crankshaft position sensor

“You shouldn't drive tired, Bear!”

“That would mean giving up my day job, tree! I think it was best because, although it's the first solo tire I've seen merge with traffic, I took it in stride and therefore didn't panic and swerve into someone else or slam on my brakes and get rear ended, I was the closest car to the tire. I also can not be blamed for any rubbernecking slow downs. ;)”

“Geez that's a funny story.”

“Well, that's different. I can see your point. Glad to hear you are practicing safe necking by wearing a rubber, especially if you almost got rear-ended! :)
last edited: 10/26/04 8:51:24 AM”

“".....but didn't climb under the car yet nor did i remove the battery. I may just pay the $120 and get it done right.

hey roam!! still alive?”
Gemini
8:27:32 AM
10/26/04

You'll never fit under that dang car Gemini, give it up. ;^]”

“yup, still kickin.”

“Back in the '70s I was driving the inner loop of the Beltway right by the Mormon Disneyland Castle.

A loaded 20-ton ten-wheel dumptruck on the outer loop was trailing smoke and as I watched the right rear pair came off.

The right rear corner dropped and the truck slowed, it's bare axle gouging the pavement and it's load of gravel spilling out in a neat line.

The pair of FLAMING tires/wheels continued, bounding and rolling my way and the truck ground to a halt.

The road is a series of S-curves so the burning menace was zeroed on me for a moment.

I held my speed and it bounded over the Jersey wall trailing huge flames and black smoke well behind me.

The traffic behind me yielded to this spectacle.

I'm not sure if there was a pile-up, but it was spectacular!!”

“..You should all know that the electrical system in Cars and Trucks that use computers in them...(ALL of the newer ones it seems...)will operate at a reduced level but IMPROPERLY if the voltage from the battery is reduced. (NOTE: I said REDUCED).

When a battery is weak, or a cable is corroded at the terminals, voltage is reduced to the vehicle computer. First to go are items like Digital Speedometers, (Dash electronics). The engine will run fine at first, even though you experience things like the interior lights malfunctioning....as the battery continues to weaken or the cables continue to corrode, the voltage falls to lower levels and the computer continues to fault, in other more critical areas.

Replace battery terminal lugs, clean the posts and check again (EVEN if the terminals look clean to your eyes, remove them and clean the inside of the lugs with a wire brush and then do the battery posts). This is free, you can do it yourself. THEN, have the battery checked at a place like Autozone (ALSO free).

Got an electrical problem? do the above, then replace the battery with one borrowed from a vehicle that is not experiencing problems. Do these things FIRST before you spend a couple of hundred Dollars and still need the battery...

90 percent of electrical problems are fixed at the battery or terminals.”

“In my experience going to a "dealer" in no way shape or form assures you that the job will be "done right". I've found that the smartest and most competent mechanics often own their own shops instead of working for breadcrumbs from dealer shops. In fact, I have yet to find a dealer-mechanic I would classify as competent when it comes to diagnosing problem (if their computer can't tell them what's wrong, they are at a loss). It may be different in your neck of the woods... but the dealership is the last place I would take my car in Georgia or Alabama.”

“Maybe your handle should be ShadeTree.”

“Wow, MarkO!

Q: Since the beltway was built in the 50's why does it snake in sections? Where those communities actually there?

It's a "beltway" if the belt happens to be lying on the floor in a crumbled heap.”

“I saw an engine come out of a truck and land in the road right in front of me once. That was fun.”

“dealers - I spend $30,000.00 per year on training the 10 technicians I have. It's
required by G.M. They wont pay warranty claims unless that tech is certified that worked on it. No small shop, or independent
repair shop can even get that type of training. So how can they fix the car without knowing how it's designed or how the system operates ??”

“The Beltway opened in '65 and people were afraid to drive it at first.
That didn't last!

That Forest Glen section was loaded with houses and was a problem as you can see.

They removed some houses.”

“NO mechanic likes to install a part which he/she has not secured from his/her source. Yes, he/she is entitled to a fair mark-up on the part. If the part were to fail, how could you go back to the mechanic? Good will would suffer and you may end losing a good (trustworthy) mechanic for pennies.”

“Please tell me then what your mechanics will do beyond sticking it on the OBDII scan tool, reading the fault codes and replacing the part they see is at fault... then I will make judgement if it's worth an extra money. Are you saying that a dealer's mechanic is more mechanically capable of removing a simple Crank Position Sensor then an independent mechanic? Just curious really.

All the training in the world will not give someone good problem solving skills... and the best and brightest mechanics I know with the good problem solving skills who can think beyond the scan tools are the ones who open their own shops. Like I said... it may differ in your area but the dealer mechanics around here are terrible.”

“exapmle: crank shaft sensor on a trailblazer, there was a bulliten for shimming the sensor for a ses light comming on. I had at least 6 people come in (out of warranty) that had thier own mechanic replace it for $$$$ and it didnt fix it, so they were told to take it to the dealer.
Well, we fixed it, because we "knew how" for
less labor then they paid and it didnt require replacing it. I have many many stories that involve people paying for things that didnt need to be replaced or that were misdiagnosed because thier mechanic was not trained.
ps: all the training is based on strategy based diagnoses. Rememebr the factory is paying the bill under warranty, and they only will pay for what was defective, not a guess. We have to send parts back for them to test. there is no leeway, it must be accurate.”

“I have a trusted mechanic that I found. I tend to do most of my own work, but I'll take it to him if it's something I can't do or just don't feel like doing.

If you have yet to find a trusted independant mechanic, then i'd go to the dealer

You know when going to a dealer that the mechs are well trained and certified. More importantly, they are trained and work almost exclusivly on your make and model of car. So they know the strange quirks and frequently broken parts, just by the volume of cars they work on. It's possible to find a good independant mech, but your chances of finding are far slimmer then having it done right at a dealer. Also, if a dealer does it, screws it up or it doesn't fix it. It's harder for them to deny fixing it right. Can't say it was someone elses fault so warentee is void. blah blah blah.

As a rule tho. Don't trust the computer scanners 100% and don't go by what the mechanics say 100%. A malfunctioning CPS (or any sensor) means the PCM is reading a wrong signal from it. So the problem could lie anywhere between the sensor and the PCM. As was even mentioned before, the sensor could be getting low voltage to begin with.

Also if you bring it in to be repaired and they come back and say they need to replace a battery cable, but you have bad brakes, tires and muffler bearings, then say no. Fix the immediate problem and that's it. THey'll probably try and sell you on an oil change, radiator flush, engine cleaning, ect. Just tell them to fix the main problem. The best thing to do is be friendly and knowledgable. if you at least act like you know something about the repair, then they are more likley to be honest with you. Same goes if your friendly to them”

“Greased and slicked down fine, groovy leather trim
I like the way you hold the road, mama, it ain't no sin

Talkin' 'bout love
Talkin' 'bout love
Talkin' 'bout love

Trouble-free transmission, puncture will explode
Mama, let me pump your gas, mama, let me do it all

Talkin' 'bout love
Talkin' 'bout love
Talkin' 'bout love

Dig that heavy metal underneath your hood
Baby, I could work all night, believe I've got the perfect tools

Talkin' 'bout love
Talkin' 'bout love
Talkin' 'bout love

A model built for comfort, really built with style
Specialist tradition, mama, let me feast my eyes

Talkin' 'bout love
Talkin' 'bout love
Talkin' 'bout love

Factory air-conditioned, heat begins to rise
Guaranteed to run for hours, mama it's a perfect size

Talkin' 'bout love
Talkin' 'bout love
Talkin' 'bout love

Groovin' on the freeway, gauge is on the red
Gun down on my gasoline, I believe I'm gonna crack a head.

Talkin' 'bout love
Talkin' 'bout love
Talkin' 'bout love
I can't stop talkin' about...

Come to me for service every hundred miles
Baby, let me check your points, fix your overdrive

Talkin' 'bout love
Talkin' 'bout love
Talkin' 'bout love

Fully automatic, comes in any size
Makes me wonder what I did, before we synchronized

Talkin' 'bout love
Talkin' 'bout love
Talkin' 'bout love

Feather-light suspension, coils just couldn't hold
I'm so glad I took a look inside your showroom doors

Talkin' 'bout love
Talkin' 'bout love
Talkin' 'bout love
Oh, I can't stop talkin' about love.”

“5 trips to the highly trained Ford Mechanics at the local dealer and they could never figure out what was wrong with my boss's Lincolm Mark VIII. 30 minutes and two beers and we found the problem with a faulty wire going to one of his coil packs knocking out two of his cylinders. I have about 7-8 more examples if you want to hear em... a couple of Chevy ones... some ford... and the some chrysler ones.”

“All involve beer and no diag equipment ??
Na. But I have 18 years, 10 as a tech, 8 as a service manager, so rest assured I have more stories than you. You seem like one of the Dealer haters due to bad experiences etc.. But there are some that do the job, dont rip people off, and most importantly, fix cars. I love what i do. We dont have pissed off customers etc.. The customer is my livelihood, and I take care of them because of that. If I cant fix it, I dont charge. If a tech makes a mistake, we pay,
not the customer. Its the way you do business
as much as how smart your guys are.”

“"5 trips to the highly trained Ford Mechanics "


second to last word explains it all lol

That was his first mistake. After 2 trips and still no fix I would have gone elsewhere.
last edited: 10/26/04 11:21:43 AM”

“Ah yes, Ford. bite my tounge.
thanks deathmarch99”

“Just got off the phone with the mechanic, $1200 to fix my car. I hope I have enough of a balance on my credit card to cover it.

Gemini, I'll trade you.
last edited: 10/26/04 11:40:10 AM”

“What did you do ZombO, blow a gasket?

Pitty the fool...”

“Who you callin' a foo'? Foo'.”

“I can hear that particular blown-gasket-Subaru now.

Next time get something without a boxer engine.”

“I can tell you this, I never had these problems with the GMC truck.”

“you are all fooooollllssss!! MarkO called me fat. Never call a lady fat!! Yes, I am still a lady!!

okay..I talked to a second guy on the phone today. Hmm, didn't like him. NOt sure why... first he hang up on me without saying a word because my cell phone connections wasn't great...then he pretented it wasn't him that called.

then he added $70 to hook my car to the computer to diagnose the problem. (isn't that what autozone did for free??)

I sort of understand the huge amount of $70 for hooking my car up on to the computer, but never ever hang up on me dangid!!!
last edited: 10/26/04 12:35:44 PM”

“Gaby, what's this creatures name? I'm sending MarkO down to fix his wagon!

Tell ya what, drive the car up to my house and I'll take a look at it!”

“autozone just pulled the code that said cranksensor. now somebody has to follow the diagnostic chart and perform the tests that
make sure it is the crank sensor. And your right, never hang up on a lady !! that does piss them off. Never say fat either.”

“uhhh bobo, wouldn't want you gettn' in any trouble now. ;-)

thank you crazypace.”

“lol,
the funny thing about computer diagnostics....the PCM just doesn't flash neat little codes that say "the CPS is bad, fix it"

They have all kinds of codes. There are hard codes and soft codes. There are even codes that only the dealer with a patented (aka independant shops can't buy) scan tool can read. So the dealer can read that the CPS code was thrown (what autozone saw), plus about a thousand other events stored in the memory. Some ECU's will actually tell a dealer if your tires are not evenly inflated (a function of the ABS speed sensors). it's almost scary some of the stuff that the dealer can tell from reading your ECU. so don't be too alarmed.”

“This has to be a record thread about a car part.”

““you are all fooooollllssss!! MarkO called me fat. Never call a lady fat!! Yes, I am still a lady!!'

Gemini, you ding-a-ling!

I was talkin' about certain parts of you that would not fit.



A lotta good Bobo will do!”

“stovey...and a tinny little part for that. lol


hey deathmarch...so i jumpstarted bisons car a couple weeks ago...ya think maybe it had something to do with that? maybe it's not that sensor?”

“There are two of them ;^]”

“did you initially hook up the cables backward?? by backward I mean + to - and - to +?? That would definatly put enough draw on the system to fry some wires. You'd probably know it as soon as you did it tho. It's actually rather spectacular. If you get past the initial sparks...the cables can actually melt.

after looking though my factory service manual. If th engine recieves no signal from the CPK (sensor) then it will not engage the starter. So if the signal wire from the sensor is grounded to the heat shield, the car will not attempt to start as you;ve observed. That still doesn't explain the clock being wrong tho.

When the car refused to start, did you still have power to the dome lights and other interior stuff? If yes, then the sensor is still candidate number one. If not, a bad ground is sounding more and more likley.

Did autozone tell you exactly which code was pulled? There are about 5 that deal with that sensor.”

“the clock was only way off one time, when it happend the first time. since then...nothing.

not sure if bison hooked up the cables backwards...BISON!!!!!!!!! HELLOOOOOOO!!!

I don't think I have the exact code from autozone. they gave me a big list, and circled th ecps. there is a number on it (SU5261), but i think its the part number. not sure though”

“Hookin' the cables backward can cause the battery to B L O W ! ! ! !

I saw and HEARD it many years ago as a teenage gas station jockey.

The dude was lucky he didn't have his face directly over the battery.

He staggered back from the car after the BANG, unable to talk.”

“so there have been no more electrical problems associated with the car not starting? Everything works fine besides the starter not working?

I'm thinking the clock thing may have been coincidence.

and yea.. BOOM....the worst i ever saw was the jumper cables and main battery cable melt and start smoking.”

“Thought I'll let all the guys that helped an update. Thursday the freaking car didnt' start at all. I had to jumpstart it and it started without a problem. I did notice the night before that everytime I lock the car the horn sounded really weak...which tells me battery!! right??

I went to the shop, got me a battery and installed it. hey, a battery costs me less then the check on the car that I wasnt' able to get until monday. So I had nothing to loose either way.

Car is still driving! Didn't have to jumpstart it yet.

Still spend almost $1,000. Needed new tires so I got better ones this time (got new tires in december, and have already worn them out, tire rotation, got a tuneup, oilchange, filter, etc... oh, and bought a good jumpercable and jumpbox thingy in case I get stranded out in the woods.

Now I need a new rim.

Well, that's it, just thought I'll let you all know.”

“I dropped off my old clunker at the shop this am for an oil change and "mini tuneup". It was acting really funny this weekend on the interstate on the way home from the race.

Only did this on the interstate running over 70. But, it would start missing and sputtering like it was about to run out of gas. Then the "check engine" light would come on and it would smooth out - it might be 5 minutes or so before the light would come on. Then after another 5 minutes or so the light would go out and it would start to sputter and cough again. While it was coughing, it would use LOTS of gas. I used over 1/4 tank on a 50 mile drive (about twice what it should use).

Fuel filter maybe? I hope thats all it is. I wanna drive this car until after I've been moved at least a month.”

“I'm not a mechanic, but it could be the O2 sensor. I had a GMC pickup that did the same thing. I replaced the O2 sensor and the truck ran better and got better gas mileage than when I bought it.

Hopefully your mechanic will be able to figure out what is wrong.”

“I know it's weird, but my car for example does this when I've waited to long to change the oil...I've even changed just the filter...(When I'm on the road) and it solves the problem...restrictions in oil flow can cause what you're talking about
last edited: 11/01/04 7:44:42 AM”

“hmmm, well I'm getting the oil changed, a new air filter and they were gonna change out the fuel filter too. Maybe that'll work. Hell, the cars only got 130,000 miles on it - can't hurt to put a new fuel filter in it.”

“woahhh, I had something like this in Germany with one of my cars. it was bad Roam, really bad...my engine was about to die. did exactelly what your's did though. can't remember the check engine light.

let's hope a tuneup will take care of your problem.

no change spark plugs??
last edited: 11/01/04 7:53:32 AM”

“it can die if it wants to but it would be really really really nice if it'll hang on just another 3,000 miles or so.

please? :)”

“I had an O2 sensor break loose once. Wow, that thing went from very quiet to really loud farm equipment! It went through gas very quickly, too.”