I recently bought a 2014 F-150 FX4 with the 5.0 engine, and it has 152,800 miles. Two weeks ago, the P0022 code showed up while I was driving home from work. I changed the oil, VCT solenoids (OEM), and spark plugs (OEM). After that, it ran great with good acceleration.
But today, the check engine light came back on for the same issue. I spoke to the parts guy, and he suggested it might be the camshaft sensor at the back of the engine, but he didn’t seem confident, so I didn’t buy it.
Before I start replacing more parts, what else could be causing this? Has anyone experienced this before? Any advice would be helpful, as this is my first 5.0 engine. I had the 5.4 before, and it was a solid engine. Thanks!
I don’t think there’s a problem with the phaser on the 5.0. I’ve seen some people mention VCT solenoid issues and sometimes position sensor problems, usually on higher-mileage engines.
Unlike the 5.4, the phasers on the 5.0 don’t rely on oil pressure to work. While they do use oil, they don’t need its pressure to operate.
I had the same P0022 code on my 3.5 engine about a year ago and was worried it was a timing chain or phaser issue. Like you, I changed the oil, spark plugs, and VCT solenoids.
I also replaced the coils and boots. I bought the position sensors too, but after seeing how hard they were to get to (on the Ecoboost, they’re on the back of the engine and you have to do it by feel), I decided to do a full memory reset using Forscan instead. The truck has been running fine ever since, and the code hasn’t come back in over a year. I think a bad plug or coil might have triggered the code.
Just a reminder, after you replace parts for any codes, you should always clear the codes yourself. Not everything clears automatically, and some things won’t work properly if certain codes are still there.
I have the same code and I’m not an experienced mechanic. I do have an AUTEL OBD scanner. When I check the “live data,” I don’t see any faults related to the camshaft sensor or VCT. I saw that you reset the memory, and that fixed the code for you. My F-150 runs rough sometimes at idle, but it’s not consistent. What checks can someone like me, with little experience, do?
Did you notice any problems with driving or shifting? I’m getting the same code, and my car is having some rough shifts. I’m wondering if those problems are connected.
Just wanted to close the loop and thank everyone for the advice.
It turned out that the phaser on Bank 2 had a broken pin inside, so it was moving on its own and causing the code to come up now and then. Luckily, there was no damage to the cam.
I decided to get the full timing job done, including the oil pump and water pump since they were accessible. It cost me around $1900 since I bought the parts myself and just had them installed. I found an OEM timing set for the 5.0 from a guy on eBay and got the rest of the parts from RockAuto. Now the engine runs great and is pretty quiet, except for the usual 5.0 sounds.
