I had a check engine light come up on my 2004 S40. 2.5 l. Come to find out it was a bad camshaft sensor on bank 2. Can anyone tell me which side of the engine is bank 2 and if there's anything else I should look for. Haven't had the car long so I haven't been able to get familiar with it

 

Before spending money, I'd be certain that it is really what you say. A camshaft sensor is nothing but a magnet that picks up a reference signal from a spinning object, the camshaft.

I'd suggest sharing the actual trouble code that you have.

 

I also doubt it's the cam sensor. More likely a VVT related problem. Make sure the oil is full and clean. Next step would be the CVVT solenoid.

 

 

don't have a Gen 2 S40 but the cam sensors on my other Volvos are on the driver's side of the cam shaft. I believe your car has two sensors - ie one for the intake cam and one for the exhaust. Bank 2 suggests its the exhaust cam which is going out of range, thus the comments about the VVT on the exhaust cam is likely the root cause vs the sensor. Its best to know the exact code as the that will say whether there's an open/short in the sensor or that the reading coming back is "out of range" for normal driving as would happen when the VVT gear gums up and doesn't properly advance the cam timing.

 

I don't mean to sound like an idiot bit what is the VVT and how do i check it? The check engine light has went off so I can't get it checked and I forgot the code #. The symptoms of the problem are it randomly stutters and sometimes it's pretty rough. Acceleration isn't the greatest sometimes, others the car runs perfect. Just trying to figure all this out.

 

the VVT is the variable valve timing system. On the cam gear you have a system that can advance the cam timing as engine speed increases to improve performance and driveability. Its driven by oil pressure so any gunk in the oil ports or varnish can keep the cam from advancing properly - thus getting flagged by the cam position sensor. Some models have a single VVT on the exhaust cam (the firewall side of the engine), others have VVT on both the intake and exhaust. Some people have had luck doing a Seafoam treatment to clear the oil ports but more likely they need to be removed/cleaned or replaced. Its most important to remove the timing belt cover to inspect for any oil leaks as well before you wet the timing belt. Check Youtube for some vids that discuss the design and common faults.

 

Just got the codes ran again and they came back as a P0345. And now it has developed a P0305 cylinder 5 misfire.

 

sounds like the exhaust cam position sensor is reporting a value the ECU doesn't like - and the misfire suggests the valve timing may be off. You can try swapping coils with #5 and say #3 and dropping in new plugs to see if the 0305 misfire goes away but on the assumption these codes are related, it suggests the valve timing is lagging due to the VVT. So the DIY steps would be 1) swap coils / replace plugs to see if it changes the 0305 code 2) either try a Seafoam treatment (add to oil, run a day or two then do an oil change) or 3) go to a Volvo shop with a VIDA-DICE to measure the cam position in real time to catch the VVT solenoid acting up... You can also try replacing the cam sensor but that may be just a waste of $40 (or $80 if you buy genuine Volvo) for the sensor part. check out the youtube vid to get a sense of how to replace. Also look for vids on Volvo VVT gear replacements