Ok here is the long and short of it : I bought a 97 neon dohc 2 door stick . Has no spark with the cam sensor plugged in and bolted on . If I remove it and crank it or unplug it , I get spark and rpm through a scanner . When the cam sensor is in correctly no rpm in scanner so spark ? Any ideas greatly appreciated . It has fuel to rail and I hear the asd working . Tried several used cam sensors . All of them will give me spark when unbolted from the head hanging loose .

 

Make sure the timing belt isn't broken? Did you check the coil? If your getting an RPM reading with the cam sensor unhooked I assume its taking reference from the crank sensor or something. Does the cam magnet look okay? Did you check the crankshaft sensor at all? are you getting fuel to the rail?

 

The belt isn't broken . I tried two different cam magnets . Got fuel to the rail . I hear the fuel pump running . I checked the crank sensor by pulling it out and waving a screwdriver by it and got spark . And like is said if I unbolt the CPS from the head and let it hang I got good spark . But bolted up and cranking no spark . Could this be a timing relationship problem ? I'm gonna pull the bolt off the cam gear and check the key on the cam .

 

I would check the wiring if you lose spark when the cam sensor is on the motor. Something is fishy there. And yes they can be a timing related problem if the belt is broke or the dowel pin on the cam broke off. But if the camshaft is spinning then that's not your issue.

 

When I had the CPS off I could look and see the magnet on the cam spinning when I was cranking also . So I would say the cam isn't snapped or busted . I'll need to check the wiring next . This is really puzzling .

 

Yes I agree. Are you getting fuel when you don't get spark?

 

I'll check the fuel with or with out spark . I saw about the possibility of the vss shorting so that is disconnected .