Camshaft Position Sensor

[murrajm5]

I have a '94 with CA emissions and have been battling check engine light for about a year. I have read other messages about the oxygen sensors and have replaced them twice now. However the computer at the dealer says they are switching good now. They then resorted to putting the Customer Flight recorder on my vehicle and it indicated a camshaft position sensor failure. According to my Haynes manual, it only came on '94 engines with CA emissions. The sensor on the '94 comes only with the synchronizer assembly and costs about $300. It is very difficult to replace due to its location and is complicated by its dependency on 26 degrees after top dead center and just when it reads a positive reading on an ohm meter (beyond my technical abilities). My engine seems to sputter and miss and backfire through the exhaust occassionally. I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with this sensor and if I am traveling down the wrong path to not fix my problem.

 

[JAY]

I also have a 94 with the cam position sensor. My explorer is from Minnesota though. Try running the engine with the sensor unplugged. I have had to run mine that way befor. The check engine light stayed lit but my engine ran fine, and with no change in gas mileage. Removing and replacing it isn't as hard as it sounds. If you aren't mechanically inclined have a friend help who is. The hardest part is removing and replacing the hold down bolt, it is a blind area. I would try to retime it first befor removing it. If it isn't timed right it won't run properly. Hope this helps.

JAY

 

[murrajm5]

I did try unplugging it and you are right, the check engine light does stay on but it idled erratically and it almost stalled. I have found a used sensor from a salvage yard in CA and should receive it by tomorrow. I have spoken to two other Ford dealers and they say that the symptoms I have are probably caused by the cam sensor. Last weekend I had taken off the sensor from the synchronizer assembly and noticed that the flat side has a flat magnet of some sort which had small pieces broken off each side.

 

[jake]

You guys are on the right track. The cam position sensor is used on later model "sequential" fuel injection systems to sequence the fuel injection event.

The best injection time is near TDC of the compression event, when the intake valve is closed. If you just used the crankshaft sensor, you'd know TDC, but you wouldn't know which one, compression or exhaust.

That's the problem when the cam sensor fails-the failure mode is to synch on the next TDC. If that is a compression event, you're fine, and the engine runs O.K., if it's an exhaust event you can get misfire and intake backfires.

You might be pleasantly surprised if you try the parts counter at your local Ford dealer- The last cam sensor I bought was $35.00.

 

[david zavetsky]

I need to find out what dealer you go to!

The Ford dealer wanted $338.00 for the cam sensor in my 94......


<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial ">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by jake:
(snip)
You might be pleasantly surprised if you try the parts counter at your local Ford dealer- The last cam sensor I bought was $35.00.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

[murrajm5]

HELP!!!!!! I called a salvage yard in CA and got the cam sensor and synchronizer and just swapped the sensor. To no avail, I still have the sluggishness, popping or backfiring through the exhaust manifold and tailpipe and lack of power. Dave, you are correct on the price which is why I went with salvage. The sensor I got was in a lot better shape than the one that was on my explorer. The window was even cracked. I think Jake has a '95 or later where you can get the sensor separate from the synchronizer assembly. Unfortunately, they changed the design from '94 to '95 so it wouldn't cross. Anyone have any other ideas on what can be causing my problem. At the dealer I went to, they seem to only want to hook it up to their computer and if it doesn't tell them anything, it must be okay or the other miscellaneous codes must be the culprit.