[firespirit]

My car is throwing the codes P0340; Camshaft Position Sensor Malfunction...

When I start the car up cold, it starts chirping like a cricket, but when it's warmed up its fine. I looked at this TSB For it, which mentions something about it being sluggish and surging or something.

I want to know> How hard is it to change the sensor myself? (I've got the Haynes manual, it has a diagram and such)... Any tips on changing it myself? I wanna avoid the dealer because... well I called them the other day "Yeah uh.. about $80 for me to just see if thats REALLY the problem" <_<

So if anyone has any tips that can help me out with replacing it, It'd be appreciated.

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[green]

The cherping could be caused by a loose belt slipping possibly from a weak belt tensioner.

The CMP sensor looks easy to replace looking at the Haynes manual, if its only the sensor part thats bad and not the drive essembly. The weakest link to most automotive sensors is the plug that connects the wire to the sensor, so you may whant to try unpluging the plug at the sensor, then pluging it back in, and then clear the code to see if the fault code comes back.
Good luck

 

[firespirit]

Thanks for the reply, green. I'm about 98% positive that it's the CMP sensor. Especially after reading this post > http://www.tauruscarclub.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=10883

My belts and everything look fine and wouldnt the chirping continue even after the car is warmed up if it were the belts?

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[green]

Originally posted by Firespirit@Oct 22 2004, 09:41 PM
Thanks for the reply, green. I'm about 98% positive that it's the CMP sensor. Especially after reading this post > http://www.tauruscarclub.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=10883

My belts and everything look fine and wouldnt the chirping continue even after the car is warmed up if it were the belts?

That past post shed some light on me, I think what they where saying is a worn out drive essembly aka syncronizor for the CMP sensor is the cause of the noise. It sounds like you may need both the sensor and drive essembly if that is the cause of the noise. I have not had this problem with my 97 with 100k yet so this means this problem will happen to me next week.
Automotive belts stretch and become loose when cold, and contract, and become tight when hot.
Replacing the CMP drive essembly looks to be about the same as replacing a distibuter, and I have not done eather, sorry I could not be of more help.

 

[hotwater]

Firespirit, I am about to have to replace the opne in my 01 SES with the Vulcan. I am getting ready to pay about $280 to have it done at the dealer. I am not sure about the gen 3 cars but it is a pain on the gen4 cars. If you want some more info on it, maybe you coluld get Bob to chime in here. The almighty Taurus GURU. lol. j/k. Any way, I know how you feel with the noise. Good luck.....

 

[Nidan]

It sounds like you may need both the sensor and drive essembly if that is the cause of the noise

You only neeed to change the synchro for the noise - it's what chirps when it's worn out. You can reuse the sensor on the new sychro. Only buy a new sensor if yours is shot - ex - visibly damaged from the vane in the synchro hitting the sensor, or causing fault codes and setting the SES light.

 

[firespirit]

Ok guys... sounds good..

Now my next question - While browsing the manual, and reading that other post.. it says that I need an alignment tool... (# 303-589 or equivalent.)

I'm not sure if they mean that I need this tool if I'm taking out the WHOLE assembly, or just the sensor.. which from what I understand is VERY easy to get to.

EDIT>

What does the synchonizer look like? I'm looking at this diagram in the manual and it doesn't say anything about it.

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[green]

Originally posted by Firespirit@Oct 23 2004, 08:11 AM
Ok guys... sounds good..

Now my next question - While browsing the manual, and reading that other post.. it says that I need an alignment tool... (# 303-589 or equivalent.)

I'm not sure if they mean that I need this tool if I'm taking out the WHOLE assembly, or just the sensor.. which from what I understand is VERY easy to get to.

EDIT>

What does the synchonizer look like? I'm looking at this diagram in the manual and it doesn't say anything about it.

If you are looking at page 6-11 illustration 7-10 I think #5 drive assembly is what is being refered to as the syncro

 

[firespirit]

Aha! Thanks very much! I'm gunna try and replace it either this weekend or this coming weekend - Thanks very much guys, I'll let you all know what happened!

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