Tips For Diagnosing A Failing Camshaft Positions Sensor In Your Vehicle

Vehicle sensors are designed to tell your vehicle what to do at the right time so your vehicle travels smoothly. However, these sensors can go bad and give incorrect data to other parts of the vehicle and cause problems. Here are some tips for diagnosing a failing camshaft position sensor.

Know What The Sensor Does

It helps to know what exactly this sensor does. The camshaft position sensor measures the positions and rotations of the camshaft, which then relays that data to the engine control module. This tells the engine control module when to initiate a spark and add more fuel for optimal engine efficiency. 

Read The Engine Error Codes 

Your camshaft position sensor is capable of producing an error code when it is not working well. The engine control module will identify that the sensor isn't working right, and light up a service engine light on your dashboard. A mechanic can then read the error code with a computer to narrow down the problem to the camshaft position sensor.

A common error code that can come up is P0340, which is related to the camshaft position sensor malfunctioning. However, it can also be an error code such as P0349, which identifies an improper voltage reading coming out of camshaft circuit A. 

Identify A Delayed Start

A problem with the camshaft position sensor can cause the vehicle to have a delayed start. This is because the engine control module is not getting correct information from the camshaft position sensor that it needs to provide fuel and initiate spark. This can result in a bit of a delayed start, or the engine not starting at all. 

Track Your Gas Mileage

It is worth paying attention to how much gas you are putting in your vehicle when you try to identify a problem with the camshaft position sensor. Since the sensor can give bad information to the engine control module, fuel will not be delivered to the engine at the optimal time. This can result in your engine burning more fuel than necessary, which you'll notice in the form of poor gas mileage. 

Look Out For Rough Idling

If the camshaft position sensor is giving wrong information, the engine control module won't be able to produce a spark during the power stroke of the engine's pistons. This will result in the vehicle idling roughly due to engine misfiring. Rough idling will be most noticeable when your vehicle is running but is at a complete stop.

In order to fix these problems, reach out to local auto repair services to see what they can do for your vehicle's sensors.

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