A camshaft position sensor is an electronic device that monitors the camshaft position and speed and sends that data to the vehicles engine control module (ECM) . The ECM needs this data to control how much fuel enters the combustion chamber and ignition timing to ignite the fuel. When the air/fuel mixture is ignited at precisely the right time, engine power and fuel economy increase, and tailpipe emissions decrease. The camshaft sensor works with the crankshaft sensor to define the exact position of the crankshaft drive. Through the combination of both sensor signals, the engine control unit knows when the first cylinder is in the top dead point. The camshaft sensor works based on magnetism and scans a ring gear on the camshaft. The rotation of the ring gear changes the Hall voltage of the Hall IC in the sensor head. This change in voltage is transmitted to the control unit and evaluated there to establish the required data.
Here are some common symptoms of a failing camshaft position sensor:
- Check Engine Light Comes On
- Engine not starting
- Poor performance
- Engine stalling
- Increased fuel consumption
- Inconsistent acceleration
- Sudden drops in RPM
If you suspect that your camshaft position sensor is failing, its important to have it checked and replaced if necessary to avoid further damage to your engine.
