Thread: Probable crank sensor, car stalled, gauges erratic

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  1. #1 Probable crank sensor, car stalled, gauges erratic 
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    Hello-

    We have owned our '99 Grand Prix GT since we bought it as a theft recovery in 2005 that my buddy who worked for a local Pontiac dealer rebuilt and drove personally for a while.

    We had a baby on the way and discovered our LeBaron convertible's trunk was too small for the stroller.

    In any case, six years later and 200,000 miles, it's been a good car. Had to replace an AC compressor and a trans solenoid at 150k, some alignment issues (no matter what, it cups up the inner edges of tires ) and a steering rack leak. OE cat came apart inside, replaced with a Magnaflow. No rust as it's a GA car, I keep the silver paint waxed.

    Lately, she's showing her age. Water pump shaft sheared a month ago, first time on the "stretcher" as it was on a down town city street and I did not want to lay on the curb fixing it. A power window motor or two.

    Here is the latest- it occasionally idles really rough on start up. Wife reports the tach needle bounces and it lurches once in awhile. On monday after dropping the kid off at her first day of first grade, it jerked, made a belt squeel, and shutoff at about 40mph on an on ramp. Luckily she was able to wrench it over to a side BEFORE she was in the gaurdrailed part in traffic..... she said the check engine AND Traction Control lights flickered.

    Car restarted, she drove on in to work. I followed her home after work. Did some checking, leaning towards crank sensor. Took the car to the shop of a former co worker of the tech I bought the car from (he moved out of state) and explained it all to him. He acted like he had never heard of this issue before, but I figured he has a Tech II scan tool and all I have is a code reader....

    Next day he calls, says I have a bad oxy sensor, which I already figured out as I had a PO141 and the fuel economy isn't what it used to be. I asked again if there was ANYTHING stored and he said no. So I paid him to install the sensor. Oh yeah and I have a small crack in the radiator...more good news.

    We pick up the car and I drive it on home the few miles, no problems.

    I have done enough research before posting here to see that the CKPS is a common cause of these symptoms. I do deal with electronically controlled diesels at work all day long, and am therefore skeptical of the "just throw expensive sensors at it" school of mechanics...too often I see a circuit problem. Which is why I am posting this. Is there a way to "test" this sensor or it's circuitry path, or should I just put a new one in?

    Is there a learn proceedure to be done?

    Money is tight right now in the household, and I want to be sure I am repairing the right thing. I'm sure y'all can indentify with that thought.

    Eric
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  2. #2 Re: Probable crank sensor, car stalled, gauges erratic 
    GTP Level Member KeithGTP03's Avatar
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    The sensor has a magnet that collects metal shavings that can cause some problems. If you have the knowledge and ability to remove the sensor and clean it... if it worked, it would be a free solution.

    03 GTP...Its got pulleys and stuff.
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  3. #3 Re: Probable crank sensor, car stalled, gauges erratic 
    Turbo is the way to go. BillBoost37's Avatar
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    The sensor is around a $30 part. However your symptoms aren't typical of a crank sensor.

    "Jerked belt squeal and shut off".. A typical crank sensor would be "pos stalled w/o warning or noises". The jerk and squeal have me questioning .. what's jerking and what caused the squeal. A squeal is only happening when one of the belt drive items doesn't turn and the others do. A CKPS stall is like shutting off the car, therefore squealing isn't normal. The jerking isn't normal either. This has me wondering about tune up, TB cleaning and all the normal little things that could add to the poor idle etc. You mentioned an O2 sensor, with that dumping fuel.. the plugs may be fouling, but a few good rips would likely clean good plugs up.
    I drink..so consider that when reading my posts.

    2010 Audi A6 Dual IC's
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  4. #4 Re: Probable crank sensor, car stalled, gauges erratic 
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    The jerk and squeal are probably as the car was firing and mis firing maybe? The squeal, well last week I changed the plastic 90* tubes from the intake manifold to the thing I call the heater hose manifold under the alternator. After words, I had a bit of belt squeal from all the dex cool that got on the pulleys. Also, I hosed the front of the engine down with Gunk de greaser and then hit it with a hose.

    And I drove it around the block with a bit of squeal, until it got warm. Then I parked it. Wife got in Monday AM to go to work, and that is when it happened.

    Lots of stuff has poured over/on the crank sensor lately.

    Still, it stalled, tach went dead/live then dead, the traction control light came on.

    My wife is deathly afraid to drive it until it's fixed, if it had stalled fifty feet past where it did she would have been stuck in a blind curve with gaurdrails on both sides, where nobody could see her stopped car until it was too late.

    I have to get this fixed, she's driving the Hemi Ram 4x4 which gets about 10mpg in the city until I do!

    Just started on the Pontiac's dissasembly, and I had to use 3/4" drive with a cheater pipe to break the balancer bolt loose.
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  5. #5 Re: Probable crank sensor, car stalled, gauges erratic 
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    Changed the sensor a couple weeks ago, fresh plugs- idles smoother than it has in over a year, and my highway MPG when zero the DIS at 60mph is back to 28-29 from the 24-25 it was pre plugs'n sensor, of course the new o2 probably had a lot to do with that...now, resealing the intake manifolds, upper and lower, the plenum started to leak coolant and the lower was leaking oil pretty good at the bell housing end.
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  6. #6 Re: Probable crank sensor, car stalled, gauges erratic 
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    Oooo


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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