07 Audi A4 2.0 vvt stuck at 28degrees code p0011 and 0017 camshaft timing

Hi would love some help here ! I have a small shop and am struggling to repair this for a customer. Someone had been in the motor prior and had replaced/repaired the head it looks like as everything is suspiciously clean and oozing silicon sealant. It’s throwing code 0011 a camshaft bank 1 position over advanced or system performance. I changed the variator solinoid first and used the old one plugged into the loom while running to verify we are getting a signal. Still the same So I suspected a stuck variator or oil supply screen blockage and replaced the variator and cleaned out the silicon from the small gauze screen in the rear cover Everything else looked fine so put it back together, everything is timed correctly as the cam lock fits and ally the timing marks align, still the same then we tested the solinoid again to double check and even supplied direct voltage to it to see if it moved and it did show a movement the first application of power from 28 - 24 degrees then back to 28 with no movement so I thought maybe the rear cover oil passage or variator seal are bad so replaced them with a ebay replacement cover and new factory seals which admittedly didn’t feel tight going onto the variator .. still the same ?? Took the solinoid out and checked oil supply by cranking the motor over and it’s pumping oil up to the solinoid hole then checked oil pressure and it was a steady 65 cold clean new 5-40 Motul oil so kind of out of ideas now any suggestions/help would be much appreciated
Thanks
Jon

The P0017 could suggest they got the cam timing wrong - might be worth re- checking it.
I know you said you checked it but sometimes there are extra marks that can throw you out.

Hi thanks, yes I’ve rechecked cam timing over and over as I wondered the same but the cam tool fits and both front timing marks are lined up and I even checked no 1 piston is at tdc to check pully crank alignment, and the variator and inlet sprocket are pinned so I can’t see how they could be assembled incorrectly the only part I’m suspicious of is the ebay rear cover as it seemed to fit together maybe too easily into the variator but everything measures the same. Has anyone had the oil supply plugs out of a rear cover as it seems odd that there’s a check valve or something in a drilling back there. Thanks for the reply

Checked camshaft adaptation with vcds and it’s 0.5 degrees so timing and chains all seem fine just won’t move for vvt action, welcoming any other ideas ????
Happy new year

What is the oil pressure and viscosity?

Is the ECM failing to control the solenoid?
Can you bi-directionally control the solenoid?

Hi Thankyou
It’s on 5-40w and excuse my ignorance but I’m not sure how to by directional control the solenoid ? I’ve used a led test light in the connector and it blinked and I’ve put 12v direct to the solenoid and it seemed to move to 24degrees and then didn’t seem to work anymore, but I’ve double checked and it still pulses if plugged in - however it doesn’t open all the way up like a Toyota solenoid ?? A friend suggested I’d need to update firmware as it’ll need to learn the solenoid which I’m not sure sounds right !
Thoughts and suggestions appreciated as usual

Ran into this the other day the dowel pin in end of the cam like to break. Which will lead you to think everything is in time. Especially after someone was thee and did not hold correctly. I can get pictures tomorrow when at shop

John Thankyou sorry I forgot to mention we checked oil pressure at the filter housing and it goes right to a controlled max as per spec of 65 psi as it’s cold here currently, and it still doesn’t adjust !! We also cranked (not started) the engine with the solenoid out and it had plenty of oil to the solenoid hole.

Thanks mike, which camshaft ? I’m thinking they are correctly timed as I have a audi camlock tool that slides between the cams and all the timing marks line up and I checked no1 was at tdc to Verify the bottom pulley is positioned correctly too ! Thanks for your ideas and input

Hi Fricker/everyone.

Have you tried with CMP sensor from bank 2.

Maybe sensor/connector/wires are lying to PCM

This pin breaks off. And will cause that issue.

I have seen the dowl pin break on other engine types ---really confusing.

Thx mike that’s what I kind of suspected had happened the first time I stripped the car but there was nothing wrong with any of the pin, cam, phaser and I replaced the phaser again anyway and still no luck. And I’m thinking I’d get a incorrect cam timing code from that too, which I don’t get, it says it’s at 28degrees and is ok until I rev it and it doesn’t advance.
Thanks for the ideas

Thx Andy , yes that’s weird when that happens, see above.
Thx for input.