Your crankshaft sensor is responsible for letting your vehicle's computer know how it needs to adjust the fuel that is being delivered to your engine and lets your vehicle know the timing of the sparks. The crankshaft sensor is essential to the smooth operation of your engine. Generally, one of the very first signs of engine failure is a bad crankshaft sensor, which is why it is important to know the signs that your crankshaft sensor is going bad. Being aware of these signs will allow you to get the sensor replaced in a timely manner and prevent your engine from failing.
Stalling Engine
Your engine should never stall when you are driving your car. When your crankshaft sensor, which is in charge of ignition timing, starts to fail, your engine may start to stall when you are driving at low speeds. It may also take a few attempts for your vehicle to start up.
Sputtering Engine
In addition to your engine stalling when you are driving at low speeds, you may also notice that your engine starts to sputter. Your engine may start to sputter because your crankshaft sensor is not able to relay the proper information to your spark plugs, which means that they are sparking off-kilter and not at the right time. This will result in your engine not getting enough fuel at the right time, which will cause your engine to sputter as you try to drive.
Poor Acceleration
Third, you may start to notice that your vehicle is not accelerating correctly anymore. Your vehicle should accelerate seamlessly as you use the gas pedal on your vehicle. If you start to feel like you are pushing down harder than necessary on the gas pedal, or that your vehicle suddenly loses momentum when it shouldn't and you have to apply more gas, that is another sign that your crankshaft sensor is going bad. When your crankshaft sensor is not operating properly, it is not able to keep the pistons in your engine in sync with everything else going on in your engine, resulting in poor acceleration.
Poor Gas Consumption
Finally, when your crankshaft sensor is not working properly, and your engine is getting the wrong information at the wrong time, you are not going to get the best gas mileage possible. If you start to notice that you are using more gas to go about your usual errands, the crankshaft sensor may not be working properly.
If you notice one or more of the warning signs above, take your vehicle into a mechanic at The Dyno Shop and have them test your crankshaft sensor. If it is not working properly, get it fixed before it causes more damage to your engine.
Share27 July 2016
After our family sedan died, I realized that we needed to focus on finding a new car. I was really frustrated because I had no idea what was out there or what would work best for my family. I started focusing on finding a car that was large enough, and that simple action really made things a lot easier for me. I tracked down a dealership that had mid-size and large SUVs, and I was able to find the right car. This blog is all about narrowing down your car choices, so that you can enjoy your new car and keep your family safe.