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How to Troubleshoot the Crankshaft Position Sensor on a 2000 Xterra

2000 model year Nissan Xterras came equipped with two engine choices: A 2.4-liter four cylinder engine and a 3.3-liter six cylinder engine. Both of these engines contain a crankshaft position sensor which electromagnetically monitors the position of the crankshaft. The ECM reads the signals from the crankshaft sensor and fires the spark plugs based on this information. If the crankshaft sensor fails, the ECM does not know when to fire the plugs, resulting in a dead engine. Because the crankshaft position sensor contains an electrical coil, its condition can be determined by measuring the resistance across its terminal pins with a digital multimeter. The procedure for checking the crankshaft position sensor is identical for both engine variations.

Instructions

1

Shut off the engine, open the hood, and let the engine cool down for one to two hours to avoid any burns.

2

Shine a work light on the back side of the engine block, where the engine meets the transmission bell housing. Locate the crankshaft position sensor. It is set into the engine block near the upper left corner of the transmission bell housing. Disconnect the sensors electrical connector and remove the bolt holding the sensor to the block with a ratchet and metric socket.

3

Remove the sensor by pulling on it while twisting it back and forth. Once the sensor pops out, dry it with a clean shop rag. Inspect the sensor for cracks or chipping. Replace the sensor if you find any crack or chips.

4

Set your digital multimeter to Ohms or resistance. Use the two multimeter probes to measure resistance across the crankshaft position sensor terminals. The specified value is 166.5 to 203.5 Ohms at 68 degrees Fahrenheit. If the sensors resistance falls outside this value then it is faulty and needs to be replaced.

5

Visually inspect the crankshaft position sensors wiring harness on the vehicle. Look for bare spots on the wires and chips or cracks on the plastic connector. Insert a small flat-head screwdriver into the metal connector pins and wiggle the screwdriver back and forth. The pins should remain in position and should not be loose. Inspect the pins for excess corrosion or damage. If any of these conditions exist, replace the crankshaft position sensors wiring harness.

6

Turn on the ignition and set your digital multimeter to "DC Volts." Probe the light blue wire on the crankshaft position sensors electrical connector with the red multimeter probe. Ground the black multimeter probe and look at the voltage reading. The reading should be between 2 and 12-volts. If the value is out of this range then the sensor is not receiving power, and youll need to troubleshoot the engine wiring harness. Connect a test lamp to the positive battery terminal and probe the ground side of the crankshaft position sensor. If the test lamp doesnt illuminate, then the ground is bad and youll need to troubleshoot the engine wiring harness.

Posted by Unknown at 11:15 PM

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