P0342: Camshaft Position Sensor A Circuit Low Bank 1 or Single Sensor

P0342 means the signal of the intake camshaft sensor of bank 1 (or the only cam sensor) stays at ground level without edges – signal wire shorted to ground, sensor supply missing or the Hall sensor faulty. Ford's 2023 diesel sets it when the signal stays at 0 V over 10 or more crank revolutions (3 s), while cranking or running. On the Saab 9-4X V6 (GM LAU) the signal must stay low without pulses for more than 1 s, or 10 s cumulatively, and the code follows after two trips; with the sensor disconnected the signal wire should show 4.8–5.2 V. Saab's Motronic 2.8.1 (900 V6) treats low and high together: no connection or short to ground or battery, about 4.5 V at idle, air gap at most 1.5 mm. GM petrol engines 2014–2019 and Ford petrol engines report this under P0340.

Bank 1 is the side of the engine with cylinder 1. Inline engines only have this bank.

Symptoms

• Check engine light on
• Longer cranking before the engine starts
• Loss of power (cam timing held in its base position)
• Rough idle, occasionally stalling

Most likely causes

• Signal wire shorted to ground
• 5 V or 12 V supply of the sensor missing
• Camshaft position sensor faulty
• Connector corroded or wiring chafed

What to check, in order

Start with the simplest. You can tick off each step.

1. Check the connector and look for metal filings on the sensor
2. With the connector unplugged, check whether the signal wire is making contact with ground.
3. See whether there is an RPM signal while cranking
4. Measure the signal with an oscilloscope if you can
5. Check the engine timing before replacing expensive parts

Good to know

• Repair difficulty: easy
• It can trigger limp mode.
• It affects emissions.

What each character of P0342 means

• P: Powertrain: engine and transmission
• 0: Generic code: same on every make
• 3: Ignition and misfires
• 42: Specific fault in that system

Frequently asked questions

Can I keep driving with code P0342?

Avoid driving: the engine can stall while moving. If the timing is off, continuing can cause serious damage.

What causes code P0342?

The most common causes are: signal wire shorted to ground; 5 V or 12 V supply of the sensor missing; camshaft position sensor faulty.

Related codes

• P0340Camshaft Position Sensor A Circuit Bank 1 or Single Sensor
• P0343Camshaft Position Sensor A Circuit High Bank 1 or Single Sensor
• P0347Camshaft Position Sensor A Circuit Low Bank 2
• P0367Camshaft Position Sensor B Circuit Low Bank 1

Sources

• fordservicecontent.com: obd summary diesel 2023
• saabwisonline.com: dtc p0341 p0342 p0343 p0346 p0347 p0348 p0366 p036
• saabwisonline.com: p0342p0343
• law.cornell.edu: 13 CCR 1968.2

Values and procedures vary by manufacturer. If it affects brakes, steering, fuel or high voltage, see a professional. Updated: 2026-11-04. How we build these pages.