Crank sensor
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Joined: Jan 2017
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From: Portland OREGON
Crank sensor
97 Ram 1500 5.9 4x4.
My truck was broke down for around 3 months. Didn't know what the issue was. Replaced every sensor that I thought needed to be replaced. Including the crank sensor.
Found out it was a clogged Cadillac converter. Drilled it out. Truck fired up. No more problem. So I thought.
After 3 weeks I get the check engine light comes on.
Code for crank sensor. It's brand new. So why the hell did the check engine light come on? Found another one that I had laying around. Put that in. Was fine for about a week then check engine light comes back on. Don't have the old one to put back in. Because I pulled the wires out when I was removing it.
Has anyone else had issues with there truck not liking the brand new crank sensors? Read once that someone said they are to long. (The aftermarket ones). I tried putting a washer on both sides. But now the truck won't run at all.
So if anyone has any ideas. Plz let me know. As it is getting late where I live and have to be at work early in the morning. Me other two trucks have bad tags.
I have a couple other PCM that I'm going to try. To see if the check engine light comes on
My truck was broke down for around 3 months. Didn't know what the issue was. Replaced every sensor that I thought needed to be replaced. Including the crank sensor.
Found out it was a clogged Cadillac converter. Drilled it out. Truck fired up. No more problem. So I thought.
After 3 weeks I get the check engine light comes on.
Code for crank sensor. It's brand new. So why the hell did the check engine light come on? Found another one that I had laying around. Put that in. Was fine for about a week then check engine light comes back on. Don't have the old one to put back in. Because I pulled the wires out when I was removing it.
Has anyone else had issues with there truck not liking the brand new crank sensors? Read once that someone said they are to long. (The aftermarket ones). I tried putting a washer on both sides. But now the truck won't run at all.
So if anyone has any ideas. Plz let me know. As it is getting late where I live and have to be at work early in the morning. Me other two trucks have bad tags.
I have a couple other PCM that I'm going to try. To see if the check engine light comes on
Last edited by Jon Johnston; Aug 19, 2024 at 01:52 AM.
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Joined: Aug 2024
Posts: 504
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From: West Texas
I'm just curious here, maybe @Moparite can answer .... on a 1997, would it be possible the cam sensor was bad and giving same signal as crank sensor?
My little knowledge, the crank sensor works and it runs, or the crank sensor is bad and it does not run .... cam sensor can go bad and engine still runs ... not finely tuned but still runs.
All I'm reading from op, is the cel light is on .... not that it wont run.
This is true on my 1991 OBD1 Dodge 3.3.
@Jon Johnston Please take the washers/spacers out of the crank sensor. There is a exact measurement for a air gap between sensor and the flywheel. By changing that gap you are putting the engine out of time ..... I learned this the hard way.
The computer will compensate for it around town at lower speeds .... out on the highway at 75mph it can not keep up. The signal has too far to jump and it will be out of time and destroy the engine.
In my defense I was at home when the wife was driving the car and the engine blew up .... When I went to pick her up she was still in shock.
All I could see was one huge spot of oil on the road with a trail of oil leading off the road to the car .... there was shrapnel everywhere and I cleaned all the metal off the road and took her home.
When I tore the engine apart, it had a rod that broke loose from a piston and getting spun around it put at least 2 holes in the block .... 10 holes in the oil pan ... other pistons had broken rings, ring landings, broken skirts .... pistons were destroyed ..... All signs the timing was off and the explosion in the cylinders was happening when the valves were closed ... or the timing was off. ..... this was the result of not following proper procedure while installing a crank sensor.
My little knowledge, the crank sensor works and it runs, or the crank sensor is bad and it does not run .... cam sensor can go bad and engine still runs ... not finely tuned but still runs.
All I'm reading from op, is the cel light is on .... not that it wont run.
This is true on my 1991 OBD1 Dodge 3.3.
@Jon Johnston Please take the washers/spacers out of the crank sensor. There is a exact measurement for a air gap between sensor and the flywheel. By changing that gap you are putting the engine out of time ..... I learned this the hard way.
The computer will compensate for it around town at lower speeds .... out on the highway at 75mph it can not keep up. The signal has too far to jump and it will be out of time and destroy the engine.
In my defense I was at home when the wife was driving the car and the engine blew up .... When I went to pick her up she was still in shock.
All I could see was one huge spot of oil on the road with a trail of oil leading off the road to the car .... there was shrapnel everywhere and I cleaned all the metal off the road and took her home.
When I tore the engine apart, it had a rod that broke loose from a piston and getting spun around it put at least 2 holes in the block .... 10 holes in the oil pan ... other pistons had broken rings, ring landings, broken skirts .... pistons were destroyed ..... All signs the timing was off and the explosion in the cylinders was happening when the valves were closed ... or the timing was off. ..... this was the result of not following proper procedure while installing a crank sensor.
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From: Clayton MI
I'm just curious here, maybe @Moparite can answer .... on a 1997, would it be possible the cam sensor was bad and giving same signal as crank sensor?
My little knowledge, the crank sensor works and it runs, or the crank sensor is bad and it does not run .... cam sensor can go bad and engine still runs ... not finely tuned but still runs.
All I'm reading from op, is the cel light is on .... not that it wont run.
This is true on my 1991 OBD1 Dodge 3.3.
@Jon Johnston Please take the washers/spacers out of the crank sensor. There is a exact measurement for a air gap between sensor and the flywheel. By changing that gap you are putting the engine out of time ..... I learned this the hard way.
The computer will compensate for it around town at lower speeds .... out on the highway at 75mph it can not keep up. The signal has too far to jump and it will be out of time and destroy the engine.
In my defense I was at home when the wife was driving the car and the engine blew up .... When I went to pick her up she was still in shock.
All I could see was one huge spot of oil on the road with a trail of oil leading off the road to the car .... there was shrapnel everywhere and I cleaned all the metal off the road and took her home.
When I tore the engine apart, it had a rod that broke loose from a piston and getting spun around it put at least 2 holes in the block .... 10 holes in the oil pan ... other pistons had broken rings, ring landings, broken skirts .... pistons were destroyed ..... All signs the timing was off and the explosion in the cylinders was happening when the valves were closed ... or the timing was off. ..... this was the result of not following proper procedure while installing a crank sensor.
My little knowledge, the crank sensor works and it runs, or the crank sensor is bad and it does not run .... cam sensor can go bad and engine still runs ... not finely tuned but still runs.
All I'm reading from op, is the cel light is on .... not that it wont run.
This is true on my 1991 OBD1 Dodge 3.3.
@Jon Johnston Please take the washers/spacers out of the crank sensor. There is a exact measurement for a air gap between sensor and the flywheel. By changing that gap you are putting the engine out of time ..... I learned this the hard way.
The computer will compensate for it around town at lower speeds .... out on the highway at 75mph it can not keep up. The signal has too far to jump and it will be out of time and destroy the engine.
In my defense I was at home when the wife was driving the car and the engine blew up .... When I went to pick her up she was still in shock.
All I could see was one huge spot of oil on the road with a trail of oil leading off the road to the car .... there was shrapnel everywhere and I cleaned all the metal off the road and took her home.
When I tore the engine apart, it had a rod that broke loose from a piston and getting spun around it put at least 2 holes in the block .... 10 holes in the oil pan ... other pistons had broken rings, ring landings, broken skirts .... pistons were destroyed ..... All signs the timing was off and the explosion in the cylinders was happening when the valves were closed ... or the timing was off. ..... this was the result of not following proper procedure while installing a crank sensor.
Captain
Joined: Aug 2024
Posts: 504
Likes: 66
From: West Texas
You see that is my point .... it still ran with a disconnected cam sensor. ..... I forget how I learned it a few years ago, I just learned my cam sensor was bad and replacing it did good things.
When my crank sensor died .... I bought me a ride home on a flatbed .... was a simple fix to install a new crank sensor .... it would not run without it.
So that is my point here ..... will @Jon Johnston engine run with a bad crank sensor ..... I'm thinking no .... I'm thinking he is spending too much time chasing crank sensors when possibly it might be a cam sensor .... or something else .... if it runs is not crank sensor.
When my crank sensor died .... I bought me a ride home on a flatbed .... was a simple fix to install a new crank sensor .... it would not run without it.
So that is my point here ..... will @Jon Johnston engine run with a bad crank sensor ..... I'm thinking no .... I'm thinking he is spending too much time chasing crank sensors when possibly it might be a cam sensor .... or something else .... if it runs is not crank sensor.
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Joined: Sep 2012
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From: Central VA
From my experience, the engine will not run with a completely bad crank sensor. I had an aftermarket crank sensor (ran it for about 3 years) in my truck that started to go bad and the engine would run and sometimes just shutdown in the middle of the street. I made it back home by disconnecting the battery cables, touching them together, then re-connecting the battery cables to reset the PCM. Another time when the truck shutdown while driving, I connected the scanner and it gave me a code about the crank sensor being intermittent. I reset the PCM again by removing the battery cables again. When I got home, I ordered a Mopar OE crank sensor. I've had no more issues since installing it.
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From: Portland OREGON
Truck would not run with crank sensor disconnected.
So the two bad crank sensors where aftermarket ones that I got from Rock Auto.
I took one off one of my Dakota's. Put it in and truck fired up and ran just fine. Check engine light has not come back on yet. Put the aftermarket one in my Dakota. When I got home from work and It's running just fine with no check engine light on. But I also didn't drive it that far. Just around the block. Dakota made a lot of noise tho. From other reasons that don't have nothing to do with the crank sensor. More like a belt tensioner issue. Bad bearing.
Guess that teaches me to spend more for oem parts when it comes to some of the sensors in Dodge trucks. I own 6 Dodge trucks. The 1500 the main one that has issues. But they all should be fixed now. After finding the clogged Cadillac converter. I don't think there's anything else that could go wrong with it now. That I don't know how to fix.
Having the clogged cat. I tried everything and only figured it out when I removed a O2 sensor. Didn't get any codes on the PCM. Just wouldn't stay running unless it was wide open.
A big thanks to everyone that has responded to my post. I'm sure I will have plenty more in the Dakota section. When I swap some motors around soon. I almost have every thing I need to start that project. All but a place to work on my trucks. As a neighbor complained to the city. Almost caused some very big fines over that one.
So the two bad crank sensors where aftermarket ones that I got from Rock Auto.
I took one off one of my Dakota's. Put it in and truck fired up and ran just fine. Check engine light has not come back on yet. Put the aftermarket one in my Dakota. When I got home from work and It's running just fine with no check engine light on. But I also didn't drive it that far. Just around the block. Dakota made a lot of noise tho. From other reasons that don't have nothing to do with the crank sensor. More like a belt tensioner issue. Bad bearing.
Guess that teaches me to spend more for oem parts when it comes to some of the sensors in Dodge trucks. I own 6 Dodge trucks. The 1500 the main one that has issues. But they all should be fixed now. After finding the clogged Cadillac converter. I don't think there's anything else that could go wrong with it now. That I don't know how to fix.
Having the clogged cat. I tried everything and only figured it out when I removed a O2 sensor. Didn't get any codes on the PCM. Just wouldn't stay running unless it was wide open.
A big thanks to everyone that has responded to my post. I'm sure I will have plenty more in the Dakota section. When I swap some motors around soon. I almost have every thing I need to start that project. All but a place to work on my trucks. As a neighbor complained to the city. Almost caused some very big fines over that one.
Last edited by Jon Johnston; Aug 19, 2024 at 11:50 PM.
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Take it out on a 1/2 hour ride, You need to get it hot to see for sure it's working. I had one where it would run fine until after about 15 minuets. Then it would randomly drop out. It would stay running most of the time but if you were at a light it would die.
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I think someone needs to wire up a Device that makes the PCM receive signal from the crank sensor. But they are really coming from a electronic device. Kind of like a miniature wheel spinning around with a miniature reader on it. Maybe we would be able to run other tranny's on our trucks.
I been researching ways to hook up a laptop to reprogram the PCM. I have all the connecters figured out. From a USB to OBD2 plug and working on a plug to go from USB to the 2 PCM plugs. Then a USB to the one tranny plug. They got to have them already. As the dealer has to have a way to flash PCM.
Have a friend in collage to be a computer programer.
That's working on trying to find a program to reprogram the PCM. If he can't get his hands on one then he will make his own. He is really smart.
My uncle knows how to wire up devices.
He made me a little timer that keeps the electric fans for my radiator on for anywhere from 20 sec. To 5 min. After I shut the truck off. Adjustable dial for the time. My truck used to blow radiator fluid out the overflow. After turning it off. Now it doesn't with the timer. Fan will run for a min after I walk away.
So I hope with 3 of us working on it that we will soon figure it out and be able to reprogram the PCM.
My single cab Dakota with a built 5.9 in it needs some running real bad. Because the PCM is restricting what the motor is capable of. I don't have $1000 to purchase a program subscription for a laptop. A friend that has a plug in ob2 programmer. When he went to update it. They wanted $395 to update it. He didn't want to pay that. Now his programer doesn't work at all untill he pays to get it reprogrammed and updatted. So around $550 now. Untill then his ob2 unit is no good. After buying it for around $300.
I been researching ways to hook up a laptop to reprogram the PCM. I have all the connecters figured out. From a USB to OBD2 plug and working on a plug to go from USB to the 2 PCM plugs. Then a USB to the one tranny plug. They got to have them already. As the dealer has to have a way to flash PCM.
Have a friend in collage to be a computer programer.
That's working on trying to find a program to reprogram the PCM. If he can't get his hands on one then he will make his own. He is really smart.
My uncle knows how to wire up devices.
He made me a little timer that keeps the electric fans for my radiator on for anywhere from 20 sec. To 5 min. After I shut the truck off. Adjustable dial for the time. My truck used to blow radiator fluid out the overflow. After turning it off. Now it doesn't with the timer. Fan will run for a min after I walk away.
So I hope with 3 of us working on it that we will soon figure it out and be able to reprogram the PCM.
My single cab Dakota with a built 5.9 in it needs some running real bad. Because the PCM is restricting what the motor is capable of. I don't have $1000 to purchase a program subscription for a laptop. A friend that has a plug in ob2 programmer. When he went to update it. They wanted $395 to update it. He didn't want to pay that. Now his programer doesn't work at all untill he pays to get it reprogrammed and updatted. So around $550 now. Untill then his ob2 unit is no good. After buying it for around $300.
