Two different codes, two different times, same result: Engine shut off completely while driving.

My wife was driving the first time. She said the care shut off and veered right. Wouldn't start back up, but engine would turn over. I went to the car and it started and ran. I had it towed home anyway. Code P161B, which is the Batter Disconnect / TCM Internal. https://www.autocodes.com/p161b.html

Checked battery voltage: Good, 12.6-12.75 standing, 14.08 running
Checked negative wire to negative terminal to check for current when not running; zero, so not short from that perspective
Checked fuses, no problems
Cleaned up all fairly easily accessible electrical harnesses, posts, wires, and grounds, including PCM connections. TCM looked good under steering column
I don't want my wife and kids in this car until the issues are resolved, so I ended up driving the car to Dodge to have them run diagnostics and inspect. I do my own maintenance, but electrical is certainly a weakness for me. Dealership found nothing and the code was gone. The dealership also took care of a couple of recalls, one of which involved updating the PCM software

50 miles of driving over multiple trips later, car dies again while driving. I have been driving it to pass it off as a fluke, OR, to see the issue happen myself.

New code: P0339; https://www.obd-codes.com/p0339. Crankshaft position sensor this time, same result. Car shut down, this time while I was driving.

I checked connections again, things look fine. I found some sensors on the engine, but not positive regarding which one is the crankshaft position sensor. A vid online showed it as being near the exhaust from the engine behind a heat shield, but I didn't see it there. I will be doing some research after this post.

Disconnected the battery terminals, cleaned up some wiring, removed the throttle body and cleaned it (because why not?), and have not seen anything yet.
Car still runs fine, not rough

Lastly, I did recently take care of some maintenance on the care;
Spark plugs (platinum, so definitely not manufacturer recommended. I think I saw Nickel in the manual). I suppose the higher draw of these spark plugs could cause issues within the circuitry rather than nickel or copper
I dropped the transmission pan; replaced transmission filter and exactly (5) liters of CVTF+4 fluid. Measured every drop. Also had the dealership verify the level after the fact since I was there anyway. I don't like the idea of flushes, i'm more comfortable with a less aggressive approach (pan drop and replace what comes out)
Had driven probably 300 miles since replacing the spark plugs and 150 or so since transmission pan drop.

I apologize for the novel. Any idea if there is a correlation between P161B & P0339? Only thing i'm thinking is an electrical issue, whether a short or a failing PCM. Both codes, however, appear to potentially be caused by intermittent signal losses. I may buy a new battery and will likely replace the camshaft position sensor.......but I don't feel like throwing blind dollars at the problem.

Thanks!

 

Welcome to the forum. What year is your Caliber? I don't see the crank sensor causing the first code. Totally unrelated. I am leaning more to possibly the Power Distribution Box (large fuse panel under the hood) or the PCM. I have seen issues with the PDB getting corroded underneath and cause different issues. I know that some electrical issues can be a nightmare to find. Especially when intermittent. The two issues, could be be totally unrelated, which makes it even more difficult to trace.
The crank position sensor is located on the back of the block, below the exhaust manifold near the transaxle. It is seen in this video. I would replace it. They are cheap and can cause intermittent issues.

 

2011 caliber heat.

I will definitely replace it, and as you said, cheap replacement!

Connections on the power block look great. I cleaned everything up a few weeks back using that electronics-safe cleaner (like brake cleaner but for electronic components). I'll run through it again and inspect more closely for loose wires and corrosion. Like You said, the intermittent failure throwing codes and shutting my car down is frustrating.

Despite the alternator and battery providing plenty of juice and testing out just fine, I may replace the battery in case it is the cause.

Frustrating for sure. Gonna get AAA again, as my standard insurance towing was doo doo (only free for 15 miles, and I was 60 miles away when it died).

Thanks for the response.