Wife called this morning and said on her way to work her 99' Expy started to stall, the oil pressure gauge dropped and the light came on, her check engine light came on and the battery light came on.

How she got it home is beyond me....

Anyhow i just pulled the code and the only one i'm getting is P0340

Camshaft Position Sensor A- Bank 1
Circuit Malfunction

Anyone care to explain this to me, how i fix it, estimated cost...etc. I did a search on here, but i can't find any info on this code related to Expy's.

Thanks, any help would be much appreciated i need to get her Expy back on the road so we aren't down to 1 vehicle.

From posts i've read about this error code on other vehicles it seems that a special alignment tool is required to align the shaft?

 

http://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_cod...alfunction.php

What does that mean?This indicates that a problem was detected in the camshaft position sensor circuit. Since it says circuit, that means the problem could lie in any part of the circuit - the sensor itself, the wiring, or the PCM. Don't just replace the CPS (camshaft position sensor) and think that will definitely fix it.

SymptomsSymptoms can include:

Hard starting or no start
Rough running / misfiring
Loss of engine power
CausesA code P0340 could mean one or more of the following has happened:

a wire or connector in the circuit could be grounded/shorted/broken
the camshaft position sensor may have failed
the PCM may have failed
there exists an open circuit
the crankshaft position sensor may have failed
Possible SolutionsWith a P0340 OBD-II trouble code, diagnosis can be tricky at times. Here are some things to try:

Visually inspect all the wiring and connectors in the circuit
Check for continuity in the circuit wiring
Check the operation (voltage) of the camshaft position sensor
Replace the camshaft position sensor as required
Check the crankshaft position circuit as well
Replace circuit wiring and/or connectors as required
Diagnose/replace the PCM as required

 

My friend had something similar to this and it ended up been a crankshaft position sensor about a $100.00 part plus labor.

 

If the crankshaft position sensor was dead, your vehicle would be a Crank-No Start.

I'm not saying the crank sensor is okay, just telling you that it more than likely is not the problem.

A dealership with a lap-top to plug in would be able to diagnose the problem fairly quickly...if you are not interested in fixing it yourself.

Or maybe Mickey Mouse paid you a visit and chewed up your wires. I see that a lot too.

 

I don't plan on taking it to a shop that would require a tow since it can't be drove on the road safely in the condition it's currently in.

It cranks for sure it even starts, but runs roughly and if you don't give it gas it dies in a minute or so.

This will be a do-it-yourself job in my garage with a few friends of mine who are mechanically inclined who have also assisted me in the past with 3 timesert installs when this Expy launched plugs into COPS.

Any diagram/pictures/links to this sensor and replacement/troubleshooting procedures?

I'm going to need some sort of guidance troubleshooting this problem this weekend.

If it turns out i need to replace the camshaft position sensor anyone know where i can go borrow this alignment tool i will need? kragen, nappa, autozone?

TIA

 

If you suspect the sensor just unplug it. You may have a more serious problem such as a left hand cam timing problem or a seized cam.

 

well first i need to find where it's located to unplug it. if i unplug it what should i experience if it's a bad sensor?

 

The sensor is located at the left hand top of the timing cover.The engine will run normally with the sensor unplugged,unless you have problems other than the sensor.

 

If the cam sensor is bad, I don't think you have to align anything, but maybe I'm mixing that up with other sensors.

My only advice when you're working on it is this: don't start cutting or splicing wires. Last time somebody did that, their Ford F100 started on fire (look at sig). And this is certainly not an old F100. With today's PinPoint tests, their's no need to cut any wires on a new vehicle. There are connectors that can be disconnected in place of cutting into wires.

Which engine is it?

 

I've got a friend coming over tomorrow afternoon to help me with this. I'm still not even sure i found where this sensor is located. I believe it's on the front of the engine on the lower right side and heads in towards the back of the block, but i could be wrong. I can't seem to find any good diagrams of where it is located or pictures, but i found a picture of the sensor itself and best guess i think it's where i just descibed.

Last thing i want to do is start disconnecting stuff that doesn't need to be disconnected.

 

Working on the problem today, if we disconnected the correct connector it's still running the same with it undone. The engine will turn over and run, but it sounds like it's running on one or 2 cylinders and idles real rough. This is the 5.4liter model Expy.

I'm about to head to the store and buy a Haynes manual or the like for the Expy, i can't find any pictures or diagrams of the camshaft position sensor online. It's hard to troubleshoot when you aren't sure what you are looking at.

 

UPDATE:

Well turns out the camshaft positioning sensor was bad, actually destroyed is a better word. When i removed it i discovered that it was in pieces so i had to pull the valve cover. I discovered a lot of the copper wires all over the place and i now believe the root cause of the whole thing was my timing-chain sprocket warped and started to wobble which in turn sheared the camshaft positioning sensor best i can tell. I can grab the sprocket and make it wobble all over the place with my hand which isn't a good thing.

So...starting tomorrow morning i will be pulling the other side valve cover, the radiator, water pump, timing chain cover...etc. and replacing both timing-chains, at least the left timing-chain sprocket, replacing the camshaft position sensor, replacing both valve cover gaskets and flushing the crap out of the oil system to get the Expy running again.

I'm not 100% sure i will actually need to replace the timing-chains, i'll have to take a look at them once i get them off and see if they need replacement or not.

A lot more work and money then i hoped for, but it could have been worse. I hope to get the job done by next weekend if i have the time to work on it.

Any tips, tricks...etc. would be appreciated if anyone has done a similar repair. I believe i will also have to get a crankshaft sprocket removal tool, not sure if i need any other special tools i don't think so (i've got a buddy that works at Pep Boys who assures me he can lend me any special tools i need). Looks like the timing-cover will be a PITA to get off as well i'm guessing some long pry bars will be required.

 

Whether the cam is seized, or the press fit spocket on the cam just slipped, you may have bent valves as this is an interference engine.You need to perform a cylinder leakage test on the left bank.

 

finally got the timing-chain cover off and the press fit socket off of the cam....the camshaft is shot the sprocket spun and worn down the camshaft so that will need replacing as well.

Going to go drop the oilpan right now and clean it out, the oil pump has an installed filter screen right? I hope so or this motor is probably shot.

Here are a few pics i took:

 

Now's the time to install an aftermarket camshaft.