yes I am new to your forum. I am from Washington starting to get cold here. I have two Saturns. The first one, 2002 ion three. The next one, 2007 ion four-door coupe. I have a question I had a new timing chain and gears but in recently in my 2007 got it back and it is throwing a code P0017. The shop said it had to do was some gear on the crankshaft. You would think they would put a new and in when replacing everything else. Is this true or is there something else I should be looking at. Thank you for your time

 

I would take it back to the shop that installed the timing chain. If the car did not have that PO017 code before the repair I would ask them to check the chain timing. How many miles on the car and why did you have the chains changed?

 

thank you for the reply. The car has 115,000 miles on it and it already had that code the shop told me it needed all the gears and all the chains and the two cam sensors $1700 later still has the codeI did ask him why it still had a code he said something about the little wheel on the crankshaft that the crankshaft sensor reads. I do not understand why they would not replace that to thank you for any help

 

How would he know the issue was the crank reluctor ring and not the crank sensor itself unless he had investigated it?

A bad chain tensioner can also lead to this code as can other things. I'm guessing he figured a full timing chain set replacement will take care of the code. But he didn't diagnose before he took everything apart. If he did he should have diagnosed it as a bad crank sensor or reluctor ring.

He went with the odds and either mistimed the engine, did not replace the tensioner, or simply was wrong about his guess for the cause.

Either way, $1,700 is not chump change and if his work was quoted to specifically address that code, then you have every right to expect that code to be gone when you leave. In fact, it may be that the chain and timing work were in fact not necessary in the first place due to lack of diagnostic work.

But start with the easy question like Andy has mentioned. Not trying to get you worked up more than you already are. Just covering the first level of possibilities

 

The reluctor on the crank requires a complete engine removal and tear down. It is mounted on the flywheel end of the crankshaft. Did they replace the variable cam timing units, I would suspect one of those before the crank reluctor. Parts that have smaller moving parts inside are more prone to problems than a reluctor bolted to a crankshaft.

 

Today the truth I am not sure exactly what parts he put in there I will have to go back and ask thank you for your post

 

If you have someone do a complete timing chain replacement. That is with the guides and chain tightness. I would think all the gears would be replaced. Also, even the reluctor or is that a different repair job

 

The reluctor is a different job than timing chains. Timing chain replacement kits usually come with guides, sprockets, tensioners and chains. It is very difficult to not possible to replace the balance shaft sprockets with the engine in the car. I replace everything except the balance shaft sprockets when I am in there. I also replace the water pump though that is a separate job also. The early engines do not have a reluctor that is separate. The late engines have a reluctor that is bolted to the crank. I have never replaced chains on a late engine since I only have early cars. I do own an engine with the bolt on reluctor but it hanging on a stand in the shop.

 

It had the code on their when I took it to him and then after he put all the parts in it still came back. That is when he said the reluctant wheel must have slipped but that is a different repair. Is this true

 

I got in touch with the mechanic. He said he replaced all of the gears, pulleys, tensioner and chains, but the reluctant wheel was a totally different repair job