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

P0341 is GM's "Camshaft Position (CMP) Sensor Performance, Bank 1 Sensor A." On a Cadillac V6 that is the bank 1 intake cam sensor; on an Escalade's pushrod V8, the engine's only cam sensor. Most pages say replace the sensor. GM's own monitor tables say something more useful: P0341 is a pulse-counting test. A signal is present, but the count of cam pulses is wrong. That can be a worn sensor — or a camshaft moving in its bearings, a chafed jumper harness on the front of an Escalade engine, a corroded connector next to the vacuum pump, or, on the 2021 Escalade diesel, a trigger wheel brushing the timing chain. GM has Cadillac documents for every one of those.

What Does P0341 Mean on a Cadillac?

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

GM splits cam sensor faults into two codes:

• P0340 — Circuit. No cam signal at all.
• P0341 — Performance. A signal is there, but the count is wrong.

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

On a Cadillac V6, bank 1 is the bank with cylinder 1: the passenger side on the longitudinal CTS, STS, ATS, CT6 and first-generation SRX, and the rear bank on the transverse 2010–2016 SRX, XTS, XT5 and XT6. The bank 2 intake sensor code is P0346; the exhaust sensors are P0366 and P0391.

How GM's P0341 Test Works

GM publishes the P0341 logic in its OBD summary tables. For the 2015 3.6L in the ATS, CTS, SRX and XTS, the ECM counts cam pulses during the first 12 crankshaft reference events ("MEDRES" events, 12 per engine cycle) after the starter engages and fails if there are fewer than 4 or more than 6. It is a two-trip code and needs the crank signal synchronized first.

GM's 2007 table for the DeVille and DTS Northstar (LD8/L37) shows the same idea with Northstar numbers: fewer than 4 or more than 10 pulses in the first 24 MEDRES events, then a continuous check that fails if 100 engine cycles produce fewer than 397 or more than 403 cam pulses. The 2002 Northstar table words it as more than 8 cam events out of 50 landing outside the correct crank region — GM's own description says this catches "excessive noise" or a "phase shift" on the cam sensor circuit.

Read those tests again and the cause list writes itself. Extra pulses come from electrical noise, a chafed wire touching ground, or a target that wobbles past the sensor. Missing pulses come from an air gap that is too wide, a fouled sensor tip or an intermittent connection. A camshaft with too much end play does both.

Which Cadillacs Set P0341

• 2.8L/3.0L/3.6L V6 (LP1, LY7, LLT, LF1, LFX, LGX and others): CTS, STS, SRX, ATS, XTS, CT6, XT5, XT6.
• Escalade V8s: GM's tables carry P0341 on the 6.0L and 6.2L, and GM has preliminary information for the 2015–2020 Escalade 6.2L L86.
• Escalade 3.0L Duramax diesel (LM2), 2021.
• Northstar: GM's tables list P0341 for the LD8/L37 from 2000 and for the LH2/LC3. The 1999 Northstar table we read does not list P0341.
• Catera 3.0L (L81): GM's 1999 table lists P0341, and the 2000–2001 tables describe it as a "marker not plausible" check.

CTS, SRX and STS: 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 on the 2007–2010 CTS sedan, CTS Sport Wagon, SRX and STS with the 2.8L LP1 or 3.6L LY7 or LLT. The subject line gives the fix away: "Check Camshaft End Play and Perform Action as Outlined."

GM's procedure measures end play on both camshafts in the head that set the code; the limit is 0.40 mm (0.016 in). At or over the limit, the gap between each cam actuator and the front cam cap is checked with a 2.0 mm hex key on Delphi (4-screw) actuators or 2.5 mm on Aisin (5-screw). If the key does not fit, camshaft thrust washers go in; if it does, the cylinder head is replaced, with thrust washers.

The reason end play matters for a "sensor" code is mechanical. The target wheel rides on the camshaft. If the cam slides fore and aft, the air gap to the sensor changes with it and the pulse count goes wrong. A new sensor in the same head sets 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 an earlier GM index entry, PIP4333, lists the same code group for the 2007–2008 CTS, SRX and STS.

Escalade 6.2L: Connectors and the Jumper Harness

On the 2015–2020 Escalade, GM's documents point at wiring on the front of the engine, not at the sensor:

• PIP5335D (2015–2020 Escalade 6.2L L86): P0340 and P0341 setting "at times." If normal diagnosis does not find it, GM says inspect for corrosion in connector X154, or X159 on 2015 models, on the front cover next to the vacuum pump.
• PIP5553A (2018 Escalade L86 and 2018 CTS-V LT4): any of a long code list including P0340, P0341, P0335, P0336 and P0011, with a possible crank no start or stall. The cause is a wiring jumper harness chafed at the bolt at the X154 connector on the lower left of the front cover. PIP5724 covers the 2020 Escalade with the harness pinched between the X154 bracket and the front cover.
• PIT5307F (2015–2019 Escalade): a broad set of warnings — check engine light, ABS, suspension message, misfire, no crank, A/C inoperative — with DTCs that include P0340 and P0341. The cause is the engine harness rubbing on the vacuum pump pulley; GM's fix is to repair the circuits and re-secure the harness.

If an Escalade shows P0341 alongside unrelated codes, those three documents describe exactly where to look. For an intermittent P0340 on 2012–2013 Escalades built in September or October 2012, GM's PIP5099A does call for a new cam sensor if service information does not find a cause — but that is P0340, not P0341.

2021 Escalade 3.0L Diesel

GM's PIP5806C covers the 2021 Escalade with the 3.0L Duramax LM2: an intermittent extended crank or crank-no-start that cranks until it times out, starts on the second try, and may set P0341. GM's cause is a corrupt cam sensor signal. The procedure:

1. Remove the cam sensor and borescope the camshaft trigger wheel, rolling the engine by hand up to two revolutions to see each segment.
2. If the wheel contacts the timing chain anywhere, replace the trigger wheel.
3. If it does not, install a 0.5 mm shim under the cam sensor, GM part 12565102.

GM's warranty time for the inspection and shim is 3.1 hours.

Symptoms of P0341 on a Cadillac

• Check engine light, often with the engine running normally
• Longer cranking or an occasional no-start (2021 Escalade diesel)
• Stalling or a crank no start with several unrelated codes (Escalade harness chafe)
• P0346, P0366 or P0391 alongside it on a 2007–2010 V6 (end play)
• Cam actuator codes (P0011, P0014, P0021, P0024) on the same V6
• Warning lights from other systems at the same time (PIT5307F)

Causes and How to Confirm Each

How Is P0341 Diagnosed on a Cadillac?

1. Note every code. P0340 means no signal; P0341 means a bad count. Several sensor and actuator codes at once on a V6 point toward end play; many unrelated codes on an Escalade point toward wiring.
2. Identify the engine: V6 RPO code, 6.2L gasoline or 3.0L diesel Escalade, Northstar.
3. Ask about recent work on timing components, heads or the front cover.
4. Test the battery and charging system.
5. Inspect connectors and harness routing — on an Escalade, X154/X159 and the vacuum pump pulley area.
6. Scope the cam signal if possible. Missing or extra pulses show up immediately.
7. On a 2007–2010 V6, follow 08-06-01-011K and measure end play before replacing a 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 Cadillac 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 test is a pulse count. End play, harness chafe, corroded connectors and trigger-wheel contact all change the count.
• "Replace it again if the code comes back." On the 2007–2010 CTS, SRX and STS, GM says 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 Cadillac V6. It is the passenger side on the longitudinal cars and the rear bank on the transverse ones.
• Ignoring the other warnings on an Escalade. GM's documents show P0341 arriving with ABS, suspension and misfire codes when the harness is damaged.

For the broader GM picture, see our P0340 and P0341 GM guide and the P0341 Buick guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is P0341 serious on a Cadillac?

It can cause long cranking, stalling or a no start, and it can disable 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 CTS or XT5?

The bank 1 intake cam sensor. On a CTS that is the passenger-side bank; on an XT5 it is the rear bank, toward the firewall. The bank 2 intake code is P0346.

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

Because the count can be wrong for other reasons. On a 2007–2010 CTS, SRX or STS, GM's 08-06-01-011K says measure camshaft end play. On a 2015–2020 Escalade, check the X154/X159 connector and the harness at the front cover.

Why does my 2021 Escalade diesel crank a long time and set P0341?

GM's PIP5806C covers exactly that on the 3.0L LM2: check the cam trigger wheel for contact with the timing chain, and if it is clear, add a 0.5 mm shim under the sensor.

Can a weak battery cause P0341?

Low voltage can disturb sensor signals during cranking. A battery and charging test is quick and should come before parts.

Does P0341 mean my timing chain is stretched?

Not directly. Chain stretch shows up as correlation codes like P0016 and P0017. Fix P0341 first and see what remains.