An easy fix for P000A, B, C, or D?

[bigB]

My 2014 FRS’s CEL came on last week, code P000B and the car going into limp mode. Looking here, this could be many problems, some pretty serious and all related to the valves and the variable valve timing system. But if it just the VVT actuator, any easy part to get to and replace. I tried just clearing the code a couple of times, but it came back within a few minutes so clearly I had a real issue.

So I removed mine, B being the passenger side exhaust. I also took off the A, passenger side intake. About the easiest part to get to, I didn’t have to remove anything and just a single connector and two bolts. On the B part the little actuator pin was definitely sticking compared to the A part. So I turned it with the pin facing up, and sprayed WD40 into the four holes. Then I turned it upside down and shook it so that the pin moved in and out. My oil is an amber color, but the WD40 came out black, contaminated with a very fine particulate. So I repeated this several times, and in the end the pin was moving much more freely.

So before spending about $100 for a new part, I put it back together. I swapped the two parts, so if if throws a code that moved from the B spot to the A, I know I need a new part. But it has been a few days now, about 100 miles, and no CEL!

If this truly fixed my car, this will be one of the easiest repairs ever. If you ever have this code popping up out of nowhere, maybe this will work for you.

Have fun, drive fast, live to tell the tale.

[RACECAR go brrr!]

I did the same thing for the passenger side VVT actuator after I got a P000B light at 9x,000 miles. Everyone told me I was going to have to spend thousands fixing the cam sprockets and this and that and everything, but I just swapped out that $75 part in 3 minutes, and it's been fine since. Just hit 118,000 miles and it is still the only issue this engine has ever had.

[bigB]

After a little over a week, I got the CEL back with code P000A. So the code moved with this part, it is definitely the problem. I swapped it to the A position since in my car it is really easy to remove there. I took it out and tried to clean it again, but it was pretty clean. But I noticed that the little pin was sticking sometimes, and it didn’t seem like it had any oil on the pin itself. I am not sure exactly how this part works, and what the four holes on the face are for, but I put a drop of light oil on the pin and it really seemed to free it up. So I put it back in for the moment.

I looked into the parts, and the original part has been replaced with a new part number. So maybe they have changed the design? I bought a new part (it looks exactly the same as the old one), for me cheaper at Toyota versus Subaru, and put it in my car with a 10mm socket, ratchet, and screwdriver so that I can swap it out the next time it goes bad. But so far it hasn’t thrown a code again.

When it does, I’ll give an update. But it will be awhile, the throw out bearing in my car just started making terrible noises so it is parked until I get some time to pull the transmission and work on the clutch. But that job is behind a project on the house for the next week or so.