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How do you replace a crankshaft position sensor?
It looks like I need to replace my crankshaft position sensor. I’ve done some other car repairs before, but this is a new one for me. How do you replace a crankshaft position sensor? Is it difficult?
Matt Terzi · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
We’re always happy to encounter folks who are DIY-repair friendly. And replacing your crankshaft position sensor isn’t especially difficult—in most makes and models of cars, anyway.
The crankshaft position sensor plays an important role in precisely firing your engine’s ignition and fuel injection. So this isn’t a repair you want to wait on!
First off, you’ll need to locate the crankshaft position sensor. This varies from one car to the next, but in most cars you’ll find it near the starter, between the engine and the transmission housing. Some cars have it on the front of the engine, requiring the removal of one or two serpentine belts.
Once you’ve found its location (be sure you aren’t confusing it with the camshaft sensor!), you’ll want to do the following:
- Disconnect the negative battery terminal. The crankshaft position sensor is electrical, and you can hurt yourself and damage the car if you don’t.
- In some cars, you may need to remove the starter to access the crankshaft position sensor. This only applies to some makes and models.
- Unplug the sensor’s cable and make sure you keep the contacts on that cable clean.
- Remove the mounting bolt with a socket wrench, or just loosen it up and remove it with your fingers.
- Remove the old sensor, which should pop right out. In some cars this can get frustrating given how and where it’s positioned, but it can be done!
- Compare the old and new sensors to make sure they’re the same. You may not be able to take the new sensor back if you already tried installing it.
- Install the new sensor and the new o-ring it came with. Reverse these steps to install your new sensor, and don’t use that grubby old o-ring, either. The new sensor should have come with a new o-ring, and you’ll want to be sure to use it.
We hope this guide helped you replace your crankshaft position sensor. And if you’re interested in saving money on
car insurance
, you don’t need a guide. You just need the Jerry
app, which is a trustworthy brokerage app
that helps drivers save an average of more than $800 per year. Give it a try!View full answer
- Gregory R.
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Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.
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