Howdy, folks! New 86 owner here, I came across a 2014 BRZ with 76k in excellent condition for a steal of a deal due to a p0016 code and while the code is suboptimal, the troubleshooter in me is excited to dig in and help put more info on the issue out into the community.
First off I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to this thread, it has been the most helpful compilation of info I have come across. Hopefully my experience can add useful info to help the next lost soul.
In an effort to diagnose the root cause instead of throwing money at the problem I have swapped OCVs, swapped CPSs, and run BG EPR Engine flush with my oil change (as advised by a local Subaru tech). I have not yet massaged anything but I'll rub whatever needs to be rubbed if it helps lol.
No change from left to right so sensor malfunction is [likely] ruled out.
2014 model ECU suggests that I have an acceptable CalID (to be confirmed later today upon arrival of my obdlink tool. If I can find it, lol. This is uncharted territory for me. I plan to use the torque pro app and/or whatever app comes with the OBDLink).
After the flush/oil change, I drove around for 4 on/off cycles with no code reappearance but the code came back on the first drive of the following day. I may do another engine flush to see if I can replicate the event. I will report back on this as well. I used Castrol Edge 0w20 this time but I don't know what was used prior and I know that some oil can become significantly thicker after heat cycles. second flush and oil change timeline will be determined by camshaft value information to be gained later today. I chose Castrol Edge due to online rankings and hearsay that the fa20 doesn't like my usual first choice, Mobil1. I will likely try a different oil next change, possible liquimoly unless I find info on another superior oil.
I have an obdlink coming in the mail today so I'll be able to get my initial learned values. Based on this page
http://www.armstrongfamilyblog.com/a...relation-p0018, there is an acceptable range within the learned values. I can hopefully figure it out myself with whatever app is supposed to be used with the code reader, but if one of you guys has the chance to elaborate on the method of pulling the Initial Learned Values (ILVs) in the meantime, it would be appreciated.
I ordered a used ECU that should arrive early next week to compare ILVs and attempt to log any changes. If the code disappears with the new ECU (fingers crossed), I'll keep it plugged in and check the ILVs periodically to see if they creep towards the current ECU values and change cam gears as the numbers approach the parameter limits. I went this route instead of changing the cam gears first for "science purposes" lol, and because the ECU was $130 +30 minutes of non-labor vs $400 ($175+$200+shipping) and 6-10 manual labor hours for the new cam sprockets with a likely additional cost of ECU replacement afterwards.
Also, it looks like you guys are using TechStream to get a lot of this info. I tried to find a legit copy only but all the download links look scammy so I'm hesitant. I found this thread but it's all outdated and all the links are broken. Does anyone have a reliable source? Is this software even necessary?
Another possibly important piece of information, it seems that the code only comes back while driving and I can sit in my driveway and run through the RPMs as much as I want without throwing the code. This is unconfirmed due to low sample size but thought it may be of note.