What does code P0345 mean?

P0345 means the camshaft position sensor on bank 2 (the cylinder bank without cylinder 1 on your V6 or V8) has a circuit fault. It’s moderately serious: you can usually keep driving gently, but diagnose it soon.

My engine is a 4-cylinder. Can it set P0345?

Not normally: inline engines have only bank 1, so their cam sensor codes are P0340-family. If a scanner shows P0345 on an inline-4, re-read the code and the definition for your specific vehicle, and if it genuinely stores, start at our P0340 page, because the diagnosis is the same sensor conversation.

Which side of my engine is bank 2?

Bank 2 is the cylinder bank that does not contain cylinder 1, and which physical side that is varies by engine and mounting. Check a cylinder-numbering diagram for your specific engine before unplugging anything; replacing the bank 1 sensor for a bank 2 code is this family’s most common wasted purchase.

Camshaft or crankshaft sensor: which code family do I have?

P0340-series codes (including these bank 2 versions) are camshaft position; P0335-series are crankshaft position. The engine can often run with a failed cam sensor but usually won’t run at all with a dead crank sensor, which is also why the crank codes carry the higher severity.

P0345: Camshaft Position (CMP) Sensor A Bank 2: Circuit Malfunction

Moderate

Quick answer

P0345 means the camshaft position sensor on bank 2 (the cylinder bank without cylinder 1 on your V6 or V8) has a circuit fault. The cheapest test is also the best: swap the bank 1 and bank 2 cam sensors and see if the code follows. If it does, you’ve found your part; if it stays, the wiring on that side owns the problem.

What it means

P0345 is the bank 2 twin of P0340: the computer lost the electrical conversation with the cam sensor on the cylinder bank opposite cylinder 1. Everything true of P0340 applies here, plus one advantage: your engine carries an identical, known-good sensor on the other bank, ready to serve as a free test part.

Bank 2 is the cylinder bank that doesn’t contain cylinder 1, so these codes exist only on V6, V8, and similar engines, and they’re the mirror twins of the bank 1 codes P0340 and P0341. That symmetry is the diagnostic gift: your engine carries two of the same sensor, so swapping them across banks turns a guess into evidence. Code follows the sensor to bank 1? The sensor is condemned. Code stays on bank 2? The wiring, connector, or the engine itself (reluctor wheel, cam timing) owns the problem.

The steps below run cheapest-first, and the free swap test sits right at the front, because it answers the expensive question for nothing.

P0345 symptoms: what you'll notice

Hard starting or a long crank before the engine catches: the computer waits for cam confirmation it isn’t getting.
Stalling, sometimes followed by a successful restart, as the signal drops and returns.
Running but down on power, or in limp mode, while the computer manages without one cam signal.
Check engine light, on some engines accompanied by rough running on the affected bank.

Common causes

Ordered from most to least likely.

1.

Failed bank 2 cam sensor

Heat and oil exposure age these sensors; the cross-bank swap test convicts or acquits it for free.
2.

Wiring or connector damage on the bank 2 side

Each bank’s sensor has its own harness run; the bank 2 side may route near different heat sources than its healthy twin.
3.

Oil intrusion at the sensor or connector

A weeping valve cover gasket wicks oil down the harness and into the connector: a slow, classic killer of cam sensor signals.
4.

Reluctor damage or timing chain wear

Mostly the range/performance flavor: a stretched chain or damaged tone wheel shifts the signal the sensor honestly reports.

How to fix it: diagnosis, step by step

Cheapest and most likely checks first.

1 Inspect the bank 2 connector and wiring

Unplug the sensor and look for oil pooled in the connector, green pins, and chafed harness sections: wiggle-test while watching live data if the fault is intermittent. Oil in the connector means find the leak too, or the new sensor inherits the problem.
2 Swap the cam sensors across banks

The free, decisive test this engine layout makes possible: exchange bank 1 and bank 2 sensors, clear the code, and drive. If P0345-family becomes P0340-family, the sensor just confessed. If the code stays on bank 2, stop buying sensors: the problem is in the wiring or the engine.
3 Check the oil and watch the signal

On variable-valve-timing engines, low or worn-out oil disturbs cam behavior the sensor faithfully reports. Verify level and condition, then watch the cam signal on live data (or a scope) for dropouts and pattern faults.
4 Consider the mechanical layer

For range/performance with high mileage, cold-start rattle, or cam-crank correlation codes on the same bank: the timing chain and reluctor enter the conversation. That diagnosis is bigger; confirm with correlation data before any teardown.

Parts & tools you may need

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Related codes

Frequently asked questions

What does code P0345 mean?: P0345 means the camshaft position sensor on bank 2 (the cylinder bank without cylinder 1 on your V6 or V8) has a circuit fault. It’s moderately serious: you can usually keep driving gently, but diagnose it soon.
My engine is a 4-cylinder. Can it set P0345?: Not normally: inline engines have only bank 1, so their cam sensor codes are P0340-family. If a scanner shows P0345 on an inline-4, re-read the code and the definition for your specific vehicle, and if it genuinely stores, start at our P0340 page, because the diagnosis is the same sensor conversation.
Which side of my engine is bank 2?: Bank 2 is the cylinder bank that does not contain cylinder 1, and which physical side that is varies by engine and mounting. Check a cylinder-numbering diagram for your specific engine before unplugging anything; replacing the bank 1 sensor for a bank 2 code is this family’s most common wasted purchase.
Camshaft or crankshaft sensor: which code family do I have?: P0340-series codes (including these bank 2 versions) are camshaft position; P0335-series are crankshaft position. The engine can often run with a failed cam sensor but usually won’t run at all with a dead crank sensor, which is also why the crank codes carry the higher severity.