Random shut off
Asked by GuruZYNZ1 Nov 16, 2017 at 08:15 PM about the 2002 Nissan Altima 3.5 SE
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
A few months ago, the check engine light
on my Altima came on. Autozone reader
said it was the camshaft sensor. Took it to
my mechanic and his sensor read that it
was actually the crankshaft. We fixed the
crankshaft and the engine light has turned
off. However, now my car randomly shuts
off while driving - usually at a light. Could it
still be the camshaft even though all the
readers can find nothing wrong with car??
6 Answers
Find a mechanic that's able to determine the difference between his butt and a hole in the ground then evaluate the reason that the mechanic already knew you would accept his answer without a second opinion no matter how ridiculous it was ... why not spend another $50 bucks (in addition to the thousands already spent) and buy a new crankshaft sensor?
He took the new crankshaft out and replaced it with another, since it was still under warranty. Two crankshaft sensors later, I doubt that’s the issue.
You failed to mention that he changed the sensor twice ,,, and the crankshaft was changed twice so it's not that either .... I'm curious as to how a 15 year old car can still be under warranty? The cost of having a crankshaft changed once should almost equal the value of the car ,,, changing a crankshaft twice is more than the car is worth
Miscommunication on my part. He changed the crankshaft, the problem continued and so he took out the new crankshaft as it was under warranty and put in a new one, free of charge. I haven’t done anything with the camshaft sensor yet. But the car shut off again today, at a light. It also slightly lurches intermittently when going slow, almost like the car was reacting a second late.
Geeze Tom you're harsh. How about something constructive instead of bashing the guy and his ride... GuruZYNZ1 - do you know if the crankshaft sensor was replaced with a genuine OEM one or aftermarket? Some vehicles are very picky with what electronic sensors are used. The crankshaft sensor is also very easy to test (pending location of the sensors connector) with a multimeter, you'll have to find the resistance values and test it cold and then after the vehicle has shut down. Dying suddenly is a symptom of a bad crankshaft sensor among other things.
The classic causes of that happening are MAF (mass air flow sensor) Throttle position sensor or even bad compression ... did you have that checked before disassembly? Odds are that it's not the primary cause but since the head has been removed it should be very cost effective to have a valve job ... trust me when I tell you that if their was any issues with that and you have it done ,,,you will think you have a new car. Brianator ... I based my post on the information that was given. As you can see from His answer ,,, He gave the wrong info regarding the sensor. People are sometimes confused regarding their repairs ... you have to remember that most people are not mechanics and something they consider minor may be a major factor. For us to give a helpful answer we have to know all the facts no matter how small. I try to help as best I can
