Parts for your 1998 Daihatsu Gran move-Camshaft sensor

1998 Daihatsu Gran Move camshaft sensor — is it actually there?

Short answer: a separate camshaft position sensor isn’t fitted to the 1998 Daihatsu Gran Move. This model (sold in some markets as the Pyzar) uses a Denso distributor with internal signal generators to give the engine control unit its timing reference, rather than a standalone cam sensor on the cylinder head.

That’s not a guess. Technical references including the Daihatsu G3 (Pyzar/Gran Move) factory service manual Ignition System section and period Autodata wiring diagrams show the HD/HC-series petrol engines running a distributor-mounted pickup that provides NE and G signals to the ECU. Because the distributor is driven off the camshaft, those signals carry both engine speed and cam position information. In practice, that means there’s no separate camshaft sensor to replace or maintain on a 1998 Gran Move.

Why did Daihatsu do it this way? In the late 90s, many small Japanese petrol engines still used distributor ignition with integrated angle sensors. The ECU could run batch or semi‑sequential fuel injection just fine using the distributor’s NE/G pulses, so a dedicated cam sensor wasn’t necessary. Later Daihatsus that moved to coil‑pack ignition and full sequential injection added distinct crank and cam sensors, but this Gran Move vintage kept it simple and reliable with a single distributor assembly.

If someone’s chasing a “cam sensor” fault on one of these, the real suspects are:

• The distributor’s internal pickup (often called the ignition signal generator), wiring, or connector
• Distributor cap/rotor wear, moisture ingress, or carbon tracking
• ECU ground or power issues, or a stretched timing belt affecting signal stability

Typical symptoms that mimic a failed cam sensor on other cars can show up here as well: long crank/no start, random stalling once warm, erratic tacho behaviour, rough running, or stored ECU faults for missing/irregular “G” or “NE” signals. A quick health check under the bonnet goes a long way—inspect and, if needed, replace the cap and rotor, verify clean tight terminals at the distributor plug, and check the timing belt condition and alignment marks. For proper diagnosis, an oscilloscope trace of the distributor signals or the factory blink-code/scan-tool readout is the way to go.

Bottom line for owners: there’s no separate camshaft sensor to service on a 1998 Daihatsu Gran Move. Keep the distributor assembly and timing belt in good nick, and the ECU will get all the cam/engine position info it needs.

FAQs

Does a 1998 Daihatsu Gran Move have a camshaft sensor?

No. It uses a Denso distributor with internal NE/G pickups that provide cam and engine speed information to the ECU, so there’s no standalone camshaft position sensor on the head.

Where does the engine get its timing reference if there’s no cam sensor?

From the distributor. Because it’s driven off the camshaft, the distributor’s signal generators act as the timing reference. The factory service manual and Autodata diagrams list the NE and G signals going straight to the ECU.

What should be checked if it has “cam sensor” type symptoms?

Inspect the distributor cap and rotor, the internal pickup (ignition signal generator), and the wiring/connector. Also verify timing belt condition and cam timing. These are the usual culprits on this model.