Nissan cam shaft sensor

mintymoneysaver

This is an 03 Primera. The engine warning light has been on for a while. Got it checked initially, and he reset it and basically told me it was such a big job to keep driving until something went wrong! It was absolutely fine for ages so we thought maybe it was just a dodgy sensor.

However on a long motorway drive the other day I noticed it seemed to be trying to catch up with itself ( if that makes sense) when overtaking. It's now definitely got problems as it does this now and again at much lower driving speeds. We took it back to the garage, and it had a full service, but it's still not right. We know that a camshaft belt is a very expensive replacement so have taken the decision that now is the time for a new car anyway, but my main worry is this. We have two motorway journeys to make over the next week or two. Will I get warning that something is about to break down, or could it just go? I can't get a new car immediately ( although it's possible within the next fortnight) but I really need to make these journeys.

gabitzul

I would say get the sensor replaced ASAP, you WILL break down it it fails completely.

Have a look on the likes of eurocarparts, it isn't usually an expensive item to buy and shouldn't be a pig to replace either (I would have thought max. 30 min labour).

However, I don't know the particularities of your car/engine. BTW, what engine is it?

s_b

are you sure its not got a cam chain and the problem is chain stretch causing timing mismatch

vax2002

Find another garage, part £49 labour 1 hour and thats with 2 tea breaks

reeac

I don't understand either the original posting or the comments. I thought that the engine warning light [and I'm assuming that it's not the oil pressure light] gives info. re. the fuel-air mix etc e.g. contaminated air mass sensor. What has this to do with the camshaft or the camshaft belt or chain? Also "catching up with itself"? Do you mean surging when accelerating? Again perhaps indicative of wrong mixture.

berkshiregaz

I think you will probrably find that on a 03 plate Primera you have a timing chain, I certainly did on the one I had a lucky escape from! I had the same problem on a T-Spec Primera, same age. It can easily be the sensor which I think was around £50 from an auto factor! If it is the sensor you will know straight after its been fitted.
Mine unfortunately didnt work and it turned out the chain had stretched!!! apparantly this can happen if you dont use the expensive fully synthetic oil!

I'd only had mine for a week when mine started driving really badly! Thankfully after the sensor was changed, with no change to the running of the car I set my wife on the Garage who as a small second hand dealer gave us a full refund!!!!!!!

If you join one of the nissan forums on the net you will get loads of good advice, If its the sensor will cost you the £50ish + the labour, if the chain dont ask (the garage trying to repair the car for our supplying dealer said thousands!!!)

Good luck

mintymoneysaver

I'm sorry if I didn't explain myself very well. It's exactly as the last poster described. He has quoted me around £50-£60 for the sensor, but has said if it's not that, then as you say the chain itself is a massive job. However I may be being a bit stupid here, how will the sensor being fixed, fix a problem with power? I assumed the sensor was just the thing that triggered the light coming on, not that it actually affected the working of the car, so I had assumed wrongly, I think, that he was just talking about a faulty wire or something that was making the fault light come on. I had assued, therefore that it wasn't worth getting that fixed, as the fault itself would still be there ( if you see what I mean) It would be no problem to get the sensor fixed on Monday if you think that could actually solve the problem. ... I am a total numpty when it comes to cars, so I apologise if I didn't explain it very well, when I described the power problem it was almost like it was taking an extra breath, or missing a breath, and then breathing normally again!

Thanks for your help so far, and look forward to hearing more...

s_b

basically bottom cog and top cog dont run in unison anymore because of a slack (think stretched) chain
someone came up with the idea of elongating the camshaft sensor to allow for the camshaft sensor reading a bit slow in comparison to the crank sensor that helped but cant remember where i read it
it might be a cheaper prospect to source a s/h engine but obviously its a chance this engine may be no better

sorry dont know much more ,i got rid of my primera auto as i couldnt keep up to the fuel bills

mintymoneysaver

Sorry, back again. So does anyone know if fixing the sensor could fix the problem, or will it just fix the light being on?

berkshiregaz

If the Sensor is faulty by replacing it the problem will be sorted, its the first way to find out what is wrong.
My understanding is that the sensor reads what speed the timing chain is going at and adjusts the engine accordingly, if it doesnt get the results it expects it then brings the light up!

So if it is the sensor that is faulty or dirty by replacing it the problem will hopefully be sorted!

motorguy

reeac wrote: »

I don't understand either the original posting or the comments. I thought that the engine warning light [and I'm assuming that it's not the oil pressure light] gives info. re. the fuel-air mix etc e.g. contaminated air mass sensor. What has this to do with the camshaft or the camshaft belt or chain? Also "catching up with itself"? Do you mean surging when accelerating? Again perhaps indicative of wrong mixture.

There is a known problem with Nissans with timing chains around this era whereby the timing chain stretches and causes symptoms like the O/P is seeing - the engine management light comes on and the error code comes up as 'cam sensor'.

Its a very expensive fix as its a very awkward job to do.