2011 M56x - VVT Solenoid? Rough Idle, Limp Mode, Power Cut

[Ilya]

My M56x has been a pretty solid star for years besides some minor gremlins (caused by me). That being said, I hadn't driven it in like 2 weeks as I was out of town and when I attempted to drive it to church today, while giving it a good amount of throttle (not WOT), the car cut power HARD and then seemed to go into limp mode (wouldn't rev above ~3.5k rpm).

After doing some additional testing to confirm that it was indeed limp mode, the CEL finally came on. I received pending faults for:

• P0014 - Powertrain - "B" Camshaft Position - Timing Over-Advanced or System Performance (Bank 1)
• P0300 - Powertrain - Random/Multiple Cylinder Misfire Detected

I cleared the codes and then attempted to drive the car (keeping RPM's below 3k) and it drove fine the rest of the day (~20 miles).

My car has ~148.5kmi on it. I run Mobil 1 0W-40 and a Mobil 1 M1-110a filter in it at a 5kmi OCI along with a cap full (or two) of Seafoam each oil change (for the entirety of the OCI). Blackstone Labs gave my car a clean bill of health back in 9/2021 when the car had 135kmi on the clock:

This engine looks good. You can see universal averages for the 5.6L V-8 engine in the rightmost column, and they're based on about 5,200 miles of oil use. You went just about as long, and got pretty similar wear levels. There are slight variations, but that's perfectly okay. There's nothing bad in these readings -- the slightly higher aluminum and iron levels may just be normal for your driving style, and there's nothing wrong with a 2 ppm copper reading when average is more like 24 ppm! The TBN of 7.1 is nice and strong. Looks like a great engine!

The AI & the Facebook community suggested the following:

• Change oil immediately (it's at around 3,800 miles of the 5,000 mile OCI) and go to 5W-30 (NOTE: I have already purchase 5W-30 but am depleting my stock of 0W-40 before switching)
• Clean and/or replace the Variable Valve Timing (VVT) Solenoids
• Change to a 3kmi OCI permanently

What sayeth NICOClub? Are VVT Solenoids a common failure on this car/mileage? Are the Hitachi's recommended by AI and found on RockAuto (half the price of OEM) worth the buy or should I pay up for OEM? Should I get both or just the one that's impacted (passenger side?).

I see the part numbers as:

• Passenger Side: 23796-JK20B for $191 (OEM) or Hitachi VTS0005 for $92 (Aftermarket)
• Driver Side: 23796-JK25B for $228 (OEM) or Hitachi VTS0017 for $105 (Aftermarket)

[Ilya]

Looks like the EVT/Camshaft sensors are very accessible as well, so I plan to remove and clean those up and switch sides as well. Is it worth doing the same to the crankshaft sensor on the bottom of the car?

Or at this age, is it best to just replace all four or five sensors?

[VStar650CL]

Hall sensors don't generally die just from old age, and P0014 isn't generally a sensor issue. The solenoids can die from old age and are the usual culprit if the oiling system is otherwise clean and healthy. Try swapping the sensors first (because it's simple), and if the code doesn't migrate with them, change the bank1 (driver's side) solenoid first before throwing any other parts at it. Aftermarket solenoids are typically fine, especially if you stick to riceburner brands.

[Ilya]

Thanks, VStar. That shall be the plan then next weekend.

[VStar650CL]

[anewstartinchrist]

Definitely let us know how this one goes. I decided to buy the OEM VVT solenoids to avoid any issues. I got mine from Amayama. I don't have VVT issues atm, but the cases are severely rusted and corroded. I bought by gaskets from PartSouq.

[Ilya]

Definitely let us know how this one goes. I decided to buy the OEM VVT solenoids to avoid any issues. I got mine from Amayama. I don't have VVT issues atm, but the cases are severely rusted and corroded. I bought by gaskets from PartSouq.

I likely won't have time to get to this this week and leave for Christmas in NY on the 22nd but what gasket are you referring too? The O-Ring? Do you have the gasket part # so I can try to find the M56x version (if different)?

I finally made an Amayama account and wow, way cheaper than US dealers. I can get the OEM stuff for only $5-6 more than the Hitachi aftermarket stuff from RockAuto.

[anewstartinchrist]

Definitely let us know how this one goes. I decided to buy the OEM VVT solenoids to avoid any issues. I got mine from Amayama. I don't have VVT issues atm, but the cases are severely rusted and corroded. I bought by gaskets from PartSouq.

I likely won't have time to get to this this week and leave for Christmas in NY on the 22nd but what gasket are you referring too? The O-Ring? Do you have the gasket part # so I can try to find the M56x version (if different)?

I finally made an Amayama account and wow, way cheaper than US dealers. I can get the OEM stuff for only $5-6 more than the Hitachi aftermarket stuff from RockAuto.

Just now seeing this. I was thinking about the camshaft sensors that have a gasket that needs to be replaced when doing those on both banks. The gaskets on the VVT solenoids should already be installed on them. So no additional gaskets. My apologies. You will have to look your VVTS's up by your VIN to see what your part #'s are since you have the M56x. For my car the passenger and driver-side have different part #'s. PartSouq and Amayama are usually pretty good on providing pictures of the parts. What sucks now is the additional tariff and duty charges on top of the shipping cost that you have to pay when shipping from outside the US. So some of the savings get eaten up by those.

VQ37VHR - 2012 M37x Built 10/2012
Passenger-side VVT solenoid: 23796-JK20B
Driver-side VVT solenoid: 23796-ZE00C

[Ilya]

So I found time to do this today because thankfully my wife didn't make me leave the house

I removed all four cam/crankshaft sensors and cleaned them off and reinstalled them. Also removed the VVT solenoids and swapped sides - man, that was more work than I anticipated. Regardless, after starting the car, I still have a rough idle, pending P0300 (multiple cylinder misfire) code, pending P0302 (Cylinder 2 Misfire) code and blinking CEL.

VStar - is it time to replace the VVT solenoids? They were quite rusty on the outside but didn't seem to so bad on the inside. Pictures below.

Or is something else going on? The car has 148.5kmi on it. Spark plugs were replaced at 100,104 miles (4/12/2021).

Before:



After:



VVT Solenoid (Passenger):



VVT Solenoid (Driver Side):





After cleaning:

[Ilya]

NOTE: I didn't change the oil today. But FB group suggested I do that as well and go to a 3kmi OCI vs my current 5kmi OCI.

[VStar650CL]

If swapping sides didn't change anything then it isn't the solenoids causing the problem. They can get pretty awful looking on the outside and still work like new, and yours look fine on the inside. Changing them is probably a needless exercise. P0014 isn't usually a sensor issue but I have seen old sensors respond "off angle" on a few occasions, so if you haven't tried swapping those then that's the next thing. Hopefully you don't have anything leaking inside the front cover.

[Ilya]

You mean swapping the little EVT (crankshaft/camshaft?) sensors that I removed to clean? Like for like?

You got me worried about the front cover...what could that mean? Is my chain going again even though I had it fixed under the recall? The misfire idle is pretty rough right now.

[VStar650CL]

You mean swapping the little EVT (crankshaft/camshaft?) sensors that I removed to clean? Like for like?

Correct. If the codes migrate to the other bank with the sensor, you know that sensor has foggy glasses.

You got me worried about the front cover...what could that mean? Is my chain going again even though I had it fixed under the recall? The misfire idle is pretty rough right now.

There are several rubber seals in the covers which all need to have integrity for the phasers to work right, and of course any obstruction in the flow will also cause a phaser malfunction. Nissan doesn't give us test ports to look at those pressures (and I surely wish they did). The only way we can isolate those issues is to stream the PWM percentage coming out of the ECM to the solenoid and simultaneously watch the cam timing to see if the cam follows what the ECM commands. That of course requires a sensor which is working right and a scanner capable of streaming the EVT solenoid (either percent or voltage), which only high-end scanners will generally do. Most good scanners these days do IVT, but EVT is less common.

[Ilya]

The interesting thing is I have yet to see a P00XX code since clearing it that fateful day when I first encountered this issue. Right now, it's just pending misfire codes. But someone (not sure if it was here or on FB) mentioned that misfire codes are likely related to the the P00XX codes I was getting earlier. While I did do the spark plugs 48kmi ago (at 100kmi)...the coil packs are all original...and 15 years old.

EDIT: Here is a link to the blinking CEL. Best I can read out is this is 5 blinks, pause, 5 blinks? Again, the codes are 'pending' but CEL is blinking.

https://streamable.com/cb3jhc

[VStar650CL]

i don't think that's a deliberate pattern, probably just something in the cluster firmware. On MY's past about '04, blinking while the engine is running just means a misfire is detected. The ECM and cluster treat misfires differently from all other codes, because an ignition misfire (as opposed to a dead injector) can send raw fuel into the cats, overheating and potentially destroying them. Since you seem to be getting a P0302 pretty consistently along with the P0300, try swapping the #2 coil with a different cylinder and see if that cylinder starts throwing a code. If so, you know it's time for new coils.

[Ilya]

i don't think that's a deliberate pattern, probably just something in the cluster firmware. On MY's past about '04, blinking while the engine is running just means a misfire is detected. The ECM and cluster treat misfires differently from all other codes, because an ignition misfire (as opposed to a dead injector) can send raw fuel into the cats, overheating and potentially destroying them. Since you seem to be getting a P0302 pretty consistently along with the P0300, try swapping the #2 coil with a different cylinder and see if that cylinder starts throwing a code. If so, you know it's time for new coils.

Thanks for that information. I guess I have my marching orders once I get back from upstate NY around New Years time.

[anewstartinchrist]

I just got two codes driving today. It just so happened I took my code reader with me to also test for misfires. I hadn't driven it in a couple of days and decided to try and diagnose the vibration with a spirometer. I had no trouble codes before I left home because I checked. After trying to accelerate harder out of a turn my car seemed to jerk under harder acceleration out of nowhere. It felt like it didn't want to shift into 2nd under harder acceleration & power loss. I stopped on an entrance ramp after getting off the highway to turn around to go back home. No CEL, just these codes:

P0021: INT/V TIM CONT-B2 (One Time)
P0524: Engine Oil Pressure (One Time)

i feathered the throttle home & realized I really should have stopped driving it after digging into the oil pressure code. I did freak out though. But the transmission seemed to shift fine under light throttle. I already changed both camshaft sensors. The other code tells me that it is bank 2 that has the issue. I tried changing the bank 2 VVT solenoid, but when backing it out, it hits the hose that connects to the thermostat housing. Ilya, did you have that problem too?? I'm hoping I don't have to drain the coolant or even remove the thermostat housing to pull the solenoid all the way out. Current oil is Valvoline Restore & Protect 5W-30. I had Amsoil High Mileage 5W-30 in it before, and planned on changing it to Amsoil Signature Series 5W-30. Oil level seemed fine too.

After changing the camshaft sensors and reinstalling the old B2 VVT solenoid, I cleared the codes and parked it where I can get to it tomorrow. Any suggestions, advice?

[VStar650CL]

P0524 is kind of a weird code. The ECM isn't directly looking at the EOP because there's no sensor, only a go-no-go EOP switch mounted above the oil filter. The ECM doesn't even monitor that, the switch only drives the idiot lamp in the cluster. Instead the ECM is intuiting oil pressure loss from a lack of cam phaser response. If your oil level is good and the correct weight, check the actual pressure with a mechanical gauge in the EOP switch port with the engine fully warmed up. Most parts stores will rent you a gauge kit if you don't own one. The spec is 14 psi at idle and 43 psi at 2000 RPM. If the pressure is normal across the board, try a new bank2 IVT solenoid. If not, your VQ is a very different animal from @Ilya's VK. VQ's (especially longitudinal ones) have a common and peculiar problem of leaking gaskets in the oil gallery on the rear timing cover. If the pressure reads low (even a little) at idle but at or near normal at 2000, chances are that's your problem. Nissan doesn't sell the gallery gaskets individually but you can get good aftermarket ones from outlets like Z1 Motorsports and Concept Z. It's a big job, the front cover and main timing chain need to come off to access the galleries.

[Ilya]

I can't speak to the VQ, but my driver side VVT solenoid was a pain to get out and I used a pry bar to give myself some wiggle room against the AC line (so the harness plug clears). That being said, I later learned that if I just rotate the solenoid so the harness plug is facing the front of the car, it comes out more or less fine.

I get my new VVT solenoids on Wednesday. I decided to go ahead and purchase the Hitachi's from Rock Auto as cheap insurance and do both together even if only one is bad.

[anewstartinchrist]

P0524 is kind of a weird code. The ECM isn't directly looking at the EOP because there's no sensor, only a go-no-go EOP switch mounted above the oil filter. The ECM doesn't even monitor that, the switch only drives the idiot lamp in the cluster. Instead the ECM is intuiting oil pressure loss from a lack of cam phaser response. If your oil level is good and the correct weight, check the actual pressure with a mechanical gauge in the EOP switch port with the engine fully warmed up. Most parts stores will rent you a gauge kit if you don't own one. The spec is 14 psi at idle and 43 psi at 2000 RPM. If the pressure is normal across the board, try a new bank2 IVT solenoid. If not, your VQ is a very different animal from @Ilya's VK. VQ's (especially longitudinal ones) have a common and peculiar problem of leaking gaskets in the oil gallery on the rear timing cover. If the pressure reads low (even a little) at idle but at or near normal at 2000, chances are that's your problem. Nissan doesn't sell the gallery gaskets individually but you can get good aftermarket ones from outlets like Z1 Motorsports and Concept Z. It's a big job, the front cover and main timing chain need to come off to access the galleries.

Thank you VStar. It is cold today after the unusually warm weather we just had last week. So I may wait until tomorrow where it'll be in the 50s. But I will get the oil pressure tested first. I will report back with my findings. I already have the both bank VVT solenoids on hand. However the bank 2 solenoid bumps into the thermostat housing so I may have to drain the coolant and remove that to get it out.

[Ilya]

Replaced both VVT solenoids today (only one was likely bad, but for good measure did both) along with fresh oil and car seems to run great now. I made sure to dip them in oil heavily before installing to prevent seize up on initial start. Just before I started the car I also scanned for codes and had a P0300 and a pending P0021. After clearing and idling/driving, no codes came back.

I went up from 0W-40 to 5W-40. I used 6 QTs of 5W-40 and 1QT of my remaining 0W-40. Shouldn't be a problem right? Should I go to 5W-30 next oil change?

Also, noticed that on the new solenoids, the little black 'screens' weren't present. AI says this is because this part was redesigned. Seems to run perfect now though.

[VStar650CL]

There's never anything wrong with going to a heavier weight oil as long as it still falls within the manufacturer spec range. There's a ton of evidence that there's no substitute for thicker oil in cold start protection, and the sole reason OE's are all going to 0W is for fuel mileage. Personally, if I didn't get 0W ridiculously cheap from the dealership tanks, I'd have heavier stuff in both of our rides.

[Ilya]

Good deal!

Drove the car another 45 min this evening and she runs great. My butt dyno may be lying, but I feel like it's faster now too .

[anewstartinchrist]

Glad it worked out . So far I've done an Amsoil engine flush and changed the oil with Pennzoil Platinum HM 5W-30 & a Mobile One filter. I let the car warm up after the oil change and gave it some throttle a couple of times. The P0021 code came back but not the P0524. And that may be because I wasn't driving the car, accelerating and decelerating, etc. I'm not sure. The next step I will try is to let the car cool down and then drain the coolant to take the thermostat off so that I can get the bank 2 VVT solenoid out to change it. I'll do bank 1 too. Once I get everything back together, I'll test drive the car and keep my scan tool with me.
I wasn't able to test the oil pressure due to the oil pressure switch being a lot less accessible than the VQ's that have it on the front of the engine above the bottom oil pan. Mine is on the top side of the oil filter housing(bracket) at an angle and I don't want to risk breaking it off. In case the P0524 code comes back I found a shop called NISformance in Mebane, NC that I've started communicating with for the gallery gasket repair. I reached out to SOHO Motorsports in Monroe, NC via email too but haven't heard anything back. Prayers for good news. Otherwise this will be an expensive repair but cheaper than buying a new car. I may even ask them to help me figure out where the vibration is coming from while it's at their shop. Happy New Year to you both!

[anewstartinchrist]

Replaced both VVT solenoids today (only one was likely bad, but for good measure did both) along with fresh oil and car seems to run great now. I made sure to dip them in oil heavily before installing to prevent seize up on initial start. Just before I started the car I also scanned for codes and had a P0300 and a pending P0021. After clearing and idling/driving, no codes came back.

I went up from 0W-40 to 5W-40. I used 6 QTs of 5W-40 and 1QT of my remaining 0W-40. Shouldn't be a problem right? Should I go to 5W-30 next oil change?

Also, noticed that on the new solenoids, the little black 'screens' weren't present. AI says this is because this part was redesigned. Seems to run perfect now though.

I can confirm that my OEM VVT solenoids came with no screens as well. I got curious, and decided to check to see if the screens are removable on the old ones. And they actually do come off. When looking at the solenoid, if you pick at the thickest part of the black piece between each screen section, it opens up into a little clip that peels back and you can remove the entire thing to clip it onto the new one. It's just a pressure fitted clip that snaps into place. That's the best way I can explain it.

[anewstartinchrist]

So far I've replaced both VVT solenoids and the camshaft sensors. I didn't have to drain the coolant, thank God. Most of the YT videos showing how to replace the solenoids on the VQ's only show bank 1. I found one where a guy did both and had to deal with the same issue as me with the coolant pipe. All he did was move his worm clamp back and out of the way, and somehow he was able to have just enough wiggle room for the solenoid to come out. I still have the OEM clamp, so I was able to move it out of the way to squeeze the solenoid right out. Even though part of the thermostat housing is still in the way, removing the clamp created just enough room to remove it...
I let the car warm up and revved it a few times to try and duplicate the P0021 code just as before and it hasn't come back . I performed "Clear Flood Mode" a couple of times to prime the solenoids(Dipping them in oil also helped get them back in place) before letting the car start. If I have time tomorrow, I'll drive it to see if the oil pressure is an issue.

[Ilya]

Interesting on the filters.

VStar - when you do this job at the shop, do you move the filters? Or is it fine to roll without em? Gemini seems to think the removal of the filters was a conscious decision by Nissan to aid with flow.

[VStar650CL]

Interesting on the filters.

VStar - when you do this job at the shop, do you move the filters? Or is it fine to roll without em? Gemini seems to think the removal of the filters was a conscious decision by Nissan to aid with flow.

I believe that's correct about Nissan deliberately eliminating the screens, because it seems like the new parts arrive that way on all the models which "infer" the oil pressure instead of having a hardware EOP. Moreover, if Nissan expected them to remain in place, the Parts Department would normally have a service file with a separate part number for the screens. As far as I can tell, no such service file exists. So we don't transfer them, when new parts arrive sans the filters they just go into the engine as-is.

[anewstartinchrist]

Interesting on the filters.

VStar - when you do this job at the shop, do you move the filters? Or is it fine to roll without em? Gemini seems to think the removal of the filters was a conscious decision by Nissan to aid with flow.

I believe that's correct about Nissan deliberately eliminating the screens, because it seems like the new parts arrive that way on all the models which "infer" the oil pressure instead of having a hardware EOP. Moreover, if Nissan expected them to remain in place, the Parts Department would normally have a service file with a separate part number for the screens. As far as I can tell, no such service file exists. So we don't transfer them, when new parts arrive sans the filters they just go into the engine as-is.

Thanks VStar

[VStar650CL]