Shop Nissan Maxima Crank Position Sensor

Issues with the Crankshaft Position Sensor of a Nissan Maxima

The crankshaft position sensor is the engine component that records the rotation speed of the crankshaft. The internal computer of the vehicle then uses these data for proper fuel injection and ignition. The well-being of this little piece of equipment contributes to the overall efficiency of the engine that even one mishap will cause massive performance problems. Therefore, it is better to know what you're up against when dealing with issues about the crankshaft position sensor of the Nissan Maxima.

Service engine light glows

Many troubles could make that service engine light glow. This could definitely be considered a setback for you because you have to consider a lot of scenarios and predicaments. The crankshaft sensor may fire up the service light once it stops working due to high temperatures. However, once the car cools down, it won't light up anymore.

Misfiring cylinders

Although spark plug problems cause this more often than the crankshaft sensor, a bad sensor could make one or more cylinders misfire. This happens when the computer fails to get the right information on the position of the piston.

Hesitation in acceleration

When the car seems to hesitate or late in responding to the accelerator, the crankshaft sensor might be at fault. The lag between the pressing of the gas pedal and the acceleration Is caused by a slow, if not missing, communication between the crankshaft position sensor and the ECU.

Erratic start-ups

Once the crankshaft sensor completely gives up, the ECU will give out a malfunction code that will not let the car start or make starting very hard. Most of the time, an electrical problem causes this behavior. There might be problem with the circuitry of the crankshaft sensor.

Vibrations, backfiring, and stalling

The engine will have strong vibrations because of the unsynchronized pattern of the cylinder brought about by a bad crankshaft sensor. You can also observe a wrong recording of mileage. These vibrations will be followed by backfiring and stalling of the engine. Backfiring and stalling will inconveniently be frequent. All these things happening all at once can also damage the spark plugs and other sensitive engine components.