Engine dies - but why?

It's not required for ANY brand sensor, just highly recommended. If you replace it, use an OE sensor and see how it runs, and plan to have the CASE relearn done when you can. It shouldn't be urgent, but have it done later on to be sure. It's a 5-minute hands-off procedure with a capable scan tool.

+1 for not required but highly recommended. I recall reading at one time of a procedure for relearning it by performing a particular driving cycle. IIRC, it was a factory-outlined procedure.

Best method is with a bi-directional scanner. If you're friends with anyone at a shop, maybe they'll hook you up or charge actual labor time. Hell, a case of beer would be a generous payment for the 5-minute job.

@Jobi-Wan Kenobi, did you clear that code and does your scanner show freeze frame data?

@iamdub I did find stuff in a few places too about a drive cycle that's supposed to do the relearn. I didn't find anything concrete thought that it works for this vehicle platform. I don't know anyone with access to a scan tool that can do the job for me. I don't have my own just yet but am working to figure out just what it is that I want. The code wasn't present today, but I wondered if it cleared last night after key off (unless it cleared sometime today even). Right now I'm just working off a ELM327 bluetooth adapter and a phone app.

Take a look at this thread; there's a link to a list of members here who have Tech 2s and are willing to help. Would be good to know what part of the country you're in.

I'm in northern Wisconsin (Rhinelander area) and looks like @George B is the closest but really not that close. Google puts him about 4 hours away.

Jobi-Wan Kenobi said:

@iamdub I did find stuff in a few places too about a drive cycle that's supposed to do the relearn. I didn't find anything concrete thought that it works for this vehicle platform. I don't know anyone with access to a scan tool that can do the job for me. I don't have my own just yet but am working to figure out just what it is that I want. The code wasn't present today, but I wondered if it cleared last night after key off (unless it cleared sometime today even). Right now I'm just working off a ELM327 bluetooth adapter and a phone app.

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It's worth checking in to to know if the app would be able to access the freeze frame data. My point was if the code and its data were saved, you could see what the CKP sensor was reporting at the time the code was set.

IMO, it's worth doing to be sure your timing and misfire detection are on point even if you don't see or feel anything amiss. If you do replace the CKP sensor, call around to a few shops and ask what they'd charge. I think the proper term is "CASE relearn" (Crank Angle Sensor Error). Perhaps a shop that knows exactly what it is and that it only takes a few minutes, and knows that you know that, would be fair about it and not try to charge their minimum fee, which is often 1 hour labor at $75-$100+ per hour. For more options, I don't know about EFI Live, but someone with HP Tuners (such as a performance shop) can perform it for you as well, no licensing needed. That is, unless they changed this. Can't trust them HPT people sometimes.

@iamdub the phone app is capable of doing data recording but the crankshaft sensor isn't one of the parameters it looks at. There are a few shops (no performance shops close by though) in the area I can check with. But yea I do agree regarding the fee for it. I can pretty much arrange a time to show up and just wait for it to be done because it really shouldn't take that long.

Jobi-Wan Kenobi said:

@iamdub the phone app is capable of doing data recording but the crankshaft sensor isn't one of the parameters it looks at. There are a few shops (no performance shops close by though) in the area I can check with. But yea I do agree regarding the fee for it. I can pretty much arrange a time to show up and just wait for it to be done because it really shouldn't take that long.

Click to expand...

Not data recording like live data ("real-time monitoring"). A freeze frame. It's a snapshot of what all the sensors were reporting at the time the DTC was set. It's a really handy diagnostic feature that is usually standard with any half-decent scanner. I mean the data is already there, in the PCM. It's just a matter of accessing it along with the DTC you're viewing.

For example, say I had high idle, persistent stalling, rich exhaust codes, maybe even lean exhaust codes, sooty O2 sensors, etc. I could check the freeze frame for the rich exhaust code and, as expected, I'd see the O2 sensor reporting low or high (whichever indicates "rich"). But, I continue scrolling through the freeze frame data and I see the coolant temp sensor is reading some obscenely low temperature. There's my smoking gun. The PCM is thinking it's super cold and dumping fuel trying to warm up the engine. The excess fuel soots up the sensors and, eventually, they're clogged and can't accurately sample the exhaust so they report it as lean, which makes the PCM dump even more unneeded fuel.

Last night I decided to take on cleaning up the grounds. I got the one on the engine block done and today it seemed that may have taken care of the crank but no start condition. The engine will still intermittently die but seemed to start right away just fine. Today now I cleaned up the frame grounds but now I seem to have other electrical issues worse than I already had. I made a post in the electrical forum for it.

@iamdub gotcha regarding the freeze frame capability. Yes the phone app does do it. Parameters it looks at are pretty limited though. This is for an EVAP code that's currently active.

Crisis averted. I ended up missing a ring terminal for one of the grounds hooking things back up after cleaning.

Back the issue at hand. We'll see now if cleaning the other grounds helps to clear up the stalling issue. Otherwise I do have an AC Delco crankshaft sensor on order that should be showing up on Monday that can get swapped in there.