C2817 BMW Fault Code

Description:

The Camshaft Position sensor will signal the Engine Control Module when the #1 cylinder is ready for the spark plug to fire (top-dead-center on compression stroke).

The ECM uses the information from this sensor to help calculate fuel delivery and spark timing.

C2817 Code Symptoms :

The original multi-displacement system turned off opposite pairs of cylinders, allowing the engine to have three different configurations and displacements. C2817 code had an elaborate diagnostics procedure, including showing engine trouble codes on the air conditionning display. However, the system was troublesome, misunderstood by customers, and a rash of unpredictable failures led to the technology being quickly retired.

Diagnosis And Repairing C2817

C2817 OBD2 reports a sensor fault, replacement of the sensor is unlikely to resolve the underlying problem. The fault is most likely to be caused by the systems that the sensor is monitoring, but might even be caused by the wiring to the sensor itself.

How to fix C2817 code ?

• Exhaust gas leaks
• Dirty Oil
• Faulty Mass Air Flow (MAF) sensor
• Continuous oil flow to the VCT piston chamber

As long as the throttle plate remains closed, the idling speed and quality is controlled by the PCM via the idle control valve, and as can be seen from the above it should be clear that idle control on a gasoline engine is a complex affair.

For instance, if the engine is started in sub-zero temperatures, the PCM will command the idling control valve to allow less air to enter the engine to enrich the air/fuel mixture to create a condition which is roughly analogous to how chokes worked on carburetted engines to control idling in cold weather.