Crankshaft Position Sensor


 
Rusty James

Rusty James

TVWBB Emerald Member
Hi all,

Has anyone ever replaced one of these sensors on a 1996 Chrysler Concorde LXi with a 3.5 engine?

I can see it installed near the transaxle bell housing, but getting to it from above is a bear. Would it be easier to get to it from below, or maybe remove a tire and wheel well splash guard and get to it from the side? I tried to gain access from above by removing a couple of coolant hoses leading to the reservoir, but they wouldn't budge without cutting them off (which I didn't). I have big arms, too, which isn't helping any.

It's located on the passenger side of the car for what it's worth.

Getting to it from below might work, but one might have to work in the dark by feeling their way around.
 
I had one of those and it was a great highway car. Before you get too deep into this, how many miles on the car and engine?
Ended up taking the 3.5 out of the car on mine, it seemed simpler. Usually when these fail on a 3.5 the engine is getting tired
enough for a rebuild.
 
Try looking on the net or youtube. I worked on mbs and they had this rediculous procedure. My guy's figured out a quicker way that took no real time at all.
 
George Curtis said:
Try looking on the net or youtube. I worked on mbs and they had this rediculous procedure. My guy's figured out a quicker way that took no real time at all.
Click to expand...

Youtube is a godsend! I do most of my own repairs, but some things just aren't worth tackling myself.
 
I depend on YouTube for a lot of mechanical work, but I could not find anything specific to this car.

Here's a photo of the car from a few years back...

227006.JPG


It's luxury model (LXi) with sunroof, and leather seats.
 
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Why? If the engine is running.... the cps is working.
If you really think it needs to be replaced.... buy from Chrysler.
Factory/OEM is the only way to go when it comes to engine/drivetrain electronics.
 
Rusty James said:
Had to take out the engine to replace the sensor??

Wow.

This vehicle has about 73,000 miles on it.
Click to expand...
If you have big hands and arms it is tough to reach. A 10mm socket with a 6" extension will get the sensor off. BUT you still need to get the new one in position to install. If the 3.5 has not had the oil changed regularly at 3000 miles, they build up sludge easily. Sometimes, even with the new sensor, the engine will quit again within a few hundred miles. A shame, since the LXi is such a nice car to drive. Lots of engine
failures before 80,000 miles.
 
Robert-R said:
Why? If the engine is running.... the cps is working.
If you really think it needs to be replaced.... buy from Chrysler.
Factory/OEM is the only way to go when it comes to engine/drivetrain electronics.
Click to expand...


The car died in traffic, and I had to have it towed home.

I have a Mopar replacement on hand, but it is difficult to remove the old one from above. I am going to go at it from below if possible.
 
Bob H. said:
If you have big hands and arms it is tough to reach. A 10mm socket with a 6" extension will get the sensor off. BUT you still need to get the new one in position to install. If the 3.5 has not had the oil changed regularly at 3000 miles, they build up sludge easily. Sometimes, even with the new sensor, the engine will quit again within a few hundred miles. A shame, since the LXi is such a nice car to drive. Lots of engine
failures before 80,000 miles.
Click to expand...


We've been running synthetic oil in it, and I use Wix oil filters too. I change the oil about every 5,000 to 6,000 miles, and I like to use Marvel Mystery Oil in the crankcase, too, to prevent sludge buildup.

It is a nice car to drive. I can get about 30 MPG on the highway at times!
 
Rusty James said:
I have a Mopar replacement on hand, but it is difficult to remove the old one from above. I am going to go at it from below if possible.
Click to expand...


Well, I couldn't get to it from underneath the car due to the sway bar, so I removed the right front tire and found just enough of clearance through the half-axle opening to get to the sensor - albeit it was not very easy to work half-blind, and I had to slip my left hand under the car to help steady the wrench. She cranked right up afterwards, and code 11 is now gone. :)

One bit of bad news though. I noticed my inner tie rod bushing was bad, so I guess I'll be fixing that soon.
 
Glad that you have it back on the road Rusty. That is a way that I had not thought of at the time.
 
Thanks, all! I almost hired a mechanic, although one did help me diagnose the problem. I like to do some repairs myself so I can learn a little something and save money too.

As for the inner tie rod(s), I don't think Chrysler sells a bushing kit. You have to buy the whole rod instead, or go aftermarket. I like Moog parts.
 
Inner bushings were not bad at all on my 96 with a 3.3. I had the intake plenum off to replace valve cover gaskets & noticed bushings are right out in open. Otherwise "special tools needed" according to Chrysler.
 
Lewis B said:
Inner bushings were not bad at all on my 96 with a 3.3. I had the intake plenum off to replace valve cover gaskets & noticed bushings are right out in open. Otherwise "special tools needed" according to Chrysler.
Click to expand...


When you say intake plenum, I assume you are talking about the aluminum thing on top of the motor? I've heard of people gaining access to the inner tie rod bolts on these models by removing the plastic air intake tubing (of which I can't remove without removing a wiring junction box attached to the passenger-side strut area) located on the rear of the intake plenum.

On the Dodge forums, some went as far as to remove the plastic cowling (where the rear hood gasket is attached), and even the wiper motor. Outside of the wiper motor, I see no extra work space to be gained since the cowling is attached to protruding metal.

If you remove the aluminum plenum, do you need to replace any gaskets?
 
Yes, if you remove intake, you will need to replace gaskets. I do not know if removing it will help gain access on a 3.5. Totally different style intake than a 3.3.
 
Lewis B said:
Moog kit

http://m.oreillyauto.com/h5/r/www.o...ck=Search_02918_1314183_-1&pt=02918&ppt=C0203
Click to expand...


Thanks for the kit, Lewis.

I just installed the new bushings Friday. I had to remove the cowling (under the wiper arms), and the wiper motor assembly just to get to the inner tie-rod bolts. Took about five hours to complete the job, and the worst part was finding a short enough 22mm socket to loosen the bolts. Removing the front tires allowed me to remove the bolts by hand. It was a tough job, and I hope I don't have to deal with it no time soon. :eek:
 
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