What may be the signs of a bad crank sensor?
03-06-2009, 03:05 PM
#31
DINOSAURUS BOOSTUS
Expert Gearhead
Hold up there bud.
I've worked with a mechanic for years..and if there'* something you learn quick is..the more folks you ask..the more opinions you'll get.
The FSM'* call for a dry install on almost every gasket on the vehicle. I used to RTV the heck outta stuff and leaned.."what goes on..must come off some day". Easiest gasket cleaning is when you don't use RTV. In some cases a dab is necessary or worth the added insurance.
I don't think you did anything wrong by adding a little to each side. Take a close look, like Dan said..it'* probably the coolant elbow. Find the leak, know for sure before you take any action. You wouldn't replace your new pump, you'd maybe regasket it.
Now let'* talk about gaskets..was it paper which has proven itself to be a reliable gasket for years. Was it metalish with a crush ridge, or was it plastic with a crush ridge? I've seen all three and can't say I have a favorite but the last one in my choices would be the metalish one.
Having mastered the enjoyment and fun of a crank sensor before, I'll let you know that it'* a sealed unit. When the engine is washed..it gets wet, when the car splashes through puddles, it can get wet. I can't think of any reeason why coolant would negatively impact it and honestly..mine has been doused a few hundred times in coolant.
Experience says..that rascally pcm is messing with you.
I've worked with a mechanic for years..and if there'* something you learn quick is..the more folks you ask..the more opinions you'll get.
The FSM'* call for a dry install on almost every gasket on the vehicle. I used to RTV the heck outta stuff and leaned.."what goes on..must come off some day". Easiest gasket cleaning is when you don't use RTV. In some cases a dab is necessary or worth the added insurance.
I don't think you did anything wrong by adding a little to each side. Take a close look, like Dan said..it'* probably the coolant elbow. Find the leak, know for sure before you take any action. You wouldn't replace your new pump, you'd maybe regasket it.
Now let'* talk about gaskets..was it paper which has proven itself to be a reliable gasket for years. Was it metalish with a crush ridge, or was it plastic with a crush ridge? I've seen all three and can't say I have a favorite but the last one in my choices would be the metalish one.
Having mastered the enjoyment and fun of a crank sensor before, I'll let you know that it'* a sealed unit. When the engine is washed..it gets wet, when the car splashes through puddles, it can get wet. I can't think of any reeason why coolant would negatively impact it and honestly..mine has been doused a few hundred times in coolant.
Experience says..that rascally pcm is messing with you.
03-06-2009, 08:46 PM
#32
Senior Member
Posts like a 4 Banger
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Indiana
Posts: 139
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hold up there bud.
I've worked with a mechanic for years..and if there'* something you learn quick is..the more folks you ask..the more opinions you'll get.
The FSM'* call for a dry install on almost every gasket on the vehicle. I used to RTV the heck outta stuff and leaned.."what goes on..must come off some day". Easiest gasket cleaning is when you don't use RTV. In some cases a dab is necessary or worth the added insurance.
I don't think you did anything wrong by adding a little to each side. Take a close look, like Dan said..it'* probably the coolant elbow. Find the leak, know for sure before you take any action. You wouldn't replace your new pump, you'd maybe regasket it.
Now let'* talk about gaskets..was it paper which has proven itself to be a reliable gasket for years. Was it metalish with a crush ridge, or was it plastic with a crush ridge? I've seen all three and can't say I have a favorite but the last one in my choices would be the metalish one.
Having mastered the enjoyment and fun of a crank sensor before, I'll let you know that it'* a sealed unit. When the engine is washed..it gets wet, when the car splashes through puddles, it can get wet. I can't think of any reeason why coolant would negatively impact it and honestly..mine has been doused a few hundred times in coolant.
Experience says..that rascally pcm is messing with you.
I've worked with a mechanic for years..and if there'* something you learn quick is..the more folks you ask..the more opinions you'll get.
The FSM'* call for a dry install on almost every gasket on the vehicle. I used to RTV the heck outta stuff and leaned.."what goes on..must come off some day". Easiest gasket cleaning is when you don't use RTV. In some cases a dab is necessary or worth the added insurance.
I don't think you did anything wrong by adding a little to each side. Take a close look, like Dan said..it'* probably the coolant elbow. Find the leak, know for sure before you take any action. You wouldn't replace your new pump, you'd maybe regasket it.
Now let'* talk about gaskets..was it paper which has proven itself to be a reliable gasket for years. Was it metalish with a crush ridge, or was it plastic with a crush ridge? I've seen all three and can't say I have a favorite but the last one in my choices would be the metalish one.
Having mastered the enjoyment and fun of a crank sensor before, I'll let you know that it'* a sealed unit. When the engine is washed..it gets wet, when the car splashes through puddles, it can get wet. I can't think of any reeason why coolant would negatively impact it and honestly..mine has been doused a few hundred times in coolant.
Experience says..that rascally pcm is messing with you.
03-06-2009, 10:21 PM
#33
Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Sounds like a crank sensor. My car did the exact same thing. It would stall and then restart. After a while it quit much more often. After replacing the crank sensor, I have not had a problem again.
03-11-2009, 05:53 AM
#35
Senior Member
Posts like a 4 Banger
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Indiana
Posts: 139
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
OK, guys maybe something else is causing my problem?
Many of you know the issues I'm having with my car and nobody can diagnose it. Most say it'* a crank sensor, some say it'* a pcm. What can't be agreed on is the fact that when the car acts up why it gives an audible ding, ding, ding, when the check engine light come on. I know that means the car is trying to tell me something is wrong. But, I don't know what all problems might prompt the car to give that warning. Here once again is what the car is doing.
I'd like to add that during most of this my radio started acting up. When it'* cold the radio wouldn't come on but after the car warmed up and the heater was on for a while the radio would just come on. I figured this is just the sign the radio was going out. Now the radio quit all together.
When I first bought the car the dash lights worked but after about a week they went off. After messing with the fuse box, pushing on it and stuff the dash lights can back on. So I knew there was a short somewhere but didn't hassle with it because the lights stayed on. Sometimes when my radio was acting up, I could take my foot and lightly push the fuse box while driving and it seemed to help the radio come on.
I decided yesterday to get under there and mess with the fuse box. I can't see behind it because I have to take off the plastic shroud that covers that under the dash area. But after messing with the fuse box, it seems my car was acting up again. I got in this morning (the temps have dropped into the 30'* again) and the car was acting up right off the bat. Dash lights were off. I pushed on the fuse box and the dash lights came on. Might there be a short behind the fuse box maybe shorting the ignition and causing my problems? Most mechanics i talked to write this off as NOT the problem. But it makes me wonder.
Sorry for this long read but two more things for ya guys to maybe set me in the right direction.
When I start my car, I turn on the ignition and allow the fuel pump to prime and stop before I tuen the key and fire it up. Seems to start better and it'* a habit i learned many years ago. On the days when my car is acting up, when i turn on the key to let it prime, I can hear the fuel pump run but instead of priming and stopping, the fuel pump will just keep running. So, Then I'll start it.Those two things seem to go hand and hand.
Last think, it has been wet again lately. It seem to be at it'* worst when it'* wet outside. It doesn't always have to be wet, but it acts up more when it'* wet.
I'm sure Billboost will still swear that it the pcm, but I have a couple of issues that need addressed. Does any of this additional info help any of you to help me diagnose it?
I have a 1994 Bonneville with a non supercharged 3.8. I'll try to explain what happens.
I'll be driving down the road at highway speeds then all of a sudden the car will jerk for a split second because the engine is dying for a split second. I know the engine dies, at least momentarily because then it comes back to life and the transmission has downshifted and the engine revs because it has shifted into a lower gear, as if the engine were shut off. So, I have to let of the gas a little and let the tranny reset back into the proper gear. This doesn't happen all the time. I can go a week maybe, maybe a few days, without it happening then maybe a day or two will go by and it will act up like this.
Plus, when i am driving at lower speeds, coming to a stoplight, or the engine is at idle and this happens, the engine just dies. When it dies, if I'm moving, I can put the car in neutral and it starts back up then i can put it back in drive and continue on.
However, this morning, when i forgot my cell phone (of course) and I was 25 miles away from home it was doing this worse then ever before. It kept dying and I'd have to keep putting it in neutral to restart it but then i wouldn't get far before it would do it again and a few times it died again right away. I was lucky to keep messing with it to get to a gas station and pull in to stop and shut it off.
I let it sit for a couple minutes and started it and it kept dying. I popped the hood and messed around with the wiring a bit because I'm wondering if something is shorting out so i moved wires around and pulled them away from each other, checked my battery cables etc. Started it up and it missed slightly, but i decided to go for it and try to drive home. So I drive through town, stop lights and all, and get back out onto the highway and I made it all the way back home and it only acted up a couple times but not severely. Just like a hiccup, or miss.
I called and talked to a local trusted mechanic, and he said it sounds like a bad crank sensor, or possibly bad harmonic balancer.
Some of you will remember that i just recently replaced a water pump that went out. Could the coolant leaking from the bad water pump have leaked on the sensor, and cause my crank sensor to go bad? Do these problems that I'm having sound like a crank sensor or bad harmonic balancer?
I'll be driving down the road at highway speeds then all of a sudden the car will jerk for a split second because the engine is dying for a split second. I know the engine dies, at least momentarily because then it comes back to life and the transmission has downshifted and the engine revs because it has shifted into a lower gear, as if the engine were shut off. So, I have to let of the gas a little and let the tranny reset back into the proper gear. This doesn't happen all the time. I can go a week maybe, maybe a few days, without it happening then maybe a day or two will go by and it will act up like this.
Plus, when i am driving at lower speeds, coming to a stoplight, or the engine is at idle and this happens, the engine just dies. When it dies, if I'm moving, I can put the car in neutral and it starts back up then i can put it back in drive and continue on.
However, this morning, when i forgot my cell phone (of course) and I was 25 miles away from home it was doing this worse then ever before. It kept dying and I'd have to keep putting it in neutral to restart it but then i wouldn't get far before it would do it again and a few times it died again right away. I was lucky to keep messing with it to get to a gas station and pull in to stop and shut it off.
I let it sit for a couple minutes and started it and it kept dying. I popped the hood and messed around with the wiring a bit because I'm wondering if something is shorting out so i moved wires around and pulled them away from each other, checked my battery cables etc. Started it up and it missed slightly, but i decided to go for it and try to drive home. So I drive through town, stop lights and all, and get back out onto the highway and I made it all the way back home and it only acted up a couple times but not severely. Just like a hiccup, or miss.
I called and talked to a local trusted mechanic, and he said it sounds like a bad crank sensor, or possibly bad harmonic balancer.
Some of you will remember that i just recently replaced a water pump that went out. Could the coolant leaking from the bad water pump have leaked on the sensor, and cause my crank sensor to go bad? Do these problems that I'm having sound like a crank sensor or bad harmonic balancer?
I'd like to add that during most of this my radio started acting up. When it'* cold the radio wouldn't come on but after the car warmed up and the heater was on for a while the radio would just come on. I figured this is just the sign the radio was going out. Now the radio quit all together.
When I first bought the car the dash lights worked but after about a week they went off. After messing with the fuse box, pushing on it and stuff the dash lights can back on. So I knew there was a short somewhere but didn't hassle with it because the lights stayed on. Sometimes when my radio was acting up, I could take my foot and lightly push the fuse box while driving and it seemed to help the radio come on.
I decided yesterday to get under there and mess with the fuse box. I can't see behind it because I have to take off the plastic shroud that covers that under the dash area. But after messing with the fuse box, it seems my car was acting up again. I got in this morning (the temps have dropped into the 30'* again) and the car was acting up right off the bat. Dash lights were off. I pushed on the fuse box and the dash lights came on. Might there be a short behind the fuse box maybe shorting the ignition and causing my problems? Most mechanics i talked to write this off as NOT the problem. But it makes me wonder.
Sorry for this long read but two more things for ya guys to maybe set me in the right direction.
When I start my car, I turn on the ignition and allow the fuel pump to prime and stop before I tuen the key and fire it up. Seems to start better and it'* a habit i learned many years ago. On the days when my car is acting up, when i turn on the key to let it prime, I can hear the fuel pump run but instead of priming and stopping, the fuel pump will just keep running. So, Then I'll start it.Those two things seem to go hand and hand.
Last think, it has been wet again lately. It seem to be at it'* worst when it'* wet outside. It doesn't always have to be wet, but it acts up more when it'* wet.
I'm sure Billboost will still swear that it the pcm, but I have a couple of issues that need addressed. Does any of this additional info help any of you to help me diagnose it?
03-11-2009, 06:57 AM
#36
DINOSAURUS BOOSTUS
Expert Gearhead
Please don't keep making new threads on the same topic. I don't want to give you a hard time, not answer someone else'* issues etc because we are busy cleaning up.
Your car is dinging at you most likely because it is stalling and restarting. I had this same symptom.
Please change the crank sensor or PCM. Crank sensor fixed the issue for my car.
Your car is dinging at you most likely because it is stalling and restarting. I had this same symptom.
Please change the crank sensor or PCM. Crank sensor fixed the issue for my car.
03-11-2009, 08:56 AM
#37
Senior Member
Posts like a 4 Banger
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Indiana
Posts: 139
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Please don't keep making new threads on the same topic. I don't want to give you a hard time, not answer someone else'* issues etc because we are busy cleaning up.
Your car is dinging at you most likely because it is stalling and restarting. I had this same symptom.
Please change the crank sensor or PCM. Crank sensor fixed the issue for my car.
Your car is dinging at you most likely because it is stalling and restarting. I had this same symptom.
Please change the crank sensor or PCM. Crank sensor fixed the issue for my car.
I have a question for ya, when i went to the parts store to get a new crank sensor, the guy told me after I get the balancer off there is a seal in there. He said, especially with 190,000 miles, I need to replace this and often times taking the flywheel/balancer off will rip this seal. Should I shell out the $17 bucks for this seal or is it just a gimmick to get me to spend more at the parts store? Thanks.
03-11-2009, 11:23 AM
#38
Senior Member
Posts like a 4 Banger
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Indiana
Posts: 139
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The temperature dropped down into the 20'* today and I don't have a heated garage to attempt to change the sensor. I found a mechanic that will put the crank sensor on for me at a very good price (just labor, I already bought the part) so I drove it to his shop. He said they should have it done tomorrow.
The car started acting up first thing when i started it, and bucked like a bronco all the way to the shop (about 15 minute drive) but I got there. I smelled coolant, and as soon as I pulled into the shop driveway I popped the hood and looked, and it seems my tiny water pump leak is getting worse. This time I could see the coolant leaking and it was all over the connector to the crank sensor. I understand the crank sensor is sealed but I'm going to have him replace it anyway. Since i finally witnessed the coolant leaking right on the sensor connector, is there a good chance this is my problem after all? I know the sensor itself is sealed but this is on the wiring connection. As soon as they get done with the sensor, I'm going to drive it home and get that leak resolved by getting the water
pump redone.
What do you guys think? Bill, and Danthurs, you both have been a huge help for me and i do appreciate everyones advice. Now that I actually witnessed the coolant on the wire connector, I feel like I may have narrowed my problem. Am I giving myself false hope?
The car started acting up first thing when i started it, and bucked like a bronco all the way to the shop (about 15 minute drive) but I got there. I smelled coolant, and as soon as I pulled into the shop driveway I popped the hood and looked, and it seems my tiny water pump leak is getting worse. This time I could see the coolant leaking and it was all over the connector to the crank sensor. I understand the crank sensor is sealed but I'm going to have him replace it anyway. Since i finally witnessed the coolant leaking right on the sensor connector, is there a good chance this is my problem after all? I know the sensor itself is sealed but this is on the wiring connection. As soon as they get done with the sensor, I'm going to drive it home and get that leak resolved by getting the water
pump redone.
What do you guys think? Bill, and Danthurs, you both have been a huge help for me and i do appreciate everyones advice. Now that I actually witnessed the coolant on the wire connector, I feel like I may have narrowed my problem. Am I giving myself false hope?
03-11-2009, 01:49 PM
#39
DINOSAURUS BOOSTUS
Expert Gearhead
You could try to duplicate it by hosing it or dumping water on it at that spot.
The wiring is coated, the coating is then sealed to the connector, the connector then has a seal around it because this needs to be water tight. Is it possible that the wiring got nicked or damaged over time? Sure is, less likely than a bad part though.
When you say it was bucking etc, that would make me think more toward pcm. Simple one buck and ding ding ding makes me think crank sensor. Being that we aren't there and testing it..makes it harder to put a finger on the exact cause.
The wiring is coated, the coating is then sealed to the connector, the connector then has a seal around it because this needs to be water tight. Is it possible that the wiring got nicked or damaged over time? Sure is, less likely than a bad part though.
When you say it was bucking etc, that would make me think more toward pcm. Simple one buck and ding ding ding makes me think crank sensor. Being that we aren't there and testing it..makes it harder to put a finger on the exact cause.
03-12-2009, 01:34 PM
#40
Senior Member
Posts like a 4 Banger
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Indiana
Posts: 139
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I had a mechanic put the new crank sensor on for me. He said that when he originally started the car and backed it out to the lot, it ran rough, but after he shut it off for a couple of minutes, he came back out to take it for a test drive and said it ran good for the whole drive. It seems fine for me right now but I haven't driven it that much.
Could it have still been running rough at first because the computer had to adapt to a new part? If the car is still acting up, I might know it later today, or it could take several days before it acts up again, that'* if the crank sensor isn't the problem. I'll keep you guys updated on that.
In the meantime, any advice on the car still acting up a bit right at first? Is that a sign my troubles aren't over?
Could it have still been running rough at first because the computer had to adapt to a new part? If the car is still acting up, I might know it later today, or it could take several days before it acts up again, that'* if the crank sensor isn't the problem. I'll keep you guys updated on that.
In the meantime, any advice on the car still acting up a bit right at first? Is that a sign my troubles aren't over?