Crank sensor is going bad?

Tiny
MATTD88
  • MEMBER
  • 1990 BUICK CENTURY
  • 118,000 MILES
Can someone help me with some information on the crank sensor in my car? I believe my crank sensor is going bad on me. I have been having a problem with what I believe to be the crank sensor on my car. For going on over a year now I have been having issues with my car misfiring, rough idling, poor fuel economy and the worse thing it does is when the engine seems to get to hot it will cut out on me and will not start until it cools off. I had it towed the other night and the man suggested to look into my crank sensor or coil packs on my car.

I believe its my crank sensor though because I also keep getting the check engine light on and off. Someone told me to call Auto Zone and ask them if they could scan the codes on it and see if it is the crank sensor. Unfortunately they said my car is too old and they cant scan it. He said something about taking 2 paperclips though and hooking them up to something under the hood to check the codes myself. Does anyone know what I can do? I don't have my cars repair manual also.
Wednesday, May 9th, 2012 AT 10:08 PM

11 Replies

Tiny
FIXITMR
  • MECHANIC
  • 9,990 POSTS
Yah you can read codes with key on CEL flashing using paper clip in connector.
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Wednesday, May 9th, 2012 AT 10:55 PM
Tiny
DJCL
  • MECHANIC
  • 767 POSTS
The connector I'd under the drivers side dash. Jump a and b together turn ign to on not run and the engine light will flash 2 digit codes one flash and then 2 is code 12
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Wednesday, May 9th, 2012 AT 11:15 PM
Tiny
MATTD88
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  • 23 POSTS
OK thanks guys I'm going to try and get the code to make sure it is in fact the crank sensor.
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Thursday, May 10th, 2012 AT 3:38 PM
Tiny
MATTD88
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  • 23 POSTS
Ok so I think I found the connector but I'm not if its it or not, what color is it? What do you mean by jump A and B together? I see a lot of wires under the dash on the drivers side and there all connected to something.
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Thursday, May 10th, 2012 AT 8:24 PM
Tiny
DJCL
  • MECHANIC
  • 767 POSTS
I will attach a pic of the connecter let me know how it works out
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Thursday, May 10th, 2012 AT 8:36 PM
Tiny
MATTD88
  • MEMBER
  • 23 POSTS
OK so I was looking for the data connector under the drivers side dash under the steering wheel and I can't seem to locate it. I keep looking for a 16 hole connector but the image you uploaded looks like it has only 12 slots? If so then I should have an easier time finding it.
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Wednesday, May 16th, 2012 AT 7:44 PM
Tiny
MATTD88
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Is that the connector in the pictures I uploaded?
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Wednesday, May 16th, 2012 AT 7:45 PM
Tiny
DJCL
  • MECHANIC
  • 767 POSTS
That's it
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Thursday, May 17th, 2012 AT 1:55 AM
Tiny
MATTD88
  • MEMBER
  • 23 POSTS
Alright so I now have succeeded in locating the data connector and I used a paperclip to insert into the connector. I got the check engine light flashing in a sequence, the only thing is I have no idea how to interpret the code. I took a video clip of the sequence but I don't understand it. I know something about the 12 initiation but then it blinks like 6 or 9 times in a row and repeats, can someone please shed some light on this?
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Thursday, May 17th, 2012 AT 3:56 AM
Tiny
DJCL
  • MECHANIC
  • 767 POSTS
After the 12 count the first set of blinks if its 3 blinks then its a 3. The next set of blinks is the second number
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Thursday, May 17th, 2012 AT 11:25 AM
Tiny
MATTD88
  • MEMBER
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Ok thanks you have been very helpful, I'm pretty much at the root of the problem now I hope. Given the information you have provided me and some research I've come to conclude that the code is number 26 I got 2 flashes a pause then 6 flashes. The only thing I don't get is I looked up what a 26 code is and it says something about a quad module but I don't know whats going on cause I thought it was the crank sensor cause of the way the car was shutting off, anyone know anything about this?
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Thursday, May 17th, 2012 AT 8:39 PM

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