95-97 2.3L Ranger P0340 = Timing Belt...

[Tbars4]

...I lost my cam position sensor tonight...

P0340 Camshaft Position Sensor Circuit Malfunction

.....Well, I lost all power on the freeway and a check gauge lite came on..Pulled out my scanner and got a P0340 code...

...Early 95 Ranger 2.3L but it is ODBII...Haynes says how to for all 2.3 except it has a small note on 95-97 only, something about the sensor on the oil pump behind the inner timing cover but can't find any useful info here or at TRS...How hard is this as I may have to pull the timing cover, timing chain, and an inner cover?

...Any help and diagrams asap am would be much appreciated...
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...Update: From all the information I have researched and checking with the parts houses, you can buy a cam sensor and no one knows where they go on a 95-97 Ranger 2.3L as they are special..In Fact, I have also been told they do not have a cam sensor and I could not find one which leads me to believe there is none for these years...

...If you have pics on the truck and info showing the 95-97 2.3L Ranger in fact has a cam position sensor, please post them here...
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...I found the belt broken after reaching in to the top of the timing belt cover and finding the belt loose on the cam gear...

...This was a fairly easy process once you figure out how to remove the plastic timing cover....The most important thing when putting this all back together is finding and aligning all 3 "<>" diamond marks on the Cam, Crankshaft, and oil pump gears, as they are very fine marks and not easily seen...

...My gas mileage since I've owned the Ranger has never been better and it smogged the best it ever has since I've owned it after swapping this timing belt...These belts last about 60,000 miles but IMHO should be changed at leas every 3 years if not just for the maintenance and the fuel economy..

...I thought I would include these pics for future reference of all the parts in this area...

...The plastic timing cover removed..


...You can see the broken belt and how it has no tension in this pic...


...And I found it broke on the bottom at the crankshaft pulley/gear...


...The new and old belt..The new belt was 1/4" wider but the old one had many miles and suffered damage due to rocks and sand getting in the bottom of the plastic cover..




...There are 2 hidden bolts beneath the A/C that I had to loosen...Do not remove all the way as they are a booger to get started...Also, be careful of your power steering hoses at all times while doing this repair..


...The crank gear and pully...




...Misc. pics of this area...





..This is a good shot of the belt tensioner with the broken belt shown..


...These show the crank position sensor...



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...Edit: Thanks to Rwenzing for sharing the diagrahms in post #8, the cam position sensor has been located..



...It is located behind the inner timing belt cover and the oil pump gear as marked by the arrow here...(View is looking from the ground up)...You do not need to remove anything to access this sensor as it is on the outside of the motor, drivers side, just above the oil pan...

[Tbars4]

...So far it's not the cam position sensor...Thanks SVO for taking the time and giving me some very useful information that can't be found on the net..

...Update tonight...

[Stic-o]

If you have oil presure then it not CPS, or at least not the mechanical part. The truck went into fail safe if it shut down. could be the sensor it self on top.

[Tbars4]

...It turned out to be a timing belt...

...I got it fixed and will post r and r pics and clean up this thread later, as I needed to hurry up and get to the Post Office...

[RangerX]

Originally Posted by Tbars4

..., as I needed to hurry up and get to the Post Office

Haha, to mail your tax returns? I got to my PO today right as they were closing!

[Tbars4]

....It's a long story but, I ran into another member near Kingman while doing a test drive of my new timing belt...
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/...d.php?t=277347

[Tbars4]

...Finally updated with info and pics...

[rwenzing]

Originally Posted by Tbars4

...If you have pics on the truck and info showing the 95-97 2.3L Ranger in fact has a cam position sensor, please post them here...

It mounts to the oil pump housing and looks like it should be easy to change.

[Tbars4]

...Thanks for those great illustrations which have lead me to find that I do indeed have a camshaft position sensor which I have now located and I've updated the first post...

...Mine wasn't bad as it was a timing belt failure but now I got the info when that thing finally decides to go..

...You do not know how many real tech books and online reference I had gone thru to only get words all speaking of different locations or none at all for the 95-97 models only..

...One did reference behind the inner timing cover and when I was replacing the belt, I actually thought that I had to pull a gear to find and get to it...This info is invaluable as I have found out...

[ihaveasuit]

I realize this is an old post, but hopefully you're still digging around the forums and might be able to help me out. First off, thanks for the only information about the dang camshaft location -- but I still can't find the thing. I'm, er, moderately mechanically capable, so, I'm not scared to get my hands dirty but I'm not a mechanic whiz. That said, I've crawled under the truck, peered through the wheel base, looked and dug around from the top, but I cannot find the camshaft sensor! I know I must just be missing some stupid easy step, but, well, I can't figure it out.

Oh, error code at Autozone and a rough idle is what lead me to the camshaft to begin with.

[Tbars4]

...What was the code # AZ gave you???

...If you look at the bottom diagrahm and picture at the bottom of the first post of this thread, The picture was shot from under the drivers side headlight with the front timing belt cover off..

...Where the arrow is pointing at the gear in that picture, look behind the rear plastic timing belt cover (nothing to remove) and you will see the wires running to it just like in the diagrahm on the right...It is easily accessible once you find it...

...I hope that helps...

[ihaveasuit]

They didn't actually give me a code number, just said it's the camshaft sensor, Bank 1 (?). Then when I went in to buy the part they needed to know if it was 3-pin or 2, which I've yet to determine. I think I can probably find it now, but my wife's car has been out of order with a busted fuel pump and she's been using mine so I haven't had a chance to look at in the daylight. I've been leaking a little oil, so I suspect it might just be covered in engine grime and that's why I've been missing it. I did find the big cable latch (4 in the diagram), so it must be the thing I can't quite get to underneath it. Do you have to remove anything at all to get to it, or should I be able to peer down and see it with a flashlight?

[Tbars4]

just said it's the camshaft sensor, Bank 1 (?)

....That don't sound right...

...Rule #1...Never buy parts suggested from an auto parts store that reads your codes...They sell parts...Bring the code here and we can better help...

...2 or 3 pin would represent how many wires you have to it..Before you buy the part, see if you can get your codes again...

...If you kneel down by your drivers side front tire, you would have to crawl under and look up to see it..Nothing to remove, just above the oil pan, behind the timing belt cover, and easily accessible from underneath...

[DB_1]

Originally Posted by Tbars4

...If you kneel down by your drivers side front tire, you would have to crawl under and look up to see it..Nothing to remove, just above the oil pan, behind the timing belt cover, and easily accessible from underneath...

You 2.3 guys got it easy, OHV 4.0's have the sensor by the firewall behind the intake plenum...pretty much buried

[Tbars4]

.... ...shhh, now everyone is going to want a 2.3L...

[bad*dawg]

Rough day between a thermostat and water pump BUT spent far to much time trying to get the timing belt cover off to replace the timing belt. Have the single bolt behind the compressor loose but cannot get at the two behind the power steering pump. Have to rent a puller in order to remove the pulley / remove the bolts / pump so I can et at the two remaining bolts holding the pump / compressor bracket in place. Should be a mmuch easier way to remove the front cover.

[Tbars4]

..I only had to pull the a/c..

..You might want to check the first post again..

[bad*dawg]

Read all the posts / pictures again but my problem appears to be no clearance between the aluminum A/C - power steering bracket and the T Belt front cover. All the pictures show the crank pulley removed which I have not done and can't see a reason to do so. Seems if I can get the bracket away from the block the cover will come off. In the pictures my issue is with the serpentine idler pulley to the right of the water pump. No room to pull the T belt cover off.

[bad*dawg]

Another Ford link dealing with the bracket interference problem. So far am having trouble seeing all four bolts and planning on renting a pulley puller for the PS pump so I can remove it for better access to bracket bolts.http://http://www.therangerstation.c...d.php?t=104480

[Tbars4]

...Looking at this picture (from the ground looking up) It appears i didn't have to pull the p/s...




...It's been a couple years since I had to do this and I was under the gun for time when it happened but I don't remember it being that difficult using only hand tools in a parking lot.

..But keep us up to date and if you can take a couple pictures to share for others would help too..