Help!...anybody replace their camshaft position sensor?

[miko]

Was driving the other day when all of a sudden, with no warning, had a complete loss of power like the fuel completely got shut off. Didn't get a check engine light and didn't stall though,but had zero throttle response. about a second later all was normal again. This repeated itself maybe 5 times in the next 5 minutes, then all was well for the remainder of my drive to work. After work I didn't have any "episodes". Checked for error codes when I got home and the only one was for the camshaft position sensor. Now this looks simple enough to change except for the connector end of the wire attatched to the sensor disappears underneath the upper intake manifold and ends up god-knows-where!
Does anybody have experience replacing this sensor on a m44 engine? Did you have to remove the whole upper intake manifold?

Thanks, MIKO

[bimmerboi318]

i have a m42 and the sensor is right on the front of the engine. you know where it is from the sounds of it and on mine there is a little retainer bolt that screws in right next to it. with that taken out the sensor should slide out easily. this is from my memory so just take a careful look at it or get a haynes or chilton manual.

[yeehawbob]

Miko,

Yes you have to take the manifold Off, in order to get to the plug end of the sensor.
I am having it done by local DINAN shop next week.

[esbart]

I have the same problem with my 1997, had anyone tried splicing a new sensor.

[J!m]

Based on the description, please also check your traction control module (if fitted). If that decides to slam shut (possibly due to bad data from faulty wheel speed sensor), it will do what you described...

If a wheel speed sensor goes bad and sends bad data to the module, the traction control will do it's job, and be happy about it. So, you have to chase it all the way back. (there are two wheel speed sensors- left front wheel and right rear wheel)

An easy test would be to turn off traction control if it happens again. I would expect a CEL if the problem was with the cam sensor (or any other MAJOR engine sensor), but you did not get a light, just an error code when extracted. The minor error may be an artifact of the throttle position sensor saying full throttle, and the traction control limiting air flow, causing the cam to unwind from rapid RPM drop (just a theroy)...

Also, if the cam sensor was truly faulty, you will certainly have a steady CEL.

[yeehawbob]

I was going to have my "camshaft sensor" replaced but all of a sudden the CEL went away and has been away since the 27th of Aug.
The car is running fine. I will however go to the shop to have them take a look at what really happened.

[slacker]

As I am looking forward to a DASC...I've heard this cam sensor is a smart replacement while all is off on higher mileage cars.
Gary