Technical 1.8 - Is my cam shaft sensor really faulty?

[reveds1969]

Need some good advise from you guys.
I have a 1.8 petrol 5 door Dynamique and of recent it has been a total pain in the rear.I have had the camshaft angle sensor replaced as this was the sensor the AA man had read when the car started playing up.I have also been dealing with the passenger occupancy sensor problem.My first issue the camshaft sensor is still showing as a fault although it has been cleared of codes,Now the strange one after pulling up outside my home whilst the front windscreen wipers were going i put the car in reverse and the rear wipers came on ??????
What i would like to know is am i correct in assuming that this all could be a earthing problem and the other thing i would like to know where do the wires from the camshaft sensor go to ,the dreaded b6 connector by any chance ?
Any info on earthing points would be a great help to me and where the sensor wiring goes to please .
Regards

 

[850kd]

The rear wipers do come on when you put the car in reverse if you have the front ones switched on at the time. I guess its to help you see better. I find it useful backing out of my driveway. Sorry cant help with the other points.

 

[Nello]

Correct the rear wipers do come on if reversing on the fronts are on - its a design feature and very handy too

 

[12[X]]

Not many 1.8 owners about? Am having same/similar problem (might as well let you know what i've done :bang:; having said that - use search feature for passenger occupancy sensor, there is a lot of info on it, including a how to).

Cam angle sensor feeds into the left side plug of engine ecu (assuming you are facing your engine bay - it's mounted at the top back end of the engine behind injection rail). It is not such a bad place for it (it doesn't get too hot there) - unplug the connector and have a look at the electrodes (unless you've been flooding e.g. from the screen wash line - it won't be a problem) but to be on the safe side - you can spray some WD40 on the inside of the plug (do the same for cam angle plug - it's blue, you find it left side of the injection rail but on the near side - that is: ecu is behind the rail, cam angle plug is before it on the left - use google: there is lots of info in alfa forums: you guessed it - stilo 1.8 engine came over from alfa - be it with a few modifications and minus twin spark - also punto HGT and barchetta use the same engine). If WD sorts it for a couple of days (spray some more once the error is back - if it doesn't clear after 3 restarts its unlikely to be a connection issue).

Cam sensor itself seems to be very sensitive (it would be - considering it is sitting on the hottest part of the engine fiat could find) and seems to fail after 4-6 years (as any Bosch part would?) however, it can also get "confused" - exhaust cam pulley tends to rust - rust flakes off and sticks to the sensor (as it is HALL effect sensor - this eventually becomes a problem). There is also a possibility that you have a problem with crank shaft sensor (the two work in tandem - if reading from one is different - you have a problem and YES your ECU will trust Crank sensor over Cam sensor). Crank sensor is cheap though (about 30 squid) and is easy to replace (lower back of the engine - get at it on the ramp).
If that fails than it is likely to be one of 4 problems:
1) Engine ECU wiring loom (this is very rare – but fairly easy to test: wiggle wires about with car started but clear error codes first: when you hear BEEB BEEB you got it or you could just test the wires: anything will do even a battery and LED + pinout – use the force.. erm google :yum
2) Cam angle sensor (likely) and/or wiring (it does chafe if installed badly.. it would do - sitting between engine and water pump... - but this is rare as fiat techs use ALOT of silicon - hence gluing cam wires behind the pump: good luck taking it out without breaking water pump seal.. took me 30 min :yuck
3) Crank sensor and/or wiring (quite common - though mostly on JTD.. but there are many JTD about and just a few 1.8s)
4) Engine ECU (really rare and presents itself with other issues too).

Hm – are you sure your cam angle sensor was replaced? To do that you need to take the Timing belt off (and replace it if it has done > than 3000 miles and if you do that you would also need new tensioners...) + take exhaust pulley off (so timing needs to be redone)... it takes me 6 hours to do all that (with fiat tools) if you did yours at an independent ... and they charged you less than 4 hours labour...GOOD luck to you

Hope this helps.. personally i was stupid and replaced me sensor without a proper cam pulley holder (hence warping the inside of the pulley, which then grinded on my new sensor causing it to fail stupid me) so i cleaned the old one and put that back on – it worked for 3 months– but now it is starting to fail (can do a how-to with pics in exchange for a new 1.. )

PS: if you cam goes completely your car will not start ..
PPS: your friendly fiat place can test your cam sensor for you... :yum: