I’ve just had new cambelt fitted and I now have a camshaft sensor error. Nothing was disconnected.

The electrical connection from the camshaft sensor joins a loom which goes into the top of the case covering the cambelt. Anyone know where that goes. I’m assuming it’s a coincidence and that the sensor itself is faulty. But could it be something more sinister? MES screenshots below.

Just a thought, the timing IS correct, ie not a tooth out?

John202020 said:

Just a thought, the timing IS correct, ie not a tooth out?

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Well all the marks lined up. Would that do it?

Found a spare sensor with a plug on it too so am going to try swapping out and seeing if it’s a coincidence.

Didn’t make any difference. Took it out for a run and there’s a complete lack of acceleration. Maybe related but I didn’t take it for a run beforehand.

As you have MES is it worth a Phonic Wheel relearn? Think that's the right term.

typecastboy said:

Didn’t make any difference. Took it out for a run and there’s a complete lack of acceleration. Maybe related but I didn’t take it for a run beforehand.

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It won't "Go" with a cam sensor issue to protect the engine?

Maybemaybenot said:

As you have MES is it worth a Phonic Wheel relearn? Think that's the right term.

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Is that a thing in MES? Would that be something that should be done when you fit a new Cambelt?

I sort of thought and hoped that would be the case.

typecastboy said:

Well all the marks lined up. Would that do it?

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You did use the locking kit? If so it should be a case of just doing the phonic wheel relearn, if not personally I wouldn’t do the relearn until I’ve made sure I’ve timed it all properly.

The 1.2 69ps is an interference engine.

sounds like it isnt advancing the timing corectly when running or at least i thinks it isnt
is there a sensor for the variable pulley position ?

typecastboy said:

I’ve just had new cambelt fitted

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Who fitted it?

John202020 said:

Just a thought, the timing IS correct, ie not a tooth out?

Click to expand...

306maxi said:

You did use the locking kit? If so it should be a case of just doing the phonic wheel relearn, if not personally I wouldn’t do the relearn until I’ve made sure I’ve timed it all properly.

The 1.2 69ps is an interference engine.

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:yeahthat:

personally I wouldn't want to run anything or try a phonic wheel relearn until I'd verified 100% that the valve timing is correct.

306maxi said:

You did use the locking kit? If so it should be a case of just doing the phonic wheel relearn, if not personally I wouldn’t do the relearn until I’ve made sure I’ve timed it all properly.



The 1.2 69ps is an interference engine.

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He didn’t have a locking kit but he improvised. He is a professional mechanic if that makes a difference? He works for Caterham building their cars.

The car seems to tick over Ok and drives ok until you put your foot down and it doesn’t accelerate away. That’s been pointed out that it’s a safety thing.

typecastboy said:

He didn’t have a locking kit but he improvised. He is a professional mechanic if that makes a difference? He works for Caterham building their cars.

The car seems to tick over Ok and drives ok until you put your foot down and it doesn’t accelerate away. That’s been pointed out that it’s a safety thing.

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Working for a car company doesn’t make you a better mechanic sadly! I found out tonight when I was a little too rough and the oil breather pipe from the crankcase to the air intake broke apart because I was a bit hamfisted when trying to get the EGR off tonight on my BMW :: I work for a car company also...

306maxi said:

Working for a car company doesn’t make you a better mechanic sadly! I found out tonight when I was a little too rough and the oil breather pipe from the crankcase to the air intake broke apart because I was a bit hamfisted when trying to get the EGR off tonight on my BMW :: I work for a car company also...

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He’s good. He’s done lots of work for me. He hasn’t done a 500 cam belt before but he’s coming back to sort it.

typecastboy said:

He’s good. He’s done lots of work for me. He hasn’t done a 500 cam belt before but he’s coming back to sort it.

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And how is he going to time the engine properly without the locking tools?

306maxi said:

And how is he going to time the engine properly without the locking tools?

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He said he’ll buy them for next time so I imagine he’ll buy them now.

typecastboy said:

The car seems to tick over Ok and drives ok until you put your foot down and it doesn’t accelerate away. That’s been pointed out that it’s a safety thing.

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That's a classic sign that the timing belt has been refitted a tooth out.

typecastboy said:

He didn’t have a locking kit but he improvised. He works for Caterham building their cars.

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Sounds to me like a good reason not to buy a factory-built Caterham.

An update on this. My mechanic has been back twice and has now conceded that he needs the locking kit to do it, so it’s still up on stands and he’s coming back again in the week. Fingers crossed it gets sorted then.

Did the car run okay before the cam-belt swap (if it arrived on a trailer for example, you may not have noticed)... although the error light is on now, which it wasn't before, so I'm only asking.

If the light is on, then the performance might be sluggish to protect the engine. The 1.2 is pretty simple to time up without tools so the fella ought to have a better than decent chance that it's actually okay.

But best to check before proceding... either with a locking tool or just by TDC marks. It's too much of a coincidence that it's happened just now.


Ralf S.