problem. SureTrack community member HcTruckRepair had a Dodge Grand Caravan in their shop where the customer replaced the rocker arms and then ended up with a P0344 cam sensor code. They posed the question to the community, and with the help of fellow community member RVAAuto and others, they were able to resolve the issue quickly.

The following Community Fix summarizes the interaction between members of the community that led to the solution.

Vehicle
2017 Dodge Grand Caravan SE 3.6L

Title
P0344 After Rocker Arm Replacement, replaced cam sensor.

Complaint
Customer states that check engine light is on.

Diagnostic Steps Performed/Parts Replaced
Customer brought in vehicle after changing their own rocker arms. Code P0344-Camshaft Position Sensor Intermittent – Bank 1 Sensor 1 present. Claims they released bank 2 timing chain with the hook tool but they did not. Somehow they still changed the rockers. I removed valve covers to check, and all rocker arms had been changed, new cam sensor on Bank 1. I did not see damage to bank 1 cam wheels. What could be causing this issue? Could they have bent the cam getting the rocker arms out by prying up on the cam? Replace the cam sensor but still same issue. Where to look from here?

Best Answer from Community Member RVAAuto
Scope the cam signal and compare to the good bank. They might have demagnetized a section of the trigger (tone) wheel.

Cause
They used a magnet to remove the rockers, wiped out a spot on the cam sensor tone wheel causing bad signal.

Correction
Replaced Bank 1 cam sensor tone wheel and issue is resolved.

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About the Author

Nick Taylor

Nick Taylor is the SureTrack Community Administrator and a Senior Applications Specialist at Mitchell 1 with over 25 years of experience with electronic repair data systems. Nick previously worked in the automotive dismantling and engine rebuilding industries.