A camshaft position sensor is a sensing device under the hood of the car used to monitor the motion of the engine’s camshaft along with the rotation of the camshaft.
The camshaft position sensor feeds this recorded data to the Electronic Control Unit (ECU) of the car for further processing and decision-making.
The Electronic Control Unit uses these data to control the amount of fuel that is injected into the vehicle’s combustion chamber.
The data is also used by the ECU to adjust the timing of the spark made into the combustion chamber; this improves the power of the engine and increases the fuel economy.
Over time, the camshaft position sensor gets clogged due to dust and dirt or losses its job, which shows several problems. In this powerful article, we will discuss the seven symptoms of a bad camshaft position sensor.
How To Check If Camshaft Position Sensor Is Bad: So Easy!
Camshaft Position Sensor Symptoms
In modern cars, which have auto-start or auto-stop engines, the work of the camshaft position sensor is to identify the cylinder in which the combustion will take place next.
The camshaft position sensor does this by determining the power stroke in accordance with the position of the crankshaft of the vehicle.
It also delivers fuel and initiates the spark in the combustion chamber at the right time. If the camshaft position sensor of your vehicle is bad, it might give you a warning sign before being rendered completely useless or seized to work.
If your car is experiencing any of these Camshaft Position Sensor Symptoms, then it’s time to bring it in for a checkup. Don’t wait until it’s too late! You should look for the following signs to ensure that your car’s camshaft position sensor is working perfectly. Below are the Seven symptoms of bad camshaft position sensors.
7 Bad Camshaft Position Sensor Symptoms
1. Check Engine Light Lights Up:
A check engine light is a symptom of a bad camshaft sensor. As soon as the camshaft position sensor starts to malfunction, the check engine light on the dashboard of the vehicle comes on.
The OBD or on-board diagnostic system monitors the vehicle and all its components to look for any problem in any part of the vehicle and sends an alert to the driver about that part.
When the camshaft position sensor is faulty, the OBD system reads this malfunctioning of the sensor and turns the check engine light ON.
When you check the OBD system with the scanner, it shows you the error code related to the camshaft position sensor of the vehicle, so you may repair it or get it replaced.
2. No-Start Condition:
A no-start condition is the most common symptom of a bad camshaft sensor. If the symptom listed above is ignored, a time will come when the camshaft position sensor of the vehicle will fail completely and will not send any readings to the ECU of the vehicle.
This absence of signal to the vehicle’s ECU will cause the no start condition in your vehicle as there would be no fuel injection into the combustion chamber of the engine.
3. Bad Driving Experience:
A bad driving experience is also a bad camshaft position sensor symptom. When the camshaft sensor is failed, it loses its ability to transfer the data to the ECU of the vehicle quickly or in other cases records the data that is a bit off as compared to the actual data.
This miscalculation in the data values or the delay in data delivery to the ECU causes the ignition timing in the combustion chamber to be a bit off, which causes the vehicle to stutter or accelerate the car poorly.
Related Post: How To Bump Start A Car
4. Problem In-Transmission Shifting:
A transmission shifting is also a sign of a bad camshaft position sensor. When the Electronic Control Unit (ECU) of the vehicle detects that the Camshaft Position Sensor is faulty or failing, the ECU keeps the transmission of the vehicle from changing.
Changing the gears of the vehicle to higher ones will increase the speed of the car, which could in turn damage the vehicle.
The data from a failed Camshaft Position Sensor can restrict the car’s gears from shifting and jam the operators to keep the transmission solenoids from shifting.
5. Poor Fuel Economy:
When the camshaft position sensor is bad, the sensor will give false readings to the car’s Electronic Control Unit. These false readings will result in an incorrect amount of fuel injection into the combustion chamber of the vehicle.
This will cause the injection of more fuel than required into the combustion chamber of the vehicle and cause poor fuel economy.
6. Engine Misfiring:
Engine misfiring can be a camshaft position sensor symptom. When the vehicle’s camshaft position sensor is bad, the fuel injection into the combustion chamber of the vehicle is affected due to the false readings sent forward by the sensor.
When these false readings are sent to the vehicle’s ECU, the ECU directs the fuel injection in the combustion chamber based on these readings.
At times due to these false readings, the fuel injected in the combustion chamber is less than required by the engine and causes the engine to misfire.
7. Too Much Engine Vibration:
One of the symptoms of the bad camshaft position sensor is the violent vibration of the engine under the hood.
One may argue that there is always somewhat vibration under the hood, but when the camshaft position sensor fails, the vibration is very much increased as compared to normal vibrations as the fuel injection is variable and incorrect.
The engine does not get the required amount of fuel, and hence a combination of misfiring and less fuel injection than required causes the vehicle to vibrate.
FAQs
If the camshaft position sensor is faulty, it can cause a number of problems with the engine. The most common problem is that the engine will stall or misfire. The check engine light will likely come on, and the vehicle may not be able to achieve full power. The engine may also run Roughly. In some cases, the engine may not start at all.
When working on a car’s engine, it is always best to disconnect the battery before beginning any repairs. This is particularly true when changing the cam sensor, as it ensures that there is no risk of electrical shock. The cam sensor is an important part of the car’s electrical system. In order to change the camshaft sensor, it is necessary to disconnect the battery. Additionally, disconnecting the battery will prevent any accidental short circuits that could damage the sensor.
Related Post: How To Replace Camshaft Position Sensor: (7 Steps)
Sign Up
