In brief:

- I get the check engine light come on every now and then
- The code is for timing belt/camshaft sensor/crankshaft sensor
- When the light is illuminated and i am driving the car sometimes acceleration seems retarded as if the engine were being held back
- If i apply light pressure to the accelerator when pulling away/sitting in neutral the engine sounds like it will cut out and the revs drop (doesnt matter if the check engine light is on/off)
- If i apply more pressure the engine sounds fine
- One time i started the car and drove around a bend and the engine cut out

The car always starts first time, reading around, do i need a new sensor?

Thanks

 

check the timing first - on a SOHC engine, pull the little plastic plug on the front of the timing cover and pull the #1 cyl plug. Manually turn the motor over - using a wrench on the crank pulley bolt to put the #1 piston at Top Dead Center (TDC). Look through the hole in the timing cover to see if the timing mark on the camshaft pulley lines up with the mark on the cover. The same process should be possible on a DOHC engine, but I do not know where the inspection plug for it is.


If you are in time, then you can begin to check out the two sensors (cam and crankshaft) to see if they are intermittent. Also carefully check out the wires leading to them (especially the crank sensor) as they sometimes get wear in the wire and can short out causing intermittent problems. You will need a good multimeter to do these tests.

Again, I recommend you getting the Haynes repair manual as it sounds like you are going to have continuous minor issues with the car, and you will need it to help.

In an earlier post, you mentioned you did not know when the timing belt had been replaced. If you have not done it yet, do it. Replace the timing belt and idler pulley (pulleys if DOHC) - and consider replacing the water pump too as why take a chance of it going out within 20000 miles or so and taking out the timing belt with it when it goes?