Parts for your 1999 Toyota Echo|yaris-Crank angle sensor

1999 Toyota Echo/Yaris crank-angle sensor: what it does and how to look after it

Yes — the 1999 Toyota Echo/Yaris is fitted with a crank-angle sensor (also called a crankshaft position sensor). Technical references that identify this include Toyota’s factory service information for the 1SZ-FE/2NZ-FE/1NZ-FE engines (Engine Control section with DTCs P0335–P0339 for the crankshaft position sensor), the Toyota Electrical Wiring Diagram for NCP10/NCP13 showing the CKP/“NE” signal to the ECM, and OE parts catalogues from DENSO and NTK that list a crankshaft position sensor for this model range.

On the Echo/Yaris, the crank-angle sensor tells the engine computer exactly where the crankshaft is and how fast it’s spinning. That live data is used to time spark and fuel injection, manage VVT-i, and detect misfires. Without a clean signal, the car can be hard to start, run rough, or not run at all.

Typical signs the sensor or its wiring is unhappy include:

• Cranks but won’t start, or intermittent stalling when hot
• Rough idle, sluggish performance, poor fuel economy
• Check Engine Light with codes like P0335–P0339

Location-wise, it’s mounted low on the engine near the crank pulley/timing cover (right-hand side of the bay on most AU/NZ cars). It reads a toothed wheel on the crank, and seals to the cover with an O-ring.

It’s not a scheduled service item, but it’s smart to check it whenever the front of the engine is being worked on, especially if there are oil leaks. Oil contamination, heat, and hardened O-rings are the common culprits, not wear-and-tear from use.

Replacement is straightforward for most home mechanics:

1. Disconnect the battery and safely raise the front if access is tight.
2. Unplug the sensor, undo the single small retaining bolt, and gently twist/pull the sensor out.
3. Lightly oil the new O-ring, seat the new sensor squarely, and tighten the bolt snugly to the factory spec.
4. Reconnect, clear codes, and road test. The ECU typically relearns timing trims on its own after a short drive.

Tips to keep it sweet:

• Fix front crank and timing cover leaks so the sensor doesn’t live in oil.
• Inspect the harness for chafing near the plug and along the routing clips.
• Use quality OEM-equivalent sensors, cheap copies can give weak or noisy signals.

If the Echo/Yaris is showing no-start or random stall gremlins and the basics check out, this little sensor is a prime suspect — a quick swap can bring the zippy NCP back to its cheerful self.

Where is the crank-angle sensor on a 1999 Echo/Yaris?

It’s bolted into the timing cover area near the crank pulley on the right-hand side of the engine bay (driver’s side on AU/NZ right-hand-drive cars). You’ll see a small two-wire or three-wire plug and a single retaining bolt holding the sensor body in place.

Can a failing crank-angle sensor be cleaned, or does it need replacement?

If it’s just got a light film of clean oil, a wipe and a fresh O-ring can help. If the sensor is cracked, swollen, soaked from a leak, or throwing repeat P0335-type codes, replacement is the reliable fix — and be sure to sort any oil leak that caused the issue.

What’s the usual cause of crank-angle sensor faults on these cars?

Heat and oil contamination are the big ones, followed by damaged wiring near the connector. The sensor itself does fail with age, but many “sensor” faults turn out to be a tired O-ring letting oil in, or a rubbed-through loom giving an intermittent signal.