Last Updated on January 24, 2022 Show
The camshaft position sensor (CMP) is just one of the many electrical parts found in a vehicle. We’ll go over what this component is, the symptoms of a bad camshaft position sensor, and what you can expect its replacement cost to be when it’s faulty. A lot of people confuse the camshaft position sensor with the crankshaft position sensor because they sound similar. But there’s a big difference between the two as they perform different functions in the vehicle and have different symptoms when something goes wrong with them. Need help with a car problem RIGHT NOW? Click Here to chat online with a verified mechanic who will answer your questions. Related: Single Overhead Cam Engine vs Double Overhead Cam Engine
 Every modern-day vehicle has a camshaft position sensor. This sensor is a very important part of any vehicle because it helps ensure that the engine is running properly. You may have trouble spotting the sensor when you look under the hood of your car. Usually, different car manufacturers will have their own unique spot near the engine for mounting the sensor. You may find it either in back of the cylinder head, in the lifter valley of the vehicle, or next to the engine block. The purpose of a camshaft position sensor is to determine the position of the camshaft as it relates to the crankshaft. This data is then sent to the powertrain control module (PCM) for use with fuel injector and/or ignition system control. Common Symptoms of a Faulty Camshaft Position Sensor#1 – Check Engine Light IlluminatesWhen your camshaft position sensor is faulty or starts having issues, the first thing you should notice is that your “Check Engine” light comes on in your dashboard. Obviously, the “Check Engine” light could indicate a variety of problems and not necessarily a bad camshaft position sensor. In this case, you should either use an OBD2 scan tool to retrieve the stored diagnostic trouble code(s) in your car or have a professional mechanic perform an inspection of the vehicle’s engine control module to see what is going on. They too will scan this module in order to receive a series of error codes which will indicate to them what the real problem is. Please do not ignore or postpone scanning your vehicle or getting it inspected when your Check Engine light turns on or else your engine could end up getting seriously damaged. The engine could even end up failing altogether, which means you’d end up having to either rebuild or replace your engine. Related: P0010 Code, P0011 Code, P0013 Code, P0016 Code, P0340 Code, P0341 Code, P1345 Code #2 – Ignition ProblemsAs a camshaft position sensor starts having problems and weakens, the transmitted signal to the car’s computer weakens as well. This means the eventually the signal is so weak that it will not allow the car to start since there will be no spark from the ignition. #3 – Car Jerking or SurgingIf you are driving your vehicle and the camshaft position sensor starts failing, the engine will at times simply lose power and cause your car to jerk or randomly surge forward. These are both a result of an improper amount of fuel being injected into the cylinders since the PCM is getting incorrect information from the camshaft position sensor. #4 – Engine StallingAn even worse scenario than not being able to start your car is that your engine actually shuts off or stalls while you’re driving because the fuel injectors aren’t being told to inject fuel into the engine cylinders. We probably don’t need to tell you how dangerous that situation could be. #5 – Poor AccelerationAside from jerking, your vehicle won’t be able to accelerate very fast when your camshaft sensor begins to fail. Heck, you’d be lucky to accelerate past 30 miles-per-hour in some cases. The poor acceleration is again due to incorrect fuel delivery by the injectors. #6 – Problems ShiftingCertain models of cars with a bad camshaft position sensor will end up with a locked transmission that stays stuck in a single gear. The only way you’ll be able to get out of that gear is to shut off your engine, wait a bit, and then restart. This is only a temporary solution and the problem will reappear so replacement of the sensor is necessary as a permanent fix. Along with this, your vehicle may put itself into “limp mode” which won’t allow you to shift gears or accelerate beyond a certain speed. #7 – Bad Fuel MileageThis is the opposite of not delivering enough fuel to the engine. In this case, because of an inaccurate reading from a bad camshaft position sensor, more fuel than necessary is injected into the engine which causes your fuel economy to drop. Camshaft Position Sensor Replacement CostTo replace a camshaft position sensor, you can expect to pay anywhere from $95 to $200. Parts alone will run about $25 to $100. Labor costs will be in the range of $70 to $100 for professional replacement. Expect to pay more if you have a luxury vehicle or are having your local car dealership perform the replacement. There will also be additional fees and taxes added on to these costs as well. Can You Replace a Camshaft Position Sensor Yourself?Yes. This is one of those jobs that almost anyone can do and is an easy way to save yourself the minimum labor fee (often close to $100) that a repair shop or dealership will charge you. It should take about 5-10 minutes to replace it. How to Replace a Camshaft Position Sensor
TipWhen you bring your vehicle in to a dealership or repair shop for routing service or a tune-up, the mechanic won’t normally inspect the camshaft position sensor if they are not asked to. If you have experienced any of the warning signs listed above, let them know you think it may be the camshaft position sensor. This will allow them to quickly inspect the camshaft position sensor to determine whether it’s causing these problems. Can a camshaft stop a car from starting?As a camshaft position sensor starts having problems and weakens, the transmitted signal to the car's computer weakens as well. This means the eventually the signal is so weak that it will not allow the car to start since there will be no spark from the ignition.
Would a crankshaft sensor stop my car from starting?Issues Starting the Vehicle
The crankshaft position sensor monitors the position and speed of the crankshaft and other parameters that play an important role when starting the engine. If the crankshaft position sensor is having a problem, the vehicle may have intermittent starting issues or not start at all.
What happens if a camshaft sensor goes out?On some vehicles, a failing camshaft sensor may lock the transmission in a single gear until you turn off and restart the engine. This cycle may repeat intermittently. If the sensor begins to fail while your car is moving, you may feel the car jerking while losing power.
What are the symptoms of a faulty camshaft sensor?If your vehicle idles roughly, stalls frequently, has a drop in engine power, stumbles frequently, has reduced gas mileage, or accelerates slowly, these are all signs your camshaft position sensor could be failing.
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Will a camshaft sensor keep a car from starting?
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