P1011 Code: Intake Camshaft Position Actuator Park Position, Bank 1 (GM Diagnosis & Repair Guide)

P1011 is "Intake Camshaft Position Actuator Park Position, Bank 1." It is a GM-specific code about a park lock solenoid — a small valve that holds the intake cam phaser in a fixed position until oil pressure is available to control it. That makes P1011 a start-up code rather than a running-performance code, which is what separates it from P0011. It also means it belongs to a particular engine architecture, and getting that wrong sends the whole diagnosis astray.

What P1011 Means

Variable valve timing needs oil pressure to work. At shutdown and during cranking there is no oil pressure yet, so the cam phaser has to be held somewhere predictable — otherwise the engine would try to start with the cam in a random position.

GM solves that with a park lock: a pin, controlled by its own solenoid valve, that holds the intake camshaft actuator in a defined park position until oil pressure builds enough to take over.

P1011 sets when the module determines the intake cam actuator was not in that park position when it should have been.

Two consequences follow, and both are useful:

• It is a start-up complaint. Symptoms cluster around cranking and the first moments after a cold start, not around cruising.
• The part involved is not the one people usually replace. The park lock solenoid is separate from the camshaft actuator solenoid that controls timing while the engine runs.

Which Engines Can Actually Set It

This section exists because an earlier version of this page got it wrong, and the error is worth correcting openly.

The code names an intake camshaft actuator on bank 1 — a camshaft dedicated to intake valves, with its own actuator and park lock, on one specific bank. That requires overhead camshafts with independent intake and exhaust cams.

GM's familiar pushrod truck V8s — the LS and LT family 5.3L and 6.2L in Silverado, Sierra, Tahoe, Suburban, Yukon and Escalade — have a single camshaft in the block operating both intake and exhaust valves through pushrods, with one phaser. There is no separate bank 1 intake camshaft actuator to be out of park.

We could not verify P1011 applying to those pushrod V8 engines, and an earlier version of this page claimed it did. We have removed that claim. It also carried a solenoid part number that belongs to the four-cylinder Ecotec family rather than to a V8 — another sign the V8 framing was mistaken.

Where the architecture does fit:

Engine family	Layout	Typical vehicles
2.0L / 2.4L / 2.5L Ecotec (LTG, LCV, LKW and related)	DOHC four — two cams, bank 1 only	Malibu, Impala, Equinox, ATS, Regal
High Feature V6 (LFX, LGX, and the related 3.0L LGY)	DOHC V6 — four camshafts, banks 1 and 2	Camaro, ATS, CTS, CT5, LaCrosse, Regal, Traverse, Acadia, Colorado, Canyon

If you have a Malibu, our P1011 Chevy Malibu guide covers that application in depth, including the special coverage discussed below. This page is the cross-engine view.

Practical check: if your engine is a pushrod V8 and a shop is quoting P1011, ask what they actually read. It is worth confirming the code and the engine before parts are ordered.

The Park Lock Solenoid — the Part Nobody Replaces

GM documents this hardware directly, and the description matches what P1011 describes.

Preliminary information PIP5730 (May 2020), covering the Gen 2 High Feature V6 — 3.6L LGX and 3.0L LGY across LaCrosse, Regal, ATS, CT5 and related — identifies the failure mode:

This can be caused by the Intake Camshaft Position Actuator Park Lock Solenoid Valves sticking in the actuator or coming apart and part of the valve stuck in the actuator.

Note the two distinct failure modes. The valve can stick, or it can come apart, with part of the valve remaining stuck inside the actuator. The second is worse, because there is now debris inside a component that has to move.

GM's correction: remove the intake camshaft position actuator park lock solenoid valves, inspect for sticking or coming apart, and replace both solenoids if found bad — not just the one on the bank the code names.

Two important qualifications, stated plainly: PIP5730 addresses P0016 and P0018, not P1011 by name. We are citing it because it documents the exact hardware P1011 is about — the intake camshaft actuator park lock solenoid — and its failure modes. Treat it as the best available description of that component's behaviour rather than as a bulletin issued for your code.

GM: "Normal Diagnosis Does Not Lead You to Check These"

The most useful line in that bulletin is an admission about GM's own diagnostic tree.

GM writes that with these codes there will usually be no other driveability concerns to go along with the light, and then adds:

At this time, normal diagnosis does not lead you to check these valves / solenoids for these codes.

GM further notes that the bulletin will be withdrawn once the service information can be updated to include this in the diagnostics.

That is a manufacturer stating that following its own standard procedure will not point a technician at the failing part. Which means a competent technician working the published diagnostic can reach the end of it without finding this — and it is entirely reasonable for an owner to ask whether the park lock solenoids were inspected.

It also explains a frustrating pattern: a code with no symptoms, a diagnosis that finds nothing conclusive, and parts replaced on probability rather than evidence.

Two Identical Connectors — and a Free Fix

If your code appeared after engine work, there is a specific thing to check that costs nothing.

GM bulletin 19-NA-150 (July 2019, replacing PIP5571) covers the 2017–2019 Colorado and Canyon with the 3.6L LGZ. Its condition is a MIL with P0016 set and a rough idle, appearing after an engine repair that included removing and reinstalling the engine wiring harness on the right front side.

GM's cause:

The wiring connectors for the intake camshaft actuator solenoid bank one on top of the engine and the connector for the intake actuator park lock solenoid in the front of the engine for bank one may have been swapped.

And the detail that makes it happen:

These two connectors are identical and can only be identified by wire color in the connector.

So on this engine, the cam actuator solenoid and the park lock solenoid take physically identical connectors, distinguishable only by wire colour. After harness work they get crossed, and the module sees nonsense from both.

GM's correction is to compare against the schematic in service information, and if they are swapped, swap them back and clear the code. The parts information reads: no parts are required for this repair.

The generalisable lesson: whenever a cam actuator or park lock code appears shortly after engine or harness work on a GM overhead-cam engine, check whether the two connectors went back where they belong before diagnosing anything else. That bulletin is written for the Colorado and Canyon, but the confusion it describes is a wiring-design issue rather than a model-specific defect.

P1011 Versus P0011 — Different Codes, Different Moments

These get conflated constantly, and the distinction is genuinely useful.

	P1011	P0011
What it's about	The park position — where the actuator sits before oil pressure takes over	Cam timing while running — commanded position versus actual
When it shows	Start-up and cranking	Under way, once the module is actively controlling timing
Key part	Park lock solenoid	Camshaft actuator (oil control) solenoid and phaser
Typical symptom	Hard or rough start, rattle on start-up, often nothing else	Rough running, hesitation, reduced power

They share an oil supply, so both are sensitive to oil condition — but replacing the cam actuator solenoid for a P1011 is aiming at the wrong valve.

Our P0014 guide covers the running-performance side of the VVT system across GM engines.

A Coverage Worth Checking — and What It Actually Says

On the four-cylinder side there is a GM special coverage often raised in connection with this code, and it is worth being precise about.

Special Coverage 15824 (June 2016) covers 2013 Chevrolet Malibu and Cadillac ATS with the 2.0L turbo and 2.5L engines (LTG, LCV) — approximately 211,600 US vehicles — for an internal broken wire in a camshaft actuator solenoid. The coverage runs 10 years or 120,000 miles from the in-service date, regardless of ownership.

The important caveat: the codes that coverage names are P0010 and P0013 — not P1011. So it is not a P1011 coverage, even though it concerns the same family of solenoids on the same engines. And for most 2013 vehicles the ten-year term has now elapsed.

We spell that out because seeing "there's a coverage for that" and discovering it names different codes at the counter is a bad experience. Check your VIN with a dealer rather than relying on any article. Our P1011 Malibu guide covers the detail, including the part numbers and labor operations.

Symptoms of P1011

• Check engine light on
• Often no other driveability concern at all — GM says so explicitly
• Hard or rough starting
• Rough running or hesitation immediately after a cold start, clearing as the engine warms
• Rattle from the timing area on start-up
• Reduced fuel economy
• Companion codes P0011, P0016 or P0018 in some cases

On urgency: the absence of symptoms is the point rather than a reassurance. A park lock valve that has come apart has left debris inside a moving component, and the VVT system depends on the same oil that the timing chain does. Treat it as something to diagnose within weeks rather than something to live with.

Causes and How to Confirm Each

Cause	How to confirm it	Source
Park lock solenoid valve sticking	Remove and inspect the park lock solenoid valves	PIP5730 — verified, for the related codes
Park lock solenoid coming apart, part stuck in the actuator	Inspect for missing or broken valve components	PIP5730 — verified
Actuator and park lock connectors swapped	Compare against the schematic — the connectors are identical apart from wire colour	19-NA-150 — verified. No parts required
Degraded, low or sludged oil	Check level, condition, interval and viscosity	The system runs on oil pressure through small passages
Low oil pressure	Verify with a mechanical gauge	See our P0521 guide
Internal broken wire in a cam actuator solenoid	Circuit testing	The failure behind Special Coverage 15824, which names P0010 and P0013
Worn cam phaser or actuator assembly	After oil, solenoids and wiring are excluded	The larger repair
Timing chain wear	Correlation codes such as P0016 alongside	See our P0016 guide

How Is P1011 Diagnosed?

1. Confirm the code and the engine. P1011 requires an overhead-cam engine with a separate bank 1 intake actuator; it does not map onto a pushrod V8.
2. Ask what work was done recently. If the code followed engine or harness work, check whether the actuator and park lock connectors were swapped — they are identical apart from wire colour.
3. Check oil level, condition, interval and viscosity. Free, and the system depends entirely on oil pressure.
4. Note when the symptom occurs. Start-up and cold running point at the park lock; problems under way point at P0011 territory instead.
5. Record all stored codes. P0016 or P0018 alongside broadens the picture.
6. Inspect the park lock solenoid valves for sticking, and for pieces having come apart inside the actuator.
7. Replace both park lock solenoids if either is bad, per GM's guidance on the related codes.
8. Verify oil pressure mechanically if the hardware checks out.
9. Check your VIN for applicable coverage before paying — free, and worth two minutes.
10. Only then move to the actuator or phaser, and inspect the timing chain while you have access.

Parts and Cost

Repair	What it involves	Cost picture
Un-swap two connectors	Compare to the schematic, correct the wiring, clear the code	$0. GM's own note: no parts are required for this repair
Oil and filter service	Correct specification and viscosity	Minimal — and a genuine cause
Park lock solenoid valves	Remove, inspect, and replace both if either is bad	Modest parts; access varies by engine
Camshaft actuator solenoids	Where circuit testing implicates them	Modest
Cam phaser / actuator assembly	Where the actuator itself is worn or has debris inside	Significant — front cover access
Timing chain	Where chain wear is confirmed	The major repair
Repair under special coverage	Where your VIN qualifies and the coverage applies to your codes	Potentially no charge — but confirm which codes it names

Order all parts against your VIN. We are not publishing solenoid part numbers here, because the number carried by the earlier version of this page belonged to a different engine family than the one it was attached to.

GM Documents Relevant to the Park Lock System

Document	Subject	Coverage
PIP5730 (May 2020)	Diagnostic assistance for P0016 and P0018 on the Gen 2 HFV6. Cause: intake camshaft position actuator park lock solenoid valves sticking, or coming apart with part of the valve stuck in the actuator. Remove and inspect; replace both if bad. Notes that normal diagnosis does not lead technicians to check these valves	3.6L LGX and 3.0L LGY — LaCrosse, Regal, ATS, CT5 and related — verified. Addresses P0016/P0018, not P1011 by name
19-NA-150 (Jul 2019)	Rough idle and MIL with P0016 after engine repairs. The intake cam actuator solenoid and intake actuator park lock solenoid connectors are identical and can only be told apart by wire colour; they may have been swapped. Swap back and clear. No parts required. Replaces PIP5571	Colorado and Canyon 2017–2019, 3.6L LGZ — verified
Special Coverage 15824 (Jun 2016)	Internal broken wire in a camshaft actuator solenoid. 10 years / 120,000 miles from in-service date. Names P0010 and P0013 — not P1011	2013 Malibu and ATS, 2.0L turbo and 2.5L (LTG, LCV)

On sourcing: we could not find a GM bulletin naming P1011 directly. The two documents above are cited because they describe the park lock solenoid hardware this code is about, and we have said clearly which codes each actually addresses. Have a dealer check your VIN against current bulletins rather than relying on any article.

What Other P1011 Pages Get Wrong

• Attributing it to pushrod V8s. The code names a bank 1 intake camshaft actuator, which requires overhead cams with separate intake and exhaust camshafts. A pushrod 5.3L or 6.2L has one camshaft in the block. An earlier version of this page made that error, and we have corrected it.
• Mixing part numbers between engine families. The earlier version attached a four-cylinder Ecotec solenoid number to V8 applications. If a number looks like it came from a different engine, it probably did.
• Treating it as P0011. P1011 is about the park position at start-up; P0011 is about cam timing while running. Different valves, different moments, different repairs.
• Never mentioning the park lock solenoid. It is a separate valve from the cam actuator solenoid, and GM documents it sticking or coming apart. Replacing the actuator solenoid for this code aims at the wrong part.
• Missing the identical-connector trap. On at least one engine GM documents two identical connectors that get crossed during harness work, producing codes and a rough idle — with a free fix.
• Implying the special coverage applies to this code. Coverage 15824 names P0010 and P0013. It concerns related hardware on the same engines, which is not the same as covering P1011.
• Reassuring people because the car drives fine. GM notes there will usually be no other driveability concern — while a valve may have come apart inside the actuator.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can my Silverado 5.3L set P1011?

We could not verify that it can. The code names a bank 1 intake camshaft actuator, which needs an engine with separate intake and exhaust camshafts. The pushrod 5.3L and 6.2L V8s have a single camshaft in the block. If a shop has quoted you P1011 on a pushrod V8, it is worth confirming the code that was actually read.

What's the difference between P1011 and P0011?

P1011 concerns the park position — where the intake cam actuator sits before oil pressure is available, held by a park lock solenoid. P0011 concerns cam timing while the engine is running. P1011 shows up around start-up; P0011 shows up under way. They involve different valves.

What is a park lock solenoid?

A small valve that holds the intake camshaft actuator in a defined position until oil pressure builds enough for the module to control cam timing. GM documents these valves sticking, and in some cases coming apart with part of the valve remaining stuck inside the actuator.

My code appeared right after engine work. Is that a coincidence?

Possibly not. GM documents a case where the intake cam actuator solenoid connector and the park lock solenoid connector are identical apart from wire colour, and get swapped during harness work — producing codes and a rough idle. The correction is to put them back, and GM's parts information for it reads: no parts are required.

Do I need to replace both solenoids?

On the related codes, GM's guidance is to remove the park lock solenoid valves, inspect them, and replace both if found bad. Given they share an oil supply and age together, doing both is the sensible approach once you have access.

Is there a warranty extension for this?

There is a GM special coverage on 2013 Malibu and ATS 2.0L turbo and 2.5L engines for an internal broken wire in a camshaft actuator solenoid, running 10 years or 120,000 miles. Read the codes it names carefully, though — it covers P0010 and P0013 rather than P1011, and for most 2013 vehicles the term has now passed.

Is it safe to drive with P1011?

The vehicle often drives normally, and GM notes there is usually no other driveability concern. That is not the same as harmless — a park lock valve that has come apart leaves debris inside a moving component. Diagnose it within weeks rather than months, and sooner if you have a start-up rattle.

Will an oil change fix it?

It can help and it is always worth doing first, since the whole system runs on oil pressure through small passages. But where the valve has stuck mechanically or come apart, clean oil will not reassemble it. Treat the oil service as the cheap first step, not the expected cure.

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