Honda CRV crankshaft sensor errors…

My ruddy 2007 CRV keeps throwing up crankshaft sensor problems and for the first time refused to start at all yesterday. (Was eventually started by road rescue and a can of Easy Start!).

It had always started fine when cold, but could be troublesome starting when already warm. Would crank over a few times, then start and engine warning light would come on. After a couple of days the warning light would go out again.

It had a new ‘pattern part’ sensor fitted a couple of months ago which seemed to sort it, but it’s becoming an issue again. Garage are now ordering a genuine Honda sensor to see if that sorts the problem.

Their diagnostics are showing everything else to be within parameters, and all cables to the sensor have been checked.

Is there anything else that could be causing it to throw crankshaft error codes up?

When it’s running it’s running fine and pulling well with no smoking.

Cheers

Weasel or petrol?

Our petrol version threw a sensor error* which turned out to indicate lack of sync between crank and cam… stretched chain, damaged tensioner – so a new timing chain + tensioner needed.

We had similar pattern of light on, light off, etc, before it came on permanently.

* which sounds initially like the sensor is bust, but it isn’t

Diesel

Nothing I can think of other than a bad earth.

Timing chains can ‘stretch’ on these, causing this kind of thing. Have them check for this.

Cheers all – timing belt stretch has been mentioned, but they said I’d need to take it to a Honda dealer to check that.

I’m loath to spend new timing chain sort of money as the ruddy thing had a new turbo on just 4 months ago. Grrrr…

Might just get rid – funnily enough when I asked on here everyone said stay clear of Freelanders – since I got this CRV I’ve had dealings with several garage owners who’ve said Freelanders are fine!

They would say that, then you will spending money with them every 4 days instead of 4 months.

Have you cleaned inside the engine bay? I did that once and shortly after need a new crank position sensor, could have been coincidence though.

Cleaned it! My cars are lucky if the outside gets cleaned twice a year, never mind the engine bay! 🙂

Won’t be that then 😆

Some friends of ours had that model CRV and they did 170k (from 30k to 200k) with nothing but service costs, tyres and a set of pads and rotors.

Cheers all – timing belt stretch has been mentioned, but they said I’d need to take it to a Honda dealer to check that.

We’ve never been to a Honda dealer. Our local indy was quite capable of diagnosing and checking the chain.

Why did you need a turbo? Do you have oil pressure / pump / etc issues? I ask because the timing chain is hydraulicly tensioned and a flaw in the oil circuit could be behind both.

Turbo veins kept sticking – getting turbo overboost errors and going into limp mode. You could hear the veins chattering.

No oil pressure issues and it doesn’t use much oil.

The car has only done 82000 and it has been suggested the original owner trundled about too much and didn’t stress it enough. (did 5k a year, but always serviced).

I’m no expert though! 🙂

Some friends of ours had that model CRV and they did 170k (from 30k to 200k) with nothing but service costs, tyres and a set of pads and rotors

Means utterly nothing. A badge is a very poor indicator of reliability.

I didn’t say it did, just a comment. My reference to our Toyota on another thread shows my feelings on badges. 5k a year says much more, stewing in acidified moisture laden oil etc…

How a car is looked after says more.

Absolutely.

Probably explains why I get good life out of french.cars and people who think low milage (regardless of age) have so much hassle with them.

Well we’ve tried a genuine Honda sensor and it’s still fecked. Looking like a new timing chain and all the gubbins that goes with it.

Time to get rid I think. 🤬🤬🤬

Is the fuel pump in the tank working, I’ve had this before on VW, extended cranking throwing up a crank sensor fault when in fact it was the pump in the tank not providing the engine with fuel, worth checking before stripping the timing chain or getting rid

Have you checked the reluctor ring. Presume it’s on the flywheel.

Nissans used to corrode giving spurious signals

Oh n I’d expect a cam signal error from a chain.

As Duncan has pointed out, I’d expect a code for cam Vs crank sensor ‘implausible’ or out of phase if the chain was stretched.

You need to get the garage to hook it up to their scope (Pico or similar) and check the relationship between the cam and the crankshaft sensors signals before you put a chain on it. iATN or Pico should have a known good with a bit of research.

Big question is why did it start with a sniff of the magic fluid?