What Is a Crankshaft Position Sensor?
The crankshaft position sensor is an internal electronic device that monitors and measures the number of revolutions per minute (RPM) of an engine's crankshaft when turning.
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Where Located
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Depending on the type and configuration of the engine, the sensor can be found near the water pump, associated with the main crank pulley or co-located with the flywheel.
Why Needed
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Electronic management systems (EMS) use crankshaft metrics as produced by the crankshaft position sensor to manage several related engine operations, including fuel metering and ignition timing.
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Important Metrics
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Engines are primarily dependent on the EMS to produce an efficient operation. As a result, the crank sensor is the elemental component that feeds basic information to control power output, fuel efficiency, emissions performance, alternative fuels accommodation and reliability.
Potential Problems
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Like any other electronic device, crankshaft position sensors fail over time. Most of the time, these devices fail as a result of regular component heating, simple wear and tear or something more critical such as allowing fluid to impregnate the sensor.
Symptoms of a Failure
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Depending on the significance of a particular failure, a bad sensor can cause rough idling, starting problems, backfiring and poor fuel mileage.
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Comments
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The imbecile I took my civic to had my car for a week and couldn't figure anything out. I then learned about a great mechanic in the area that instead of guessing, diagnosed the problem and it was the crank position sensor. The thing had electrical tape on it and all 3 mechanics before couldn't find anything.
