AUDI B7 3.2 V6 P0346 ERROR CE LIGHT STUCK UP CAMSHAFT VALVE-read description

HELLO EVERYONE!

I'm posting this video because I do not want everyone to go through what I went. I got a CE Light for P0346 camshaft position sensor A bank circuit range performance bank 2.

Car was idling bad and there was a tapping/clicking sound. According to 2 forums I came across online, they were referring to a dreaded timing chain pensioner problem; very common. I went on and bought a timing chain tensioner for driver side or North American side. Luckily didn't have to buy the timing tool since my buddy had it. After 2 months of waiting for my buddy to help me do it. We finally took it out and found out a broken guide. WE THOUGHT THERE WAS THE PROBLEM AND we put the new timing chain tensioner on and assembled all the parts and fired up the car.
To our surprise the problem was still there, nothing had changed. Idle was rough, CE light still there, tapping/clicking noise etc

Some of the symptoms:
- Once CE light was cleared, it wont come back ON until you shut off the car and turned back on.
- Idle was rough like a timed sine wave like
- Tapping/clicking noise ( was later diagnosed to be intake flaps. Nothing to do with p0346)

We checked all Hall sensors, 4 of them. 2 on the left bank and 2 on the right. Including switching sensors and checking all pins one by one for power, signal and ground. They turned out all okay. Then, we thought we were gonna check the computer area for melted on shorted wires. But didn't end up doing it. Instead we took the intake manifold out to diagnose the tapping/clicking sound. and we found both vacuum hoses that go to the valve cover were broken. We got those fixed up and now it was time to do lots of computer side electrical testing.
Day was gone and my buddy left and I was ready to clean up. Had to do something inside the house and caught up on google search again over p0346 issue. I was randomly going through google pics when I came across one article from justanswer.com. someone mentioned of a different older model Audi of a stuck up camshaft solenoid valve with p0346, saying it was a bulletin by Audi for a stuck up Camshaft solenoid valve.
I ran back outside took the camshaft valve out (making sure what it is and which one it is; there's two on each bank. pretty much on the valve cover area) Held by 1 Star screw. ........30 seconds and it's out. AND TO MY SURPRISE,..... there it is!!!! Something looks like a metallic mesh stuck to the valve inside. like really stuck. I used battery power first and tried to take it out. Then used tweezers to pull it out. used compressed air to clean it and put it back on. Cleared CE light. started the car. OFF and start again no problems no CE light. No rough idle.

So there was my 2 months of waiting and doing a lot of work on the car for a 2 minute valve cleaning job. I wish i knew this in the first place; but at least now i learned it the hard way. Nowhere on the forums I seen someone saying anything about a stuck up camshaft solenoid valve. But here you guys, please spread this as much as you can so everyone can benefit.

Please like and share with those who are in need, before jumping to do a major repair like I did.

For pics please see my slideshow

Видео AUDI B7 3.2 V6 P0346 ERROR CE LIGHT STUCK UP CAMSHAFT VALVE-read description канала AfgunPride786