I've got Trouble...that starts with T and rhymes with...

Well, I got your attention haha!!

Went to Auto Zone today and had my SES diagnosed.

P0300 - random misfire - I could tell THAT just by the sh!tty way it was running!! AZ guy said I should check the plug wires (duh!) and also the camshaft position sensor - what the he77 is that? I asked if it could be a coil and he said prolly not most likely a plug wire or the camshaft pos. sensor. I can check the wires but what/where/how do you check the camshaft position sensor and what would make that flock up?

Changed plugs and wire (bosch plats and taylor 8mm) at approx 50k (now 89k). Only mods include 80 series flow + KNFIPK.

What should I do?

D4

The cam shaft postion sensor is used to determine teh postion of the #1 piston during it's power stroke The PCM uses that signal to calculate fuel injection mode of operation.

The only true way to test is with an Oscilliscope. You can try with a Volt meter but I don't think that will be to accurate. You can check to see if it is connected tight. You can try cleaning the terminals as well. On the 3.8L it is mounted under the water pump to the left of the round housing. It will ahve one screw holding it in.

The misfire is caused by the bad Cam Sensor.

It can't time the ignition correctly if it does know where the cylinders are at any given time.

Could be bad wires too....... but more than likely its the cam sensor, cause its a "random" misfire code, rather than something like a P0301 or P302 identifing one bad cylinder, the random means all are misfiring here and there.

Alright guys, you sold me on the camshaft pos sensor (especially since there was a second sporadic code and it was P0301 - indicating that the #1 cylinder was missing - which, based on the first post, tells me that it's reading incorrectly on cylinder 1).

How do I change it, is it difficult and where can I find instructions?

THANK YOU MUCH!

D4

Fortunately for you on the 3.8 it takes about 5 minutes.

Like I said earlier, it's just below your water pump to the left on teh timing chain housing. It will have a sort of oval retainer with one screw holding the sensor in.

Unplug the electrical connector, unscrew the one screw and pull off. Reverse for installation.

make sure that if you get a new sensor that you get a new o-ring to. Do not use the old o-ring

Jeesh, that sound so simple that even I could do it (right, as the car stutters and stumbles down the highway :) )... Thanks, guys!