2016.5 CX-5 2.5L Timing chain skipped a tooth?

Hi, 2016.5 CX-5 with a 2.5. 160k trouble free miles and serviced. Had a check engine light come on. Took it to a dealer, they said the oil had gone low and as a result the timing chain skipped a tooth. I have no indication of bad timing such as rough ride or lack of power. Quoted $1500 repair. I deferred for a 2nd opinion. I topped off the oil on the way home and the check engine light went off.

Anyone seen anything like this?
 
If you were that low on oil I wonder if the variable timing system was affected which could explain the power loss, etc. I was wondering WTF on the timing belt skipping due to low oil.
 
..... Took it to a dealer, they said the oil had gone low and as a result the timing chain skipped a tooth. ....
They probably found a cam/crank correlation code, such as P0016, and used that to 'diagnosis' the problem. The much greater probability is that the code was set due to a hiccup with a oil control valve (which is highly dependent on proper oil pressure and flow). Very poor (or possibly dishonest) practice the part of this stealership to diagnose and quote a repair based on an OBD code alone.

However, any low oil level is cause for questions and concern. It's important to know how much oil you added and what the level on the dipstick was afterwards. Also very key is the oil change history of your vehicle; in particular how often (in miles) the oil is changed, how many miles since the last change, and if you ever check the level in between changes.
 
Thank you for taking the time to reply!! The code was P0017. I pulled it myself on a scanner. I Tee’d the guy up. As we walked into the dealership he said “it’s rare but you could need a timing chain replacement”

When we learned the oil was low we added one quart to get us home. The light was still on. The oil was low for sure. At the very low range of the stick (bottom of the indicator.

When we got home i did an oil and filter change. After the car had a full 4.5q, the light went out immediately.

Ive been doing synthetic oil changes every 8500 miles since the car was new. At the pioint of the incident we were just about ready for an oil change. I think we will back it down to every 4k miles. Small price to pay to keep this car going.

Really appreciate the community help here guys. I was about to go back there and hand the $1700 over.
 
All the cars I've ever known that had timing chain problems the chains weren't dependent on oil pressure to maintain tension just lubrication for the tensioner which was held by a spring. I let the oil run low in mine once and stopped by the store to get a quart and never had problems but it wasn't low long.
 
Ok. Maybe i can find a mechanic that can do it without the dealer premium
IMO there's no reason to believe there is any permanent issue with the timing (chain or anything else). From what you described, the vehicle was 2 quarts low on oil, which certainly could be low enough to make VVT flip out and set that correlation code. But that VVT issue would likely be transient, and permanently corrected when the oil level came back up. Just continue to drive it and monitor with your scan tool for a pending P0017 code (or any other pending code for that matter), which can be set and erased repeatedly, without the CEL coming on.

However, 2 quarts low in 8.5K miles is something that you do need to keep a closer eye on. In addition to checking for external oil leaks, you really need to monitor the oil level regularly from this point on - every couple of weeks or so.
 
You had to add 2 quarts? Might be that low because you are underfilling it if only putting in 4.5 quarts on an oil change. Say what you will, but the manual is wrong. Measure it next time. I put 5 quarts in mine and it's still short of the full mark by probably half a quart. I call it good at 5 quarts, but when I had a leak in the pan, I was definitely having to add a quart between oil changes.
 
If the light went off and the car runs fine, I wouldn't bother with a new timing chain. But like other said, check your oil level once a week. And if your CE light goes back on then you will have to get the repair.
 
Thank you for taking the time to reply!! The code was P0017. I pulled it myself on a scanner. I Tee’d the guy up. As we walked into the dealership he said “it’s rare but you could need a timing chain replacement”

When we learned the oil was low we added one quart to get us home. The light was still on. The oil was low for sure. At the very low range of the stick (bottom of the indicator.

When we got home i did an oil and filter change. After the car had a full 4.5q, the light went out immediately.

Ive been doing synthetic oil changes every 8500 miles since the car was new. At the pioint of the incident we were just about ready for an oil change. I think we will back it down to every 4k miles. Small price to pay to keep this car going.

Really appreciate the community help here guys. I was about to go back there and hand the $1700 over.

If you're adding 4.5 quarts after an oil change then you're already running a bit low. I have the same year CX that you have and I add 5 quarts after a change and it takes it right up to the full mark.

I find it highly doubtful that a low oil level caused the timing chain to jump a tooth.
 
You had to add 2 quarts? Might be that low because you are underfilling it if only putting in 4.5 quarts on an oil change. Say what you will, but the manual is wrong. Measure it next time. I put 5 quarts in mine and it's still short of the full mark by probably half a quart. I call it good at 5 quarts, but when I had a leak in the pan, I was definitely having to add a quart between oil changes.
Thank you. I will check the oil today and see if the level is low.
 
Hi, 2016.5 CX-5 with a 2.5. 160k trouble free miles and serviced. Had a check engine light come on. Took it to a dealer, they said the oil had gone low and as a result the timing chain skipped a tooth.
Timing chain is not like timing belt which is almost impossible to jump a tooth unless the chain is so loose and you’ll hear loud rattling noise.
 
Thank you for taking the time to reply!! The code was P0017. I pulled it myself on a scanner. I Tee’d the guy up. As we walked into the dealership he said “it’s rare but you could need a timing chain replacement”
P0017 Crankshaft Position - Camshaft Position Correlation (Bank 1 Sensor B). So it could just be the low oil level causing the oil starvation on oil control valve (OCV). I’d check OCV first as it’s a common problem for leak and requires replacement.

When we learned the oil was low we added one quart to get us home. The light was still on. The oil was low for sure. At the very low range of the stick (bottom of the indicator.
Was the light CEL or low oil pressure warning light?

When we got home i did an oil and filter change. After the car had a full 4.5q, the light went out immediately.
So where did you get the ides 4.5 quarts of oil for oil change is “full”? I got feeling that the oil level on your 2.5L has always been low near “Add” mark. No tolerance for any oil consumption or leaking.

The owner’s manual says 4.8 quarts for oil and filter change on the 2.5L. But most DIYers found it needs 5.25 quarts to reach to the “Full” mark of the dipstick.
 
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I have to say that the people on this forum are AWESOME! Thank You for your advice.

Here's how it wound up. I checked the oil and with 4.5q it was barely touching the OK range on the dip stick. I added just under a quart to get it to the top of the range. I found that when the oil was low the dip stick was misleading - it must of been picking up a streak of oil while I was putting it in.

I also made an appointment with a local mechanic to get the OVC valve checked.
 
I have to say that the people on this forum are AWESOME! Thank You for your advice.

Here's how it wound up. I checked the oil and with 4.5q it was barely touching the OK range on the dip stick. I added just under a quart to get it to the top of the range. I found that when the oil was low the dip stick was misleading - it must of been picking up a streak of oil while I was putting it in.

I also made an appointment with a local mechanic to get the OVC valve checked.
Looks like your 2.5L is having oil consumption issue. With 160K miles, if you plan to get OCV checked by a local mechanic, might as well have him to check the oil leak in some problem areas such as oil pan、timing chain cover、and valve cover (with OCV seal).

Most DIYers put in 5 quarts of oil for oil change, which should give the oil level to about ¾ high between Add and Full marks on the dipstick.

If you have trouble reading the dipstick by streaks of oil, just check the oil level the first thing in the morning before the engine start. Just pull out the dipstick and see the oil level without wiping, and I guarantee you the measurement is the same as you take the measurement when hot.
 
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