P0341 Code on a Buick: Camshaft Position Sensor Performance, Bank 1 Sensor A (Buick Guide)

P0341 is GM's "Camshaft Position (CMP) Sensor Performance, Bank 1 Sensor A." On a Buick 3.6L, 2.4L, 2.0T or 1.4T that is the bank 1 intake camshaft sensor. Most pages tell you to replace that sensor. GM's own monitor description says something more useful: P0341 is a pulse-counting test. The ECM expects an exact number of cam pulses per engine cycle, and P0341 sets when it gets too few or too many. A worn sensor can do that — but so can a camshaft that is moving back and forth in its bearings, a target wheel installed wrong after engine work, or electrical noise. GM wrote a bulletin for 2007–2010 Enclaves and LaCrosses where the fix for P0341 is camshaft thrust washers, not a sensor.

What Does P0341 Mean on a Buick?

The camshaft position sensor reads a toothed target wheel (GM also calls it a reluctor or exciter wheel) on the end of the camshaft. Together with the crank sensor, it tells the engine computer which stroke each cylinder is on, so it can time fuel injection and spark, and it tells the computer where a cam phaser has moved the cam.

GM splits camshaft sensor faults into two codes:

• P0340 — Circuit. No signal at all: no pulse for several seconds while cranking, or zero pulses over 100 engine cycles.
• P0341 — Performance. A signal is there, but the count is wrong.

That distinction is the most important thing on this page. A sensor with a dead circuit or a broken wire normally gives P0340. P0341 says the sensor is producing pulses — just not the right number of them.

"Sensor A" is the intake cam on GM's dual-overhead-cam engines, and bank 1 is the bank with cylinder 1. On a Buick 3.6L V6 that is the right bank viewed from the flywheel end — the rear bank, toward the firewall, in a transverse Enclave, LaCrosse or Regal GS. The bank 2 equivalent is P0346; the exhaust cam sensors are P0366 and P0391.

How GM's P0341 Test Works

GM's 2015 OBD summaries publish the P0341 logic for the 3.6L in the Enclave and LaCrosse, and for the 1.4T in the Encore. With the crankshaft position already synchronized, the ECM:

• counts cam pulses during the first 12 crankshaft reference events (GM's "MEDRES" events — 12 per engine cycle) after the starter engages and fails if there are fewer than 4 or more than 6 (GM's 2.0T/2.4L group allows up to 10);
• then keeps counting continuously and fails if 100 engine cycles produce fewer than 398 or more than 402 cam pulses — in other words, roughly four per cycle, with almost no tolerance.

It takes 8 failures out of 10 samples, the test will not run while a crank sensor fault is active, and it is a two-trip code. GM's correlation tests (P0016, P0017) are in turn disabled while P0340 or P0341 is active, which is why a P0341 can hide a timing problem until it is fixed.

Read that test again and the cause list writes itself. Extra pulses come from electrical noise, a cracked or loose target wheel, or a target that wobbles past the sensor. Missing pulses come from an air gap that is too wide, a sensor tip that is fouled or damaged, or an intermittent connection. A camshaft with excessive end play does both.

Which Buicks Set P0341

• 3.6L V6 (LY7, LLT, LFX, LGX, LFY): Enclave, LaCrosse 3.6L, Regal GS, Rendezvous 3.6L, Allure.
• Ecotec four-cylinders: Regal 2.0T and 2.4L, Verano, LaCrosse 2.4L.
• 1.4L turbo: Encore.
• Pushrod V6s: the 3800 in the LeSabre, Park Avenue, 2000–2004 Regal, 2005–2008 LaCrosse and 2006–2008 Lucerne; the 3.5L/3.9L in the Terraza, and the 3.9L in the 2009–2011 Lucerne.

GM documents tie P0341 to Buick models in three places, covered below.

Enclave and LaCrosse 3.6L: Cam End Play and Thrust Washers

GM bulletin 08-06-01-011K covers a check engine light with P0011, P0014, P0021, P0024, P0341, P0346, P0366 or P0391. It lists the 2007–2010 Enclave, the 2007–2009 LaCrosse and Allure, and the 2010 LaCrosse with the 3.6L LY7 or LLT. Its subject line gives the fix away: "Check Camshaft End Play and Perform Action as Outlined."

GM's procedure:

1. Remove the cam cover on the bank that set the code and measure end play on both camshafts in that head, with a dial indicator or a caliper. GM's limit is 0.40 mm (0.016 in).
2. If end play is at or over the limit, check the gap between each cam actuator and the front cam cap with a 2.0 mm hex key on Delphi (4-screw) actuators or 2.5 mm on Aisin (5-screw).
3. If the key does not fit, install camshaft thrust washers. If it does fit, the cylinder head is replaced, with thrust washers.

GM also warns not to use the phaser bolt as a pry point, because that can damage the camshaft sensor target wheel. The reason end play matters for a sensor code is mechanical: the target wheel rides on the camshaft. If the cam slides forward and back, the air gap between the wheel and the sensor changes with it, and the pulse count goes wrong. A new sensor in the same head will set the same code.

GM's timing chain bulletin 12-06-01-009F carries the same thrust-washer step for 3.6L heads built before June 5, 2009, and a GM index entry, PIP4333, lists the same code group for the 2007 LaCrosse and 2008 Enclave.

Encore 1.4T: Exciter Wheels After Engine Work

On the Encore, GM's documents point at installation errors and signal quality rather than sensor failure:

• PI1237B (2013–2016 Encore, 1.4L LUJ/LUV): an intermittent crank/no-start after the camshaft sprockets have been removed for any engine work. GM says both the intake and exhaust camshaft position exciter wheels must be installed with special tool EN-49977-100 and fully seated against the cylinder head before the sprocket bolt is tightened. A misaligned wheel puts the target in the wrong place for the sensor.
• PI0867B (2013–2015 Encore): an intermittent no-crank caused by a stray exhaust cam sensor signal at key-on. GM is explicit that the intake cam sensor will not cause that no-crank — if the intake sensor has a fault, it sets a code. That would be a cam sensor code such as P0340 or P0341, which suggests an intake-side P0341 on an Encore deserves real diagnosis, not a guess.

If an Encore sets P0341 shortly after a timing chain or cam sprocket job, the exciter wheel installation is the first thing to question.

3800, 3.5L and 3.9L Buicks

The 3800 V6 and the 3.5L/3.9L "High Value" V6 have a single camshaft in the block, so there is only one cam sensor and P0341 simply means "camshaft position sensor performance." GM issued bulletin 02-06-04-008, a revised P0341 diagnostic, for 2002 models including the Park Avenue and Regal; we have seen only its index summary, not the document. A GM index entry numbered 4102 covers "cam sensor DTCs" on the 3.5L and 3.9L, listing the 2007–2008 Terraza.

On the 3.9L in the Lucerne and Terraza, GM's PIP5064C covers cam actuator codes and misfires after a reman engine install; GM's first step is to measure oil pressure (30–45 psi at 1,850 rpm, and 26 psi at warm idle on the 3.9L). It does not name P0341, but it is a reminder that new engines are not exempt from cam signal codes.

Symptoms of P0341 on a Buick

• Check engine light, often with the engine running normally
• Longer cranking before the engine starts, or an occasional no-start
• Stalling or stumbling, usually intermittent
• P0346, P0366 or P0391 alongside it on the 3.6L (end play)
• Cam actuator codes (P0011, P0014, P0021, P0024) on the same 3.6L
• Codes that appear soon after timing or cam sprocket work

Causes and How to Confirm Each

How Is P0341 Diagnosed on a Buick?

1. Note every code. P0340 means no signal; P0341 means a bad count. On the 3.6L, several sensor and actuator codes at once point toward end play.
2. Ask about recent engine work. Timing chains, cam sprockets, cylinder heads and reman engines all appear in GM's Buick documents.
3. Test the battery and charging system so you are not chasing a voltage problem.
4. Inspect the connector and harness at the bank 1 intake cam sensor for oil, corrosion, chafing and loose terminals.
5. Remove and inspect the sensor tip for damage or debris, and look at the target wheel through the bore.
6. Scope the cam signal if you can. Missing or extra pulses show up immediately.
7. On a 2007–2010 3.6L, follow 08-06-01-011K and measure camshaft end play before replacing the sensor a second time.
8. After any repair, clear the code and confirm it stays clear over two drive cycles — it is a two-trip code.

Parts and Cost

GM Documents Relevant to P0341 on Buick Models

Have a dealer check your VIN against current bulletins and coverages rather than relying on any article, including this one.

What Other P0341 Pages Get Wrong

• "P0341 always means a bad cam sensor." GM's own test is a pulse count. End play, target wheels and wiring noise all change the count.
• "Replace it again if the code comes back." On the 2007–2010 Enclave and LaCrosse, GM's fix is to measure camshaft end play.
• Mixing up P0340 and P0341. No signal is P0340; a wrong count is P0341.
• Calling bank 1 the driver's side on a Buick V6. On the transverse 3.6L, bank 1 is the rear bank, toward the firewall.
• Ignoring recent engine work. GM's Encore document is specifically about exciter wheels after cam sprocket removal.

For the broader GM picture on both codes, see our P0340 and P0341 GM guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is P0341 serious on a Buick?

It can cause long cranking, stalling or a no-start, and it disables the engine's timing correlation checks while it is active. Diagnose it soon rather than living with it.

Which sensor does P0341 point to on my Enclave or LaCrosse?

The bank 1 intake camshaft sensor. On the transverse 3.6L, bank 1 is the rear bank, toward the firewall. The bank 2 intake sensor code is P0346.

I replaced the cam sensor and P0341 came back. Why?

Because the count can be wrong for reasons other than the sensor. On a 2007–2010 Enclave or LaCrosse, GM's bulletin 08-06-01-011K says to measure camshaft end play. On any Buick, check the target wheel, the wiring and whether the replacement part is correct.

Can a bad battery cause P0341?

A weak battery or charging problem can disturb sensor signals during cranking. Test it before buying parts — it is quick and cheap.

Can I drive with P0341?

Many Buicks run normally with it, but the next start is not guaranteed if the signal gets worse. Treat it as something to fix, not something to clear.

Does P0341 mean my timing chain is stretched?

Not directly. Chain stretch shows up as correlation codes like P0016 and P0017. Those tests are switched off while P0341 is active, though, so fix P0341 first and see what remains.