Volvo 850 Fault code - expand my knowledge please!

Volvo 850 Fault code - expand my knowledge please!

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Pot Bellied Fool

Original Poster:

2,163 posts

244 months

Sunday 3rd April 2005
quotequote all
Greetings...

I have an M reg 850 battlebus which to be fair has a number of niggling problems but as I bought it for an absolute song, I can't complain.

Anyway, the engine management warning light came on yesterday, I've checked the fault code as 3-1-4 which according to my friend Google is an Camshaft Position Sensor error.

Fair enuff. I know what a camshaft is, I know what a position sensor is. (I don't yet know how to investigate/replace it as I don't have a Haynes to hand - anyone know offhand if it's an easy job?)

But what I'm curious to know is just how critical this piece of information is to the engine management? What does the ECU do with that bit of info?

It's starting & running fine, I've tried resetting the error code but it comes right back so I'm assuming it's a genuine fault condition but how critical is this? Does it 'merely' impact on emissions or is it more critical? Any damage likely by not immediately investigating?

Cheers - PBF