AVCS Timing over advanced - Both banks P0021 and P0011
 

I've recently bought an '08 Impreza, 1.5 L non-turbo (Japanese Anesis model).
Took out the air filter and found it black as night, so changed it out. To get it back in I had to unplug the MAF electric jack and undo the hose clip for the intake line. Put it back in and then got the engine light after a couple drive cycles.
Undid the battery and the code went, but drove off and car stalled on me, read another forum which told I should let it idle for ten minutes after taking out the battery. Took out the battery and then put it back in, let it idle...

Now the engine light comes back. Read the code and it shows both P0021 and P0011. The oil was pretty bad so I changed oil and filter and cleared the code. After about 5 drive cycles the light is on again.

Any thoughts?
Thanks very much.

what oil have you used and how bad was the old oil,
https://www.scoobynet.com/general-te...explained.html

Oil condition
 

Oil was pretty bad, could see some sludge on the dipstick when I pulled it, the filter was dirty as fk..

I put it Total 10w-30 5k oil in it yesterday..

Prob find that the AVCS screen filters in the banjo bolts ( oil feed pipes to AVCS solenoids) are bunged up with sludge and tarnish if the engine oil was that bad.
Worse case scenario would be the AVCS pulley's sludged up internally but these can be stripped and cleaned too.

Mick

Cleaning the banjo bolt screen
 

Thanks Mick. going to clean these screens this morning and hope that does the trick.Will update

No filter in AVCS Banjo bolt
 

Seems there is no filter in the banjo bolt in front the solenoid.. Lots of gunk in there tho... I checked to see whether the filter had fallen inside the solenoid area but nothing in there either...

Light back on after two drive cycles..

Can anyone help?

The solenoids are possibly sticking............. you may need to take them apart and clean, along with the camshaft actuators (need to check for dirt stopping them moving)

http://drive2.subaru.com/Win05/AVCS/illustration.gif

http://static.opposedforces.com/epc_...1495000601.png

http://opposedforces.com/parts/impre...llustration_1/


http://clarkdh.net23.net/images/P0011.png

Solenoids cleaned up, seemed to be moving freely. Guessing the only option now is to clean up the cam sprocket?

What i find weird is that it's throwing both codes at the same time. Coincidence they both become plugged?

Just a shot in the dark but the neutral position switch messes with the avcs when it's faulty. If you have an excessive amount of sludge inside your engine I would say there's something seriously wrong.

Reckon if the neutral position switch was faulty it would throw a code for that? Anyone with any advice on how to remove and clean the cam sprockets?

This thread should give you some idea re: cleaning

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/show....php?t=2441411

this maybe useful as well

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthrea...s-191330.html?

Thanks! Any experience with running oil flushes?

Nps is easily checked with Romraider

Thanks!

No it doesn't, it's an on off switch. On when in gear (avcs active), off when in neutral (avcs inactive). I know it sounds like a long shot because it is but if cleaning the pulleys doesn't fix it I would look there. The simplest way to rule it out is by unplugging it and make a loop with a piece of wire to fool the car into thinking it's in gear. Or just download free SSM and cable £5 off eBay and you can monitor it along with just about every other parameters on the car.
Best of luck
Gary

depends on year of car tbh, but the function of the switch is correct,
some years are on in gear, others were off in gear, around 05/06 it changed iirc.

hth

:thumb: