Technical Crank sensor

[cliffy71]

Hi , my stilo abarth wouldn’t start yesterday , I read the code and it said crank sensor bank 1 , ( how many does it have I presume 1)
My dash also read loose connection, so which one is right , the dash or my computer, or would the dash automatically say loose connection if the crank sensor is knackered .
Another thing my brother towed me home ( using a rope and half way home I tried to start it and it started . ??? Any thoughts please or advice

 

[cliffy71]

I’ve tested the crank sensor , I used 20k ohms setting and got a reading of 0.91. Is that normal

 

[cris1117]

I vaguely remember reading the term loose connection was a bad translation from the original Italian and should read lost connection.
So if the above is correct they are both right (lost connection to crank sensor).
I had the same thing as you and decided to just fit a new sensor £20ish I think, problem solved.

 

[cliffy71]

I replaced the sensor earlier and it seems ok , it’s hard to tell because the fault was intermittent, when it broke down on Sunday as I got towed home it started , so time will tell , I’ve never known a crank sensor be intermittent, my limited experience with them is they either work or don’t

 

[Ralf S.]

That sounds normal for a crank sensor. They fail when they're hot (internal resistance is greatest), come back to life when they've cooled down again and then fail again when they're hot again. They can last a while like that, or they can die and never come back ever again.


Ralf S.

 

[cliffy71]

Mine was doing the opposite, I could drive say to the super market, do an hours shopping ( uuuhgggg!) then when I went to re start the car (cold) it wouldn’t start , I’ve noticed for a while now that sometimes when I pull away from a roundabout (after about 10 miles ) it’s been miss- firing for a few seconds, whether that’s related not sure

 

[cliffy71]

Ralph- the cars always started up until sunday , I drove 35 miles to my dads to diagnose the squeak it’s got ( a previous post that you suggested the engine mount ). We put the car ( front) on ramps and jacked the front passenger wheel off the ground so I could drive car and diagnose squeak. Anyway the car wouldn’t start and dash said loose connection! I assumed the car didn’t like one wheel off the ground so lowered it . Before this car was fine , coincidence???? Or the cause what’s your thoughts .

 

[Ralf S.]

I guess the beast was sitting there with a hot engine and no airflow, which led to heat-soak into the sensor, so it decided to pack its bags.

Lifting the car on the jack wouldn't normally be an issue.

Did the new sensor solve the problem <touching wood>?


Ralf S.

 

[cliffy71]

Yes I fitted a new sensor on Monday night and has no problems since.
Next thing is a new exhaust , I’m amazed to find I can’t get cheap patent parts for it , I’ve been quoted £800 for genuine ones ( ouch !)
It’s looking like a stainless made one for about £500

 

[Ralf S.]

If you're near Walsall then these fella's do a nice quality pipe. I fitted one to my old Alfa 145 and it's been faultless.

https://www.mijexhaust.com/contact.php

But make sure the fitter remembers to disconnect the battery lead.. my old bus earthed through the metal coil rack which blew a piece of it off Ahhhh Ahhhh and cooked the coil on number 1 cylinder. Ahhhh

They didn't even gis' a cuppa tea or a fish and chips lunch while they took 4 or 5 hours to fix it.. but the pipe itself is super.

Just don't be tempted to delete the middle silencer..


Ralf S.

 

[cliffy71]

Iim from a small village near Whitby mate , North Yorkshire.
I’ve already spotted the middle silencer has a cat at the front .
I’ve had 4 years of low cost motoring from it , it’s starting to cost a bit now thou , I’ve just spent £250 on rear bushes and brake pipes, it also needs 2 front wishbones ( bottom arms ) , they got re- newed in 2017 ( cheap crap ! ).
I’ve been advised by my local fiat specialist to use a brand called “moog” , have you heard of them , what brand do you use ?

 

[Ralf S.]

Moog is American, I think.

They only make chassis parts, linkages, arms and ball joints so I'd guess they're pretty good otherwise they'd be out of business by now.

My old beast has TRW arms on it and they're the supplier (or one supplier) of the Fiat factory-fitted parts. The arms are cheaper when they're in a TRW wrapper rather than Fiat packaged... but they're quite expensive compared to the completely unbranded arms out there.

My arms are not the original Fiat ones with the Fiat logo alongside the TRW stamp, so they must be replacement items. As I recall from the various receipts when I got the car, they were fitted around the 104,000 miles mark. Now the old beast has covered 190,000 miles and there's no sign of any strange wear on the front tyres, so the arms are doing pretty well. I'd expect them to get over 200,000 on current form.


Ralf S.

 

[cliffy71]

Found some trw control arms on a site called “ autodoc” looks really good lots of other stuff too , they are about £50 each including vat
I’ve also seen some mixed reviews on moog parts , apparently made in india