I have a 2000 dakota 4x4 club cab with the 4.7L v8. Last year I had the engine completely rebuilt because of some stuck lifters and spun rod bearings and a bent push rod. plus on top of all that I was having cam and crankshaft sensor issues. over the past year it has spent about an equal time in as it has out of the shop. I just had the camshaft sensor replaced 2 weeks ago, again. and now suddenly codes P0340 and P0420 popped up on my way home from the store. help!! Why does the cam sensor keep having issues!???!?!!?

 

Hi Cali,

It looks like you may have a cam sensor problem again. P0340 no cam signal at PCM. No fuel sync.

The other code, P0420 1/1 catalyst efficiency. It could be a bad catalyst, maybe an exhaust leak, or a slow/bad sensor - probably the downstream.

Hope it helps.

 

This will be at least the 6th cam sensor i have replaced in the past 11 months. What could be causing so many issues. and 99% of the time that I get a P0340 code some other code shows up randomly and it is NEVER the same one. last time it was like P1391 this time its P0420 before those it was P0201 P0204 P0205 and P0208. I don't see that I should have to replace the sensor every 2-3 weeks... Could the PCM be going bad?

 

Usually the cam sensors either work or they don't. It's a coil of wire basically.

Make sure all connections, including the crank sensor, are clean and tight.

How old's your battery?

 

The battery was replaced with a brand new one last year when the engine was rebuilt. Could something else be causing the sensor to short out?

 

The PCM sends a 5 volt supply to the cam and crank sensors, it may have a problem.

 

I was having the same problem and it was the sensors I kept purchasing at autozone.
Junk sensors there Duralast and wells sensors are junk for the dakota.
If you got to Napa auto parts and get one they are exactly the same as the factory ones and will last for years. Kind of weird but it worked for me. I had to replace the cam sensor and the crank sensor as a pair at napa and worked great. I also thought it was a bad computer PCM too

 

NAPA is the only place I'll buy sensors...

I even pay more for the ones that wipe for me xD

 

Thanks for the Napa idea. I will give it a shot this week. Will update further when I find out the results. If anyone has any other suggestions let me know.

 

and it was the sensors not the pcm?