Code P0014 camshaft position over advanced

Hi Adriann,

The variable valve timing on modern engines is controlled by something called an oil control solenoid. These are powered by oil pressure, so low or dirty oil can easily affect their operation. I had that same error come up on my wife's Subaru Crosstrek, and as it turned out, simply changing the oil fixed the problem.

I can't say for sure on your car, but at least on the Subarus there are four of those solenoids, one for each intake and exhaust camshaft on both sides of the engine. In general, there'll be two solenoids for each cylinder head; my Subaru has two heads, thus four solenoids. An inline 4 cylinder will most likely only have two, while a V6 will again have four.

Anyway, if the oil change doesn't do the job, then the next thing to try would be removing and cleaning them with solvent.

If you're still getting the error after that, you will need to determine which one is at fault. Swap positions of them two at a time and recheck; when you find the faulty one, the error will give a different error number; i.e., it'll change to error P0011. If you swap them around and the error never moves no matter how you mix up the solenoids, then it may be something else such as a failed camshaft actuator, damaged timing components, a wiring problem, or an issue with the PCM or camshaft position sensor.

So yeah, start by changing the oil and filter. Clear the code and drive the car for a while and see if it comes back. If it does, come on back and let us know and we'll figure out what your next step should be.