Crankshaft position sensor gets damaged due to engine overheating, wiring issues, and reluctor wheel problems and needs replacement. If you are stuck in the road because of a faulty crankshaft position sensor, you can apply a temporary fix for the crankshaft position sensor.
In this case, you can try to turn off and on the car, clean the sensor, apply start fluid, or add fuel to the tank. If these tricks don’t work, you will need to tow the vehicle to the mechanic shop.
Article Summary
Temporary Fix For Crankshaft Position Sensor – 5 Tips
If you notice the symptoms of a weak crankshaft sensor, you can apply some tricks to fix the issue temporarily. Though it’s difficult to start and run the engine with a bad crankshaft sensor, you can do so by following these techniques:
Turn Off And Restart The Vehicle
Overheating the engine can cause crankshaft sensor malfunction. It can also trigger a CEL and cause engine misfires. If so, stop driving your car. Wait for a while to cool down the engine and then try to restart the engine as this should fix the issue.
Clean The Sensor
Disconnect the sensor from the wiring harness that is placed near the bottom of the engine block. A loose connection or polluted sensor terminal can cause sensor malfunction. If so, clean the sensor terminal using an electrical contact cleaner and brush.
Carefully check the wiring harness and make sure it doesn’t get loose or wear out. This way you can ensure a proper connection between the crankshaft sensor and the computer.
Use Starter Fluid
When the crankshaft gets damaged, the engine doesn’t know when it is time to deliver fuel for combustion and spark plugs. So you can spray some fluid to help the engine start.
Disconnect the bad crankshaft sensor from your vehicle. This device is usually placed in the back of the engine and near the flywheel. Then spray some starter fluid in the opening of the engine mount where the throttle body is placed. You will find the throttle body near the air sensor. Then try to turn on the engine.
The starter fluid will ignite in the mount and kick the piston into action. If you plan to start an engine with a bad crankshaft sensor, keep a fire extinguisher in the car as this trick can cause a small fire.
Starting The Car in Neutral
If your vehicle has an automatic transmission, shift it into neutral and try to start the engine. This trick will bypass the crankshaft sensor and help you turn the engine on.
Add Fuel
A bad crank sensor won’t deliver the right data to the ECU. So the ECU won’t be able to measure the required amount of fuel injection for combustion. In this case, you can top up a fluid level to make sure there is no problem with the fuel level. It can sometimes fix the crankshaft sensor issue.
Can You Reset Crankshaft Position Sensor?
You can’t reset the crankshaft sensor. This device operates magnetically and reads the position of the crankshaft on each rotation. The car computer compares this input simultaneously with the camshaft position sensor to make sure that they are in sync. If the crankshaft goes out of sync, the computer throws a trouble code and activates limp mode to reduce engine power and prevent engine damage.
Since the sensor is only licking up the magnetic field on every rotation, you can’t reset it. The crankshaft sensor can malfunction and trigger code due to a faulty belt chain tensioner or a damaged sensor. In this case, you will need to replace the faulty part to fix the issue.
Symptoms Of A Bad Crankshaft Position Sensor?
A bad crankshaft position sensor can show these symptoms:
Car Engine Won’t Start
A faulty crankshaft sensor will prevent the engine from turning on. When you try to start the engine, the starter may spin and crankshaft over but car won’t start. You may also have a problem with hard starting when the engine is hot or warm. But the engine may start normally when it is cold. This issue can also trigger a CEL on the dashboard.
Engine Vibration
A damaged crankshaft sensor won’t be able to monitor the crankshaft position. It can cause the engine vibration while driving and turning it on. Excessive vibration can also reduce engine power and affect fuel economy.
Accelerating Problem
A damaged crankshaft position sensor won’t deliver the right information about cylinder position to PCM. So the computer won’t be able to maintain fuel timing and change the spark during increasing speed. it will cause slow acceleration.
Misfiring in Cylinder
If the crankshaft sensor fails, the computer won’t get the right information about the position of the piston. It can cause a misfire on the cylinder.
Engine Stalling
A weak crankshaft sensor may provide a weak signal to the computer while turning on the engine. So the system can deliver improper sparks or insufficient fuel and end up causing car stalling.
Engine Rough Runs
PCM can miscalculate spark timing and fuel injector pulse due to a faulty crankshaft sensor. It can cause an engine rough run. You can also experience engine misfire or excessive shaking during driving with bad crankshaft sensors, particularly under heavy loads. If you ignore the issue, it can damage the catalytic converter.
Can You Drive With Damaged Crankshaft Position Sensor?
Most modern cars can run fine with a bad camshaft position sensor. However, the vehicle can’t run with a faulty crankshaft sensor. Even if your vehicle starts with a poor crankshaft sensor, it will activate limp mode during driving. So the car’s RPM will be very limited and you will feel the car weak.
You won’t also be able to drive fast with a bad crankshaft sensor. Driving with a faulty crankshaft sensor isn’t a practical idea and it can damage the engine. If you notice the symptoms of a bad crankshaft sensor while driving, call a tow truck and get the vehicle to a mechanic shop to avoid further damage.
FAQs
Can You Remove Crankshaft Position Sensor From Car?
Most modern vehicles won’t run efficiently without a crankshaft sensor. Even if you can start the car, the engine and crankshaft will mismatch and it can cause the engine to stall or misfire.
Can You Fix Crankshaft Sensor By Disconnecting Battery?
You can reset the crankshaft sensor even by disconnecting and reconnecting the battery. Though it will reset all electrical components but won’t reset or relearn the crankshaft sensor.
Is it Expensive To Fix Crankshaft Position Sensor?
Crank sensor is quite expensive to replace. On average the replacement cost of this device is around $178 to $238. However the exact cost varies depending on car make and model. For example, crankshaft sensor replacement charge is around $174 to $216 for GMC, $126 to $181 for Chevrolet and $115 to $242 for Land Rover.
Final Words
Hopefully, you have enough temporary fixes for the crankshaft position sensor to keep driving for a while with a bad sensor. However, the crankshaft sensor isn’t very expensive, and ignoring the issue can damage other valuable parts and even the engine. So whenever you notice the sign of a damaged crankshaft sensor, bring the car to a mechanic shop and replace the faulty sensor.
