VVT has the ability to generate more power or save more fuel depending on the phase of the camshafts. Using a diagnostic scanner, you can determine if this part is the cause of your problems or if it’s something entirely different. Like when other electronic components of an engine fail, the vehicle’s computer can sense a oil control valve failure and in turn turn on the check engine light in your instrument cluster. The engine RPM will fluctuate which can directly result in a reduction of power generated by your car.Īlthough there are many other causes for rough idling, a failing oil control valve should be considered on cars equipped with VVT technology. If the VVT solenoid in your car is faulty, it can cause the engine to idle rough. This system will automatically be activated when your car’s RPM is higher than normal or there is an additional requirement for power such as when passing a another vehicle on an incline. The next thing that you need to consider is the VVT system on your vehicle. This in turn can cause a drastic reduction in how many miles you can travel per gallon of fuel. If the VVT solenoid stops working, the whole system may be compromised, in which may result in intake and exhaust valves opening and closing at the wrong time. Bad Oil Control Valve Symptoms 1) Poor Fuel EconomyĪs already mentioned, one of the main purposes of variable valve timing is to make sure that the valves open and close at the right time to boost engine performance as well as to reduce the consumption of fuel.

These include: saving fuel usage, reducing gas emissions generated by the vehicle, and improving engine performance.īelow, we go over some common symptoms of a bad oil control valve so that you can better diagnose if this component is the cause of your problems in your variable valve timing enabled engine. In general, an oil control valve has several functions that are vital. The oil control valve is responsible for changing the camshaft phase at the right time in the variable valve timing system. The oil control valve, in this case is controlled by the engine control module or commonly referred to as ECU or ECM.

The camshafts are adjusted by oil flowing through the VVT solenoid or oil control valve. This system goes by many names depending on the vehicle make, but some examples are Valvelift for Audi, FCT for Ford, MIVEC for Mitsubishi, i-VTEC/VTEC for Honda and Acura, AVLS/AVCS for Subaru, and VVT-i for Toyota. On VVT engines, camshafts can move independently of the rest of the timing system, allowing for earlier or later valve lift. These camshafts are timed to the crankshaft via a timing belt or timing chain. On a dual overhead engine, there is typically one intake camshaft and one exhaust camshaft per cylinder bank.

What Causes a Faulty Oil Control Valve?Ĭamshafts control the timing of the intake and exhaust valves.

Vvt solenoid