BRZ CEL when I release accelerator in gear
 

Hello everyone,

Feeling pretty helpless here, so I hope to get some ideas from you guys.
My BRZ is 2013 year model, manual transmission. Has around 70k miles on it.

Code P0018 keeps popping up together with C1201 (it says 'EGI abnormal'). I have tried changing timing chains, sprocket, tried swapping sensors and VVTs to opposite sides. Still the same damn code on the same side.

I noticed that this happens mostly when I release accelerator at around 3k rpm in gear. There is also not a very pleasant sound around that rpm area when I take of my foot of the gas and just roll in gear.

I was thinking maybe it's ECU, but seems like mechanical issue from the way it occurs, but what do I know...

Also I was thinking maybe there is something wrong with the injection system, since it says 'EGI abnormal' on C1201 code.

I would really appreciate if someone could help me with this. Maybe someone had this issue and solved it somehow. I know its a 'popular' issue and I have read every thread, but didn't find anyone who solved it.

Thanks guys

Any mods to the car?

No, it's a stock car

Also, yesterday I drove it for one hour or even more and it never popped up. Then I came back home and turned the car off. Then I drove it again and it immediately popped up.

I feel like if I disconnect the battery and the first time I drive it after that it doesn't pop up. But I still need to do some more testing to prove this. Just trying to find the pattern of this issue...

C1201 is a short to ground for the ABS inlet LF, unrealted to how the engine is running.

That P0018 code is a bastard to get rid of. It seems you have taken almost every step to eliminate it. There are a few people fighting it at all times here.

Yeah, it's such a pain. Will keep digging I guess..

No

C1201 is exactly related to how the engine is running, but it's just the vsc system storing a code due to an engine control fault.

To quote the description for 0018:

"To monitor the correlation of the intake camshaft position and crankshaft position, the ECM checks the VVT neutral position against the VVT learning value while coasting. If the VVT neutral position is out of the specified VVT learning value range in driving cycles, the ECM illuminates the MIL and stores DTC P0016 (bank 1) or P0018 (bank 2)."

It trip on the 2nd drive after clearing because it's a 2 trip detection logic

Ah, the website that I check for codes gave me something totally different. Thanks for the correction, I should have known to be checking the manual and not just googling them.

Now that I'm not on mobile.

Narvydas will need a good scan tool with OEM-level access to go further on his P0018, that's just the nature of that code. You've got to have actuator control and be able to check the cam angles and learned values to go down the troubleshooting chart. With the right USB-OBDII cable and techstream you can make that work.

I found a place to get my car checked with a proper scan, will see what happens. It's not an issue which you can easily detect. Thank you very much for you insight guys, I really appreciate it