05-06-2010, 03:55 PM
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#1
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GX Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Hampton
Posts: 5
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need help with cam sensor replacement
I have a cam sensor that I need to replace. Since there are 6 of them, I'm not sure how to test this out to see which one is bad. Can anyone give me some advice?
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05-06-2010, 06:25 PM
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#2
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GX Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: benton harbor,mi
Posts: 44
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From what i know 3400/3100's only have one behind the power steering pump
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05-06-2010, 10:04 PM
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#3
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GLS member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Baltimore, MD USA
Posts: 5,529
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CLEVEN
From what i know 3400/3100's only have one behind the power steering pump
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Exactly what I saw when I removed the LIM. It's won't be easy to get to either.
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05-06-2010, 10:13 PM
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#4
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GX Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: fort riley ks
Posts: 18
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yep just one.
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05-06-2010, 10:50 PM
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#5
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GX Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Hampton
Posts: 5
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ok, I must've gotten some bad info! I was told there were six, lol. Well, this is gonna suck, then. What's a LIM?
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05-06-2010, 10:58 PM
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#6
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GL Member
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Toronto
Posts: 463
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Melinda T
What's a LIM?
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Lower Intake Manifold I believe
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05-07-2010, 02:11 PM
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#7
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I drive a JEEP!
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Salisbury, Maryland
Posts: 6,388
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Welcome to the site. Hampton VA I assume?
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05-07-2010, 02:27 PM
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#8
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GLS member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: wisconsin
Posts: 2,733
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Lol!
Why do you think it's bad?? Car won't start??
It is indeed right under the power steering pump.. pretty easy to remove too. Take off the belt then the pump and you can get to it.
Anyways.. to test it.. Go to the 3wire plug by the alternator that goes down to it. One wire should have 5v on it. One wire should have UNDER .1v on it. And one wire is your signal. You'll need an oscilloscope to look at it's wave form.. get that pulled up and you should see one 5v "box" on the waveform for every two revolutions of the engine (and everyone revolution of the cam).
And that is how you test the cam sensor.
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05-07-2010, 02:34 PM
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#9
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I drive a JEEP!
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Salisbury, Maryland
Posts: 6,388
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Quote:
Originally Posted by clutch1
Lol!
Why do you think it's bad?? Car won't start??
It is indeed right under the power steering pump.. pretty easy to remove too. Take off the belt then the pump and you can get to it.
Anyways.. to test it.. Go to the 3wire plug by the alternator that goes down to it. One wire should have 5v on it. One wire should have UNDER .1v on it. And one wire is your signal. You'll need an oscilloscope to look at it's wave form.. get that pulled up and you should see one 5v "box" on the waveform for every two revolutions of the engine (and everyone revolution of the cam).
And that is how you test the cam sensor.
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Yep......I can see her doing this!
LOL!
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05-07-2010, 04:10 PM
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#10
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GX Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Hampton
Posts: 5
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It starts just fine, but when i come to a stop, it tries to die. My service engine light was on, so I took it to Auto Zone to see what code it was throwing. Cam sensor. I'm from IL, not VA.
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05-07-2010, 04:19 PM
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#11
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GX Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Hampton
Posts: 5
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What do you mean by an oscilloscope...A multi-meter?
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05-07-2010, 10:51 PM
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#12
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GX Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 79
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The scope has a display that shows voltage change over time. So at 800 rpm you'd see voltage rise to 5V, hold, and then drop every 1/400th of a minute (.15 seconds? Excuse my poor math). Anyway the wave form should be fairly square.
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05-08-2010, 05:00 AM
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#13
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GLS member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: wisconsin
Posts: 2,733
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Yep, it's basically a multimeter that also graphs a line. Very very handy.
As for dying at stop signs.. Check for vacuum leaks!! If you can, pump smoke into the manifold. Or if you have a scanner, look up live fuel trims numbers. At idle, if you have very high long term of short term fuel trims (LTFT / STFT), then they drop if you raise rpms to 2000, it is a vacuum leak.
What specific code was it throwing for the cam sensor??? Do you have a number? That could help with diagnosis more
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05-09-2010, 04:14 PM
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#14
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GX Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Hampton
Posts: 5
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I took the car back for the code. P0341 Definition: Cam sensor condition. Explanation: The camshaft position sensor signal is monitored for errors. Probable cause: 1. Cam sensor defective 2. Check connector and wiring to sensor. 3. Engine mechanical condition-timing belt/chain out of time (yikes...that ain't good!) 4. Cylinder misfire- check ignition system for faults-plugs, wires, coils. Hope this helps!!!
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05-10-2010, 09:55 AM
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#15
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GLS member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Baltimore, MD USA
Posts: 5,529
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It's unclear to me as to how the car can even run in the first place with a defective cam sensor. I'd be researching that code to see what it really means, and I'd check the wiring for dirty contacts, then vacuum leaks, etc.
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05-10-2010, 02:37 PM
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#16
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GLS member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: wisconsin
Posts: 2,733
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Cam sensor just tells the car when cyl #1 is on TDC compression so it know what sequence to start firing the plugs. Some cars only use them for start up. Some cars, if the cam sensor is defective, just guess and take afew tries to start until they guess right.
However, from the description of it, "Cam sensor Circuit Range/Performance" it sounds like it's almost assuredly the cam sensor. Wiring *usually* is ok, but run those few checks.. I'd bet money on the sensor being out though.
Can you see down to it with a flashlight or something? A lot of times they get covered in powersteering fluid, that'll kill them dead.
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10-31-2010, 11:59 AM
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#17
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GX Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Ohio
Posts: 5
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I am working on replacing my cam position sensor in my 1999 3.4L Alero. My check engine light has been on for about a year (shame on me) due to a code related to the cam position sensor. The car is running fine and I just haven't bothered to mess with the problem. Now I have to get my car e-Checked, so I've got to resolve the issue and replacing the sensor is the obvious first step, from what I understand.
I have taken off the serpentine belt and the three bolts out of the power steering unit. I was hoping not to take the hoses off the power steering unit, since that's going to be one more thing that could go wrong once I start cranking on it. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like the power steering unit will come out, as it is catching on something that I can't see.
Is there anything else I need to also remove to get the power steering unit out? Must I disconnect the power steering hoses?
Thanks for any suggestions.
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11-02-2010, 07:36 PM
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#18
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GX Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Ohio
Posts: 5
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In answer to my own question, to remove the power steering pump, you must disconnect the two power steering lines, as well as the electrical connection to the pump. Having a golf tee handy to plug the one hose is helpful to avoid a mess.
The cam position sensor is readily available once the power steering unit is out.
Replacing the cam position sensor did not fix my problem, though. The code has not cleared on its own after numerous starts.
I suppose replacing the the spark plug wires is next. I have already replaced the spark plugs to no avail.
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11-02-2010, 11:48 PM
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#19
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Soon to be banned again
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Bellmore, NY
Posts: 3,372
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you actually dont have to disconnect the PS lines, you can just get the bolts through the hole with a swivel and move the pump behind the alternator. are you guys sure its your cam sensors and not crank sensors? the crank sensors are way more common to go bad
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I shaved my balls for this?
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11-04-2010, 06:30 PM
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#20
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GX Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Ohio
Posts: 5
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Thanks for the reply.
I couldn't figure out how to get the pump out without disconnecting the hoses. That whole job was fairly miserable for an amature like me.
Turns out the code did actually clear. I had them read at Autozone and I'm actually now getting a P1641 (MIL control circuit fault) and P0440 (EVAP small leak/no flow control). I suspect the second is probably just a gas cap issue. The guy told me the first may mean that my Check Engine light is stuck "on". LOL. He was probably trying to get rid of me I'll have to do a little research and see what to do next.
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