Changed crankshaft position sensor and car wont start......

exile84 · Post by **exile84** » November 21st, 2007, 1:46 am

I am having a little bit of a problem. I have a 1992 GS and did the atx to mtx swap. It ran beautifully. Last week i was pulling into my driveway, and my car died. I checked for spark...nothing. Thought that it was the disty. I changed it with one from another motor i have. Checked for spark, and again nothing. Finally found that it was the crank position sensor. It had been cut by an acessory belt. Bought a new one and changed it. Tried to start the car, and it would crank, but not start. I changed back to my old disty, thinking maybe the one on it was bad, and no change. I finally got it to start, and it ran like poop. Tried to drive it to my cousin's to put it in the garage, and it didn't make it. It died on the side of the road, and wouldn't start again.... If anyone has any idea on what could be the problem, your input would be greatly appreciated. I love this car, as this is my first manual car.

I am a delivery driver, and am having to drive my wife's jetta, which I hate putting that many miles on. Thanks in advance......
Tim

tehbrookzorz · Post by **tehbrookzorz** » November 21st, 2007, 10:19 am

Please pull codes and advise.

fieromx3 · Post by **fieromx3** » November 21st, 2007, 12:24 pm

did u plug it in

exile84 · Post by **exile84** » November 21st, 2007, 2:49 pm

Alright.....little bit of an update.
I pulled the codes and got 5 of them.

02 - crankshaft sensor (I just changed this)
03 - camshaft sensor (in the disty, right??)
08 - VAF sensor ( will be putting a cai on soon)
26 - canister purge solenoid (have no clue where or what this does.)
23 - RHO2S inactivation sensor.

I ran back over it, and I put the sensor in, and made sure it was plugged in. Am i supposed to make sure it is gapped???? The reason i ask is that someone told me that it has to have a certain gap between where is sits on the hole. I took the negative cable off the battery, while doing this. But I am not sure that reset the computer...is there a certain way to reset it?

I am at a loss

.....Thanks for you help in advance.....

I will be doing the HEI mod today as well.....does anyone think this may fix the problem with the camshaft sensor??? Thanks

tehbrookzorz · Post by **tehbrookzorz** » November 21st, 2007, 8:03 pm

IMHO I think your distributor is still faulty. Try a known good disty.

Tunes67 · Post by **Tunes67** » November 21st, 2007, 8:12 pm

26 - canister purge solenoid (have no clue where or what this does.)

This solenoid is located on the firewall directly behind the intake in the almost exact center of the firewall. There are 2 hoses and a small 2 wire plug attaching to it. I got a code 26 as well.. turns out I forgot to plug it back in after I did my ATX to MTX swap.

Code 2 - After you changed the sensor.. did you clear the ECU of error codes before you started the car back up? If not.. try that.

Code 3 - Yes its in the disty.. but this code could also be related to the crank position sensor as well.. again.. clear codes and run it and recheck again afterwards.

Code 8 - VAF sensor.. double check that its plugged in.. if the connection isnt good.. this will prevent your engine from running.

Code 23 - This is your rear oxygen sensor.. make sure its plugged in and that the wiring is secure.

Tunes67

umcamara · Post by **umcamara** » November 21st, 2007, 9:09 pm

exile84 wrote:I am a delivery driver, and am having to drive my wife's jetta, which I hate putting that many miles on. Thanks in advance......
Tim

Put more miles on the Jetta...savour the Mx-3. Jetta's are a dime a dozen. Mx-3's are becoming somewhat of a rarity.

exile84 · Post by **exile84** » November 22nd, 2007, 1:53 am

okay still no progress...... got a couple of quick dumb questions.....
1. Is there more to resetting the ecu than just taking the neg. cable off the battery???
2. I am trying to avoid buying a new disty. I did the HEI mod, and still no fire. If I put the external coil on it, will that make the disty work, or do i need to buy one anyway???

Like I said before, dumb questions. I am trying to learn more about what I love. I am just at a huge bump right now. Thank you guys for all of the help, and thanks in advance.

Whisper · Post by **Whisper** » November 22nd, 2007, 2:00 am

To reset the ECU you unhook the neg cable and hold down brake pedal for 30 seconds.

Tunes67 · Post by **Tunes67** » November 22nd, 2007, 10:33 am

People always say my method of clearing codes is extreme. Thing is I have tried other methods and find that sometimes they work and sometimes they dont. My method has worked everytime I have used it. Still very simple. Disconnect the battery. Wait at least 5 minutes. (I usually disconnect mine before I need to do some small project) Then pump the brake pedal 5 times. Then reconnect the battery. Honestly.. you shouldnt need to pump the brake pedal.. once SHOULD be sufficient.. however.. I have had that not clear a code before. So I just go for the overkill since that hasnt failed me yet.

Tunes67

exile84 · Post by **exile84** » December 1st, 2007, 3:05 pm

Okay still working at this.

I ahve done the HEI mod, and still am not getting a spark. I have everything hooked up per the worklog. One thing I did not understand is should the 3 pin plug still be hooked to the disty or not? I think my disty went bad. But doing this mod should make it work, right???

MazdaNoob123 · Post by **MazdaNoob123** » December 2nd, 2007, 4:12 am

To answer ur "dumb question"
no doing the HEI mod will not fix code 3.
The camshaft pos sensor tells the car when to spark and works with the crank pos sensor, both are needed for the function of the vehicle.
mine went out and i had to do the whole disty...
id clear the codes and check it again if code 3 comes up again id buy a disty (New) if u can find one for not an arm and a leg. I got mine for 330 brand new cap and rotor included. Most are around 450 though.

wytbishop · Post by **wytbishop** » December 2nd, 2007, 6:48 pm

Read this, if you haven't already.

http://www.mx-3.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=62246

If your sensors are working and you have correctly wired in the HEI and external coil, you don't need a new distributor. If you've done the HEI mod correctly you don't need the distibutor at all except to hold the cap and rotor in place. If you went a little further, ok well it's a lot further, and got a system that could control the timing of the spark electronically, you wouldn't need the cap and rotor either. I'm not suggesting that you do that to solve your problem, my point is that having installed the HEI module and external coil, your distributor is no longer involved in spark creation. All it's doing is providing a home for the cap and rotor.

Look at this page of the online manual.

http://www.mx-3.com/manuals/showimg.php ... /G-030.gif

The distributor contains the parts which the HEI module and external coil replace but the rotor and cap are still required to transfer the spark.

exile84 · Post by **exile84** » December 7th, 2007, 2:36 am

Alright, Huge update......

Finally finished the HEI mod, and she started right up!!!! WOOOOOO.
You guys really helped me out alot. I appreciate all the help and advice.
I still have a few little bugs to work out still but I drove her to work today, and she ran like a champ.

Thanks for the help. :D

MX-3.com

Changed crankshaft position sensor and car wont start......

Changed crankshaft position sensor and car wont start......

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