Dealing with the 6. 5 diesel crankshaft position sensor
If your truck offers suddenly started performing like it's held, your 6. 5 diesel crankshaft position sensor is usually probably the initial thing you should check out. These old GENERAL MOTORS Detroit Diesels are usually legendary for workhorse nature, but they've also got the few quirks that can drive an individual crazy. When the crankshaft position sensor (often just called the CPS) begins to go south, this doesn't usually simply quit all from once. Instead, this gives you a series of annoying, intermittent issues that make you query whether you need to keep the vehicle or park this in an industry.
The 6. 5L turbo diesel, especially the later on electronic versions along with the DS4 shot pump, relies greatly on this little plastic-and-magnet sensor. It's essentially the "heartbeat" monitor for the engine. It informs the Engine Control Module (ECM) specifically where the crankshaft is and exactly how fast it's rotating. If that transmission gets fuzzy or disappears, the pc basically panics. This doesn't know when to tell the injectors to fire, and that's whenever the trouble starts.
What goes on when the sensor begins dying?
Probably the most common things you'll hear 6. five owners talk about is "fishbiting. " It's a weird term, but it describes the sensation perfectly—it feels like the fish is tugging on your series, or like the particular engine is momentarily cutting out for the split second while you're cruising lower the highway. It's a rhythmic fall that can be incredibly frustrating in order to diagnose because this doesn't always toss a code right away.
Usually, the 6. five diesel crankshaft position sensor is the culprit behind that trip. Since the sensor is usually located close to the underside of the engine, it's exposed in order to a lot of heat, vibration, and road grime. With time, the internal wiring or the magnetic itself starts to break down.
Additional symptoms are a little bit more dramatic. You might notice your tachometer jumping around erratically or just losing to zero while the engine is still running. Within worse cases, the particular truck might simply stall out from a stoplight and refuse to begin until it lowers down. If you're lucky, you'll obtain a Check Engine light with a P0335 or P0336 program code, which points you right to the sensor. If you're unlucky, it'll just keep acting up without having leaving a document trail for a person to follow.
Locating the sensor in your 6. five
Finding the six. 5 diesel crankshaft position sensor isn't too hard, but getting to it can end up being a bit of a literal discomfort in the throat. It's located on the entrance of the engine block, down on the passenger side, right behind the harmonic balancer.
If you're looking at the front side from the engine, look down past the water pump plus the belts towards the bottom pulley. You'll see a small wire use plugging into a sensor that's held directly into the timing cover up by an individual bolt. Because associated with its location, it's often covered in a thick layer associated with oil and street gunk, especially if your front primary seal or oil pan gasket has a slight leak (which, let's be honest, most 6. 5s do).
Before you move pulling it out there, I always suggest cleansing the region with a few degreaser. You truly don't want a couple of resolution falling in to the timing cover hole once the sensor is removed. It's the good idea to check the wiring harness itself. These types of trucks are becoming outdated, and the cables leading to the CPS can get brittle or scrub against the frame, causing shorts that mimic a poor sensor.
The replacement process: Tips and tricks
Replacing a 6. five diesel crankshaft position sensor is a job you are able to definitely perform in your front yard, but there are a few issues that can turn a twenty-minute job in to a two-hour challenge.
Initial, the bolt holding it in is usually usually a 10mm or a 13mm, depending on the year and whether it's been replaced before. The real challenge is usually the sensor alone. They tend in order to get stuck. The particular O-ring that closes the sensor in order to the timing cover vulcanizes over period, as well as the plastic body may become brittle.
I've seen plenty of people attempt to pry all of them out using an electric screwdriver, only to possess the top of the particular sensor snap away, leaving the bottom fifty percent stuck inside the timing cover. If that happens, you're set for a bad day. My advice? Spray it down with some penetrating essential oil like PB Blaster or Kroil a day before a person plan to do the work. When you're ready to pull it, try in order to twist the sensor back and forth to break the seal of the O-ring just before pulling it straight out.
When you attend install the fresh 6. 5 diesel crankshaft position sensor , do yourself a favor and lube the new O-ring with a little bit of clean engine oil. It'll slide in easier and ensure you get a great seal so a person don't end upward with an irritating oil leak immediately on the front of the block.
Why you shouldn't purchase the cheapest part
I'm almost all for saving cash, but the 6. 5 diesel crankshaft position sensor any of those parts where "cheap" usually winds up being expensive. There are tons of "no-name" sensors available on the internet for twenty dollars, but the 6. 5 engine is very picky about the particular signal it receives.
I've heard countless stories of guys purchasing a budget sensor only to have it fail three days later, or even worse, have it end up being "dead on introduction. " If the particular sensor isn't built to the specific specifications, the time will be slightly off, and the truck will certainly run like rubbish. Stay with a reputable brand like AC Delco or Stanadyne. It might cost double, but you'll only have in order to do the work once, and you won't be stranded on the side of the road thinking why your "new" part failed.
The Harmonic Balancer connection
While you're down there messing using the 6. 5 diesel crankshaft position sensor , a person absolutely have to verify your harmonic balancer. On the 6. 5L, the balancer is a two-piece design with rubber sandwiched in the middle. When that rubber dries away and starts to crack, the external ring can actually start to wobble.
A wobbling balancer is bad news for a lot of reasons (like snapping your crankshaft), but it's also the primary fantastic of crankshaft sensors. If the balancer goes a lot of, it may actually strike the sensor or make enough vibration in order to kill the consumer electronics inside. In case you see chunks of silicone missing from your balancer or notice a "wobble" as the motor is idling, change it simultaneously you do the sensor. It's cheap insurance plan for a really expensive engine.
Wrapping it up
Dealing with the failing 6. 5 diesel crankshaft position sensor is just part of the experience of owning one of these types of classic rigs. It's one of all those "maintenance" items that will eventually wears out, but when you swap it for a top quality replacement, the difference in how the pickup truck runs is night and day.
No more stalling at intersections, no more "fishbiting" on the highway, and simply no more guessing exactly what your RPMs in fact are. It's a comparatively simple fix that will brings back the particular reliability these motors are known for. Just remember to be affected individual when pulling the one out, look at your wiring, and don't skimp on the particular part quality. Your truck (and your sanity) will thank you.