My 2001 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet threw the subject code. What does it mean?

 

P1341: Porsche fault code 174, camshaft adjustment bank 1 below limit value.

My limited experience with this code with my 2002 Boxster is it proved to be a bad VarioCam solenoid/actuator. Both were replaced which required the camshaft cover be removed.

In the case of the 996 engine the bank 1 (and 2) solenoid is pretty easy to replace so if push comes to shove replacing that and seeing if the error stays away is an option. If the error comes back the odds are high the problem was with the actuator, although both the solenoid and actuator can be bad. It just quite more expensive to replace the actuator so this is saved for last only if the solenoid doesn't "fix" the problem.

Not much you can do on your driveway. Best advice I can offer is to get the car -- preferably flat bedded not driven -- to a highly regarded Porsche shop for a professional Porsche tech's diagnosis.

There the tech can use a Porsche diagnostic computer to command the two cam solenoids to work which in turn should cause the actuators to advance or retard cam timing. At the same time he will observe the actual cam timings being reported. If the reported timings aren't up to snuff then at least you know the solenoid is suspect though the actuator is not free of suspicion by any stretch.