Check engine light, some circuitry questions Options

[nightryder]

ok so ive been throwing this check engine code for quite some time now. Its a 3440(?) i believe, but i know its a camshaft positioning sensor circuit malfunction. this normally wouldnt be an issue but our cars do not have such a sensor.


I first got the code after i did my engine swap (5s to 5s-thrown rod) in which i converted a federal emissions 5s from 94 into a cali emissions 5s using parts from my blown 97 motor.



so what was swapped over was the ecu, distributor, crank angle sensor, map sensor, oil pump and oil pan (might be more, ill check on it)



i understand that it is talking about the sensor circuit and not the sensor itself, but why is it looking for a circuit that my car shouldnt have? and how can it be remedied?

[alltracman78]

I believe you do have a cam pos sensor.
It's in your dist.

This post has been edited by alltracman78: Mar 28, 2007 - 2:54 PM

[nightryder]

I believe you do have a crank pos sensor.
It's in your dist.

but it doesnt say "crank position circuit malfunction" it says "camshaft position circuit malfunction" u think that could be my issue? i know that i have a CRANK ANGLE sensor but its down by the oil pump.

[alltracman78]

Sorry, I meant cam.
My apologies.

[nightryder]

Sorry, I meant cam.
My apologies.

this bothers me a bit cuz i cant seem to locate the sensor in any auto parts stores. im going to pull it all apart and call up my local toyota dealership.

thanks once again.


im pretty sure you are pretty close to a Yota-God

[alltracman78]

Well, I have a pretty good idea what I'm doing.
But I wouldn't go that far just yet.
But I appreciate the compliment.

You can't replace the sensor.
It's an integral part of the dist.
You have to replace the whole dist.
But check the air gap first.

[bindertch]

The cam sensor is in the distributor. Here are the specs: cold engine, 135 - 220 Ohms; hot engine, 175 - 220 Ohms. The air gap should be between .008 and .018 . Also the wiring between the distributor and the pcm could be the issue.

[nightryder]

hey thanks for the info! But im afraid you might need to hold my hand on this one...


how would i go about checking all these specs?


is this something that would come up in live data on a code reader?


edit: and would this cause a hesitation and poor gas milage? .....cuz thats what i got.

This post has been edited by nightryder: Apr 2, 2007 - 1:47 PM

[bindertch]

The specs will help you fix the code. If the cam sensor is bad the ECM can't control spark accurately and may be in limp mode that works but not good. Fix the sensor problems first and then check mpg. To check the resistance unplug the connector coming from the distributor and using a ohm meter measure the resistance between the terminals.


To check the air gap get a set of non- magnetic (brass) feeler gauge and see which blade slides between with a little bit of resistance.



This post has been edited by bindertch: Apr 2, 2007 - 6:45 PM

[nightryder]

oooooh this looks like fun, ill get right on that




soon as it stops raining that is...

[alltracman78]

Check your valve timing while you're at it....

[nightryder]

yes sir

[nightryder]

ok so i set my ohms at 20m and im hitting anything from 8.25-12.5, not sure if im doing this right...


would this mean its blown?

[nightryder]

i put everything back together after testing the cps and when i turned on the car the check engine light was off. it was off for a solid day and a half before is came back on. then it turned off again for a couple hours and now its on again.

I think ill pull it again and see about cleaning the contacts (which is tough cuz you cant see into the damn thing).


but this cant be the issue.... its too simple

[alltracman78]

Alot of times it is something simple.

But before you do anything, check to see what code it actually is....

*Have you checked the wiring at all?*

This post has been edited by alltracman78: Apr 9, 2007 - 6:55 PM

[nightryder]

the wiring into the sensor seems fine. I will look at it again tho.


the light is only on like 50% of the time im driving, I will turn on the car and it will be off then after a while it will come on. But then sometimes I will turn on the car and it will already be on and it wont turn off until i turn the car off and it sits for a bit.


another weird yet unrelated thing is not my coolant gauge is on the fritz. it will jack itself up until its just below the "hot" line and sit there, and it wont drop unless i turn the heart on inside the car...


fluid levels are fine