How To Test The Crankshaft Position Sensor (2000-2002 1.8L Nissan Sentra)

TEST 2: Making Sure The CKP Sensor Is Getting Power

So far your test results confirm that the crankshaft position sensor is not generating an ON/OFF voltage. Our next step is to make sure the sensor is receiving 12 Volts.

The wire that provides these 12 Volts is the white (WHT) wire of the CKP sensor connector.

In the photo above, the WHT wire connects to the terminal labeled with the number 3.

IMPORTANT: Do not probe the front of the connector with your multimeter test leads or you'll damage the connector and the female terminal inside. To test for power or Ground, you must use a back probe on the connector or a wire piercing probe on the wire.

Let's get started:

1. 1

   Place the multimeter in Volts DC mode.

2. 2

   With the red multimeter test lead probe the white wire that connects to the terminal identified with the number 3.

3. 3

   Connect the black lead of the multimeter directly on the battery negative (-) terminal.

4. 4

   When everything is set up, have an assistant turn the key to the ON position.
   
   You don't need to crank the engine for this test, since voltage will be present with just the key in the ON position.

5. 5

   Your multimeter should display 10-12 Volts DC.

Let's take a look at what your test results mean:

CASE 1: The multimeter showed 10-12 Volts when the ignition switch was turned ON. This test result confirms that the CKP sensor is getting power.

Now, we need to make sure that the CKP sensor is getting Ground. For this test go to: TEST 3: Making Sure The CKP Sensor Is Getting Ground.

CASE 2: The multimeter DID NOT show 10-12 Volts when the ignition switch was turned ON. This result tells you that the CKP sensor is not getting power.

This result exonerates the crankshaft position sensor as the cause of the 'cranks but does not start' problem you're trying to solve as the CKP sensor can not generate a signal with no power.

TEST 3: Making Sure The CKP Sensor Is Getting Ground

If you've reached this point, you have confirmed that the CKP sensor is not generating an ON/OFF signal voltage and that is receiving power.

In this test section, we'll now ensure that the black (BLK) wire of the CKP sensor connector is providing Ground to the sensor.

In the photo above, the black (BLK) wire connects to the terminal labeled with the number 1.

IMPORTANT: Do not probe the front of the connector with your multimeter test leads or you'll damage the connector and the female terminal inside. To check for power or Ground, you must use a back probe on the connector or a wire piercing probe on the wire.

These are the test steps:

1. 1

   Place the multimeter in Volts DC mode.

2. 2

   With the black multimeter test lead, probe the black wire that connects to the terminal labeled number 1.

3. 3

   Connect the red lead of the multimeter to directly on the battery positive (+) terminal.

4. 4

   Your multimeter should display 10-12 Volts DC whether the key is ON or OFF.

Let's take a look at what your test results mean

CASE 1: The multimeter showed 10-12 Volts when the ignition switch was turned to the ON position. This test result confirms that the CKP sensor is getting Ground.

You can correctly conclude the CKP sensor is bad and needs to be replaced if you have:

• Confirmed the CKP sensor is not generating an ON/OFF voltage signal (TEST 1).
• Confirmed the CKP sensor is receiving 10 to 12 Volts (TEST 2).
• Confirmed the CKP sensor is receiving Ground (this test section).

CASE 2: The multimeter DID NOT show 10-12 Volts when the ignition switch was turned to the ON position. This result tells you that the CKP sensor is not receiving Ground.

This result exonerates the crankshaft position (CKP) sensor as the cause of the cranks but does not start condition you're trying to solve since the crankshaft sensor cannot generate a signal without Ground.

More 1.8L Nissan Sentra Tutorials

You can find a complete list of tutorials for your 1.8L Nissan Sentra here:

• Nissan 1.8L Index Of Articles.

Here's a small sample of the tutorials you'll find in the index:

• How To Test For A Blown Head Gasket (2000-2006 1.8L Nissan Sentra).
• How To Test The Starter Motor (2000-2002 1.8L Nissan Sentra).
• How To Test Engine Compression (2000-2006 1.8L Nissan Sentra).
• How To Test The 2000-2002 Nissan Sentra 1.8L MAF Sensor (at: easyautodiagnostics.com).