Camshaft sensor?

A lot of independent shops bought Chrysler's DRB3 scanner because with an extra plug-in card, it will do emissions-related stuff on any brand of car sold in the U.S, '96 and newer. I have one for my personal vehicles. If you can't find one at a local shop, almost all aftermarket scanners will do the same things within a few years. Every shop will have something that will cover almost everything on a 2004 model.

What you want to look at is if the cam sensor is listed as "no" or "present", or whatever similar terminology they use. The most common cause of loss of signal is failure to install the paper spacer when installing a used sensor. New ones will have a thick paper spacer stuck on the end to set the critical air gap. That spacer slides off the first time the engine is cranked, but it's job is done by then. Aftermarket sensors can have a thin plastic rib molded on the end to set that gap. When those sensors are reinstalled, you're supposed to cut the remaining part of the rib off, then use a new paper spacer.

If there was no spacer and the sensor was pushed all the way in, it could be broken from hitting the sprocket.

Here is the sensor location. Check out the diagrams (Below). Please let us know what you find.

Dandy. Holler back to let me know when it's running without setting a code.

Hello,

Here are two guides that will give you an idea of what you are in for when doing the job

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/symptoms-of-a-bad-crankshaft-sensor

and

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/camshaft-angle-sensor-replacement

The crankshaft position sensor is on the transmission bell housing near the firewall and rear cylinder head. It requires a thick paper spacer to set the critical air gap. Many aftermarket sensors have a thin plastic rib molded on instead of that spacer.

The camshaft position sensor is around the thermostat housing here are diagrams to show you the location of both sensors

Check out the diagrams (Below)

Please let us know if you need anything else to get the problem fixed.

Cheers

There's a much better way of figuring out if a sensor is failing but it requires a scanner that can display live data. I use the Chrysler DRB3 but there are a lot of good aftermarket scanners out there that do almost as much.

Here is a guide that can show you how to scan your car

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/checking-a-service-engine-soon-or-check-engine-light-on-or-flashing

The two sensors are listed on the DRB3 as "no" or "present" to show whether those signals are being received. That makes real quick work out of a no-start condition but when you have an intermittent loss of one of the signals, there is a record feature that is used during a test drive. You press the "record" button when the problem occurs, then you can play back the data stream later to see what happened. Since that data travels through the scanner's memory, the recording actually starts a couple of seconds before you pressed the button.

The next best thing is those fault codes but the P1391 suggests the Engine Computer doesn't know which signal is being lost. Whenever it sees one signal, it knows the other one should be there too. Connector and wiring problems account for about half of the fault codes, and a defective sensor about the other half. The two sensors share a common feed wire and a common ground wire. At that point the engine would stall and not suddenly start up again. Once the short is gone, you have to turn the ignition switch off, then restart the engine to reset the 8.0 volt supply.

There are other ways for sensors to fail that do not cause the power supply to shut down. One thing that bit me was not using that paper spacer on the end of the crankshaft position sensor. After replacing a dozen transmissions, I felt confident in setting the air gap by feel, but on the 13th transmission job, that one developed an intermittent stalling problem two weeks later. In response to the intermittent loss of crank signal fault code, another mechanic replaced that sensor and solved the stalling, but I have to assume it was because I didn't use that spacer.

If you're going to guess at a solution, start with the crankshaft position sensor. Never replace two or more things at once. If you end up with a no-start condition due to some mistake or a defective new part, you want as few variables as possible to contend with. Camshaft position sensors are a common problem on Neons and Intrepids, but I've never replaced one on a 3.3L / 3.8L.

It's on the back side near where the steering column comes out of the firewall and goes into the rack and pinion steering gear. If you look at where the starter attaches on the front, look an inch or two towards the driver's side on the bell housing, then find the matching point on the back side. Here's a photo of the part from rockauto. Com.

I left the dealership in '99, and I see this is a different design sensor than what I'm familiar with. There's no way to use that paper spacer I mentioned with this one. I have another Chrysler expert stopping over in a few minutes. I'll ask him if they moved the location of this sensor. I'll also keep trying to locate a better picture of its location.

Hi there,

If any of these sensors are faulty you will get a code set. I would be getting the fuel pressure and flow checked and replace that fuel filter as well, start here.

Mark (mhpautos)

Depends on engine size? 3.0L its in the distributor. On the 3.3L and 3.8L it's on front of engine. Post engine size and I can give diagram of it.

You need some punctuation in that really huge sentence, otherwise it can be read at least three different way. Have you checked for diagnostic fault codes? Have you checked for spark? 52 pounds of fuel pressure is plenty but that doesn't mean the injectors are firing. Which engine do you have?

Fault codes never say to replace parts. They only indicate the circuit or system that needs further diagnosis. What were the exact code numbers?

Have you checked for spark? If there is none, check if the automatic shutdown (ASD) relay is turning on during engine cranking. The easiest way to do that is to measure the voltage on the dark green / orange wire at the coil pack or any injector. (My newest service manual is for an '02. If your wire colors are different, it will be the same color at all those places). You should see 12 volts for one second after turning on the ignition switch, then it should come back during cranking.