The engine in my car was rattling after the overnight stay, and I recently replaced the camshaft adjuster to get rid of this annoying problem. I also noticed some oil in the electrical connector of the adjuster solenoid, and decided to replace it as well. The procedure went fine, no more rattle, the engine feels the same, but - the CEL light came on. I read the code, and it was: P0010 - "A" Camshaft Position Actuator Circuit (Bank 1). I checked and cleaned the magnet, connector, and everything around it, reset the error - the very next day the light is back with the same code. The electrical resistance of the magnet was ~8-10om.
My manual suggests to connect the magnet directly to the battery, and see if it can attract that little cylinder that sits on the end of the camshaft. I've done it, and surely there was no sound of the cylinder hitting the magnet. Yesterday I've decided to take the magnet out, and try the old one that I still had lying around. The old one worked just fine - I heard the metal clicking, and seen it moving through the small opening in the magnet. After some fiddling with the new magnet with no success, I concluded that I bought a bad part, and decided to install the old one back. To my surprise it didn't work anymore! The little metal cylinder inside it didn't budge. I was able to see it through the opening in the magnet, and even rotate it with the small socket - it wasn't jammed. I can also pull that cylinder easily with my fingers when the magnet is removed. Both magnets were apparently working, but something else keep preventing the cylinder being sucked inside and change the camshaft position.
Anyone has any ideas of why that could be happening? Is there a special way to install the camshaft magnet? I can't find the explanation of why the old magnet was working first time during my yesterday's test, and then suddenly stopped.
I have the 111 engine

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2002 C230K

I figured what was happening. Turned out that I did not assemble my new camshaft adjuster properly when I was installing it. In a very simplified way the adjuster contains of the inner rod, which is attached to the camshaft, and the outer gear. The outer gear is supposed to be put on the rod all the way in, and this was something I failed to notice when I was disassembling the old adjuster. The outer gear was holding to the inner rod by some tiny margin of the tooth. Because it wasn't put on the rod all the way in, the remaining gap had prevented the magnet to operate properly, and that was triggering the engine light. I've attached two photos, before the fix, and after. Notice the gap between the two red arrows when I installed a new adjuster for the first time.
Luckily I practically didn't drive the car until I figured it out. I still don't understand how the engine is survived. If the outer gear had slid or break that tiny piece of the inner rod's gear teeth, it would freely rotate without turning the intake camshaft. Not something you'd like to happen.
But that's not all. I've reassembled everything back in the proper order, and, to my big suprise, the engine started rattling again after a few days. It didn't rattle as much as before, but still, once or twice a week I was hearing that annoying sound. And that was happening until I've decided to change my engine oil. After the oil change, the rattle disappeared. I did not hear it even for a single time.
I always put the same oil (Mobil 0W40). When this rattle has started, quite some time ago, I've checked the oil level among other things. I even topped it up a bit to be sure.
So what do you think? Can the oil be a problem? Bad batch? Contaminated? I did not change any other fluids for some time. I put Castrol oil in my wife's car, so I don't think that I just poured another can by mistake.

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2002 C230K

Hi saw this old thread I am doing some work on my SL R129
Have removed the actuator to test and clean up the end of the camshaft Is it important to keep the end of the shaft in the same postion when reassembling

Thanks john