Camshaft Sensors

You will find a camshaft sensor in modern engines. A camshaft position sensor works (also known as a cam angle sensor) alongside your vehicle's engine control module (ECM), as your camshaft sensor feeds data to monitor the speed and position of the camshaft.

Your engine works in sync, if one piece of the puzzle isn't working, it will cause all sorts of issues. Timing of the camshaft is crucial as it determines when the intake and exhaust valves open, which allow the air and fuel mixture into the engine.

A faulty camshaft position sensor will provide your engine with a vast array of different symptoms, including:

• A check engine light may appear on your dash - this can be caused by a vast array of reasons however using an OBD2 reader, you can determine if you have a bad camshaft position sensor or what else is causing the check engine light to illuminate.
• Poor acceleration
• Ignition problems can occur when you start having issues with your cam sensor, it can cause weakness in the signal to your vehicle's engine control unit. This can cause a problem with being able to start your car if there is no ignition spark.
• Poor fuel economy - as there is possibly an inaccurate reading from the sensor, therefore you will use more fuel than needed.
• Issues shifting - with modern cars, if you have a faulty camshaft sensor, it can lock your transmission. Therefore, you will stay stuck in gear. To get out of the gear, you will have to turn off the car and allow a while before starting the vehicle again.

A camshaft sensor will be located in different spots on your vehicle depending on what make and model vehicle you drive. However, a cam sensor is usually located on the exterior of your engine block, it can be found near the timing cover, intake manifold or one or both heads.