How Do You Know if a Crank Sensor Is Bad

Modern vehicles are jam-packed full of sensors that keep everything operating the way it should. But while all these electronics create far more efficient and powerful vehicles, they tin can also create massive headaches when something goes incorrect.

One of the nearly critical sensors in your vehicle is the crankshaft position sensor. Merely what does this sensor practice, where you lot tin can observe it, and how much does it price to replace it? We'll respond all those questions and more in this comprehensive guide. Let's take a quick look at the common symptoms commencement:

The about common symptom of a bad crankshaft position sensor is a cheque engine low-cal on your dashboard. Y'all will oft also experience a stalling engine or bad engine performance. In rare cases, you will also discover engine vibrations or misfires.

But while these are the most common symptoms, they aren't the just signs that tin point you in the direction of a faulty crankshaft position sensor. Nosotros'll take an in-depth look at the six most mutual symptoms of a bad crankshaft position sensor below to help you lot diagnose your vehicle.

Bad Crankshaft Position Sensor Symptoms

1. Check Engine Calorie-free

Like we said earlier, the most mutual symptom of a bad crankshaft position sensor is a cheque engine light. The good news is that if y'all accept a cheque engine light, then your ECM has reverted to default measurements.

While this might cause a few operation issues, it should assistance forbid further damage from occurring. However, the longer you get out the problem unaddressed, the worse it will become.

2. Excessive Engine Vibrations

If your engine has a faulty crankshaft position sensor, then it isn't optimizing any operation. Even worse, information technology might be utilizing incorrect readings to determine fuel and ignition timing. If the ECM doesn't time things correctly, you're in for a bumpy ride.

Even worse, the problem is only going to go worse until you fix information technology, and it'due south only a matter of time until farther damages occur.

3. Reduced Engine Operation

Whether you have a check engine light or not, a faulty crankshaft position sensor volition atomic number 82 to reduced engine performance. Whether it's default values or the wrong values entirely, anything less than optimal timing is going to reduce your overall performance.

Top speed and dispatch are the ii most significant areas that you are going to see reduced operation.

Keep in mind that an engine that isn't performing correctly is besides going to have a reduction in fuel economy, but unless you're paying shut attention to how many miles you go out of each tank, you might not notice.

4. Difficulty Starting Your Vehicle

If your lacking crankshaft position sensor is extremely out of sync, you might accept problem getting your vehicle started. Furthermore, you might accept difficulty keeping it started.

This is usually only a problem when the problem has persisted for some time, and you lot likely have various other underlying issues too. Moreover, it's not ordinarily a trouble if you have a check engine light and the ECM has defaulted to predetermined values.

Instead, it's a problem when the crankshaft position sensor is feeding inaccurate readings and your ECM doesn't realize information technology.

5. Engine Stalling

While this indicates a severe error, information technology'due south possible that a faulty crankshaft position sensor could lead your vehicle to stall. This happens when the ECM is sending all the wrong fuel and ignition timing to each cylinder.

Typically, it will take a while for a problem to get this bad, and if information technology is, there's a good chance there'due south further damage that you'll uncover subsequently you replace the crankshaft position sensor.

vi. Engine Misfires

While it'due south unlikely that a vehicle with a check engine low-cal on will misfire, if the ECM uses wrong positions of the crankshaft, information technology's incredibly likely. Even worse, if y'all have an engine that's misfiring, it's only a matter of time until engine impairment occurs.

The longer you let a misfire happen, the worse information technology'll become, and the more expensive the eventual repairs will be. If you have a misfire, get repairs equally soon as possible.

RELATED: six Symptoms of an Engine Misfire

Crankshaft Position Sensor Function

The purpose of the crankshaft position sensor is to measure the position of the crankshaft. Information technology might sound redundant, but it's one of the near disquisitional sensors in your vehicle. The crankshaft position sensor sends these measurements to the ECM, and the ECM uses them to optimize the residual of your vehicle's timing.

If the crankshaft position sensor fails, and then the ECM reverts to default values. While these values go on the engine running, y'all'll likely discover diverse performance issues.

However, if the ECM doesn't realize that the crankshaft position sensor has failed and is sending it errant measurements, the computer will optimize performance to inaccurate readings. This can quickly lead to more damage and expensive repairs.

Crankshaft Position Sensor Location

Your vehicle'southward crankshaft position sensor is located near the bottom of the engine past the crankshaft. That makes sense considering it's the crankshaft position sensor's chore to mensurate the crankshaft location.

When you're trying to rails downwardly the crankshaft position sensor, look towards the engine'due south bottom, by and large on ane of the sides. Since the sensor is and then far downward in the engine, information technology tin be hard to locate and even harder to remove and replace if y'all have a faulty ane.

Crankshaft Position Sensor Replacement Cost

The average crankshaft sensor replacement price is betwixt $150 and $250. Nonetheless, it's not uncommon for those prices to skyrocket if you lot have a higher-end vehicle.

That's because the labor costs are typically between $xc and $110. From at that place, the balance of the cost comes downward to parts. While most crankshaft position sensors price nether $100, at that place are a few out there that can accident through that price signal.

Fortunately for almost drivers, those more expensive parts are typically only on high-end luxury vehicles. If yous're looking to save a few bucks, you tin supplant the sensor yourself. Information technology'south a pretty straightforward job if y'all can reach the sensor.

While this is only going to relieve you lot near $100, if y'all're a little mechanically inclined, yous tin complete the entire job in nether thirty minutes.

In that location are actually some car models, fifty-fifty if it is very rare, but they tin be located behind the flywheel, then you lot have to remove the gearbox to replace the sensor.

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Source: https://mechanicbase.com/engine/crankshaft-position-sensor-symptoms/

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