Got this code when I tried to search the source of the engine light on (2016 XLT 5.0). Seems to be cam phaser/solenoid related - timing is retarded on right (passenger side) bank. Anyone know what the possible problems /causes might be and any solutions?

 

Here something to read with an easy fix, if it's correct and an interesting explanation on the P0012 code. Don't know about the reliability of the source, just did a google search on P0012 Maybe a few more google searches could be in order..

https://scanneranswers.com/p0012-obd...ric-dtc-fault/

Could cold weather or wrong oil viscosity be an issue?

 

Hopefully low or oil or dirty oil, or both.
https://www.fixdapp.com/blog/p0012-code

 

Thanks very much everyone - all very helpful. As it turns out, everything that everyone on this site has suggested in response to my post is a possible cause of the P0012 fault code. Plus, there are other possible causes, too, because the design of the VCT system is apparently such that there are many points at which the system can fail. It's not a "Ford alone" problem - every manufacturer has issues with any piece of complicated technology which makes more horsepower while giving better fuel economy - it's the cost of trying to do everything well and is best described as being 'here for a good time, not a long time'. This code appears to be a common problem and I researched it a lot over the past several days. The cause of the (retarded timing) code includes but is not limited to: low oil level, low oil pressure, dirty oil, sludge in the engine, and wrong (heavier) oil viscosity - this proved to be interesting because guys would put thicker oil in the engine to quiet down the noisy phasers as they were failing but the heavier oil finished off the engine in most cases because it cannot travel through the tiny passes in the actuating system properly. The lesson there: don't mess with oil viscosity - use the 5W-20 as suggested by the guys who designed the engine. As an aside, however, using synthetic oil (5W-20) is a very good idea - not only because it protects the engine better with a harder film surface and lasts a lot longer, but because it keeps dirt suspended (rather than allowing it to percolate to the oil pan, galleries and heads as happens when regular/crude oil cools down). It suspends dirt and takes the dirt with it when the oil is drained during an oil change. The code may also be brought on by failure of the actuating solenoids, the electrical wiring to the solenoids, and, of course, the cam phasers themselves (and probably the position of the moon relative to the axis of the earth, too). Armed with the knowledge I gained from you guys and the research I did myself, I took my truck to a dealer who's top tech needed not one but two diagnostic sessions to make an 'educated guess', after which they recommended replacing everything mentioned above plus some other stuff in the engine, "just to be safe". Given the sphincter tightening cost of "just to be safe" I decided that I would take things a step at a time and asked them to replace the solenoids. I also asked them to replace the spark plugs just because it was time at 133K kms
(c.85K miles) but that's unrelated to the fault code). The engine light is now out and I will let you know if/when it returns. Thanks again for everyone's input - it gave me a good baseline from where to launch my own research and was beneficial. Dave.

 

Hey Dave, my truck is currently doing the same thing and has thrown the same code. Did replacing the solenoids help this problem!?

 

Yes