Dont want to spend a lot of money with garages, replacing everything until its fixed on a process of elimination basis (which is what happened on previous fault). Already been charged £50 by a garage, who just reset the fault on the computer, for it to return in 2 days.

SEAT Cupra (180 BHP) 52 plate 60K miles. Not been serviced or oil changed in over 2 years (hangs head in shame)

showing fault/ error code as p0012.

It has been intermittent and now constant... 

We have also had an oil warning on and off, though it has been topped up recently.

Fault description below on the subject (which mentions possible link to oil).

16396/P0012/000018

Contents [hide]

1 16396/P0012/000018 - Bank 1: Camshaft A (Intake): Advance Setpoint not Reached (Over-Retarded)

1.1 Possible Symptoms

1.2 Possible Causes

1.3 Possible Solutions

16396/P0012/000018 - Bank 1: Camshaft A (Intake): Advance Setpoint not Reached (Over-Retarded)

Possible Symptoms

Erratic Idle

Possible Causes

Intake Camshaft Adjuster tight/stuck

Intake Camshaft Adjuster faulty

Possible Solutions

Check Intake Camshaft Adjuster

Use Output Test, Meas. Value Blocks (MVB) & Basic Setting

Any help or advise would be a great help. Thank you

"1.8T not been serviced or oil changed in over 2 years (hangs head in shame)"

I think this may be at the heart of the matter; hydraulic tappet engines are quite sensitive to oil viscosity which changes with how used the oil is.

I think the first thing to do would be to give it a full service! The oil warning coming on & going off could be due to the oil pick up pipe strainer been blocked so id whip the sump off & change that with the oil change.

Cheers for the reply guys, ill tell my mate this. God knows why he left it more than 2 yrs since the last service!! Could there be an internal part of the engine thats got blocked/damaged?

Oil light is oil pressure not level. I'd say the oil pick up is blocked, starving the engine of oil (espcially the top end). Your friend is probably looking at a big bill for a rebuilt head and a clean'd oil pickup/sump.... maybe even a new oil pump if it's been over stressed trying to suck oil through a blocked pickup.

Oil light is oil pressure not level. I'd say the oil pick up is blocked, starving the engine of oil (espcially the top end). Your friend is probably looking at a big bill for a rebuilt head and a clean'd oil pickup/sump.... maybe even a new oil pump if it's been over stressed trying to suck oil through a blocked pickup.

Worst case; I've also had an oil pressure light thrown where the only problem was a speck of carbon in the pressure sensor.