Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Check Engine Light, Dead Tach & Engine Miss

[DThiel]

I noticed a very brief engine miss tonight sitting at a stop light. A mile down the road, the tach goes to zero and the check engine light comes on, but everything else seemed to be fine. The tach started working again after a minute. There was one more engine miss at another stop light.



The truck is a bone stock '99.



Looking through old posts, the crankshaft position sensor seems to be the culprit. I tried to read the codes off the odometer with the ignition on/off, but it didn't give anything. Sounds like not all 99's will give the codes on the odometer?



I'm assuming that the sensor is an easy change-out? Where exactly is it located? (And don't say by the crankshaft!)

 

[DavidC]

It is behind the starter. Starter removal required. Your assumption of a bad sensor is correct and you need a scanner in 99 to read codes.



Dave

 

[Makensmoke]

I removed mine from the underside and left the starter in. I'd doush it down with some jb80 or something similar a few days in advance if possible. We salt our roads where I live in the winter and it showed. Was a bear to get it out of the hole, ended up burning it out with a torch and breaking it into many small pieces. Best advice I got was to run a small self tapping screw into it and then pull on the screw with a vice grips or something. Then theres the guys I read about that pop it right out... just my luck I spose.

 

[DThiel]

I did some checking on a new sensor. The local Dodge dealer quoted $190(!!!) and Cummins in Minneapolis was $43. I went out on a limb and assumed that shipping from Cummins would be less than a $150.



Anyways, I don't have time swap it out myself so I am curious if there is any harm in driving 10 miles with the bad sensor.

 

[MatthewStark]

The crankshaft position sensor started to the same thing on my '99 at about 70k and shortly after the manifold pressure sensor went at about 75k anf tyhen the transmission output shaft speed sensor at 83k.

The CPS didn't effect overall performance, althoug whenever the tach did cut out there was a brief slight skip. The manifold pressure sensor failure put the ECM into limp mode and prevented boost pressure from building. The transmission output shft speed sensor prevented PCM from allowing a shift up from first gear. That was a long, slow, ride home at 5mph !