Member Since: 08 Mar 2024
Location: Manchester
Posts: 23
Disco 4 Non Start- Camshaft Position Sensor
Hello Everyone!
Im on my knees begging here as I’ve spent far too long today searching for where the camshaft position sensor is on my Disco 4 SDV6.
History First- Had it over a year and one day it tried to start and then stopped and then wouldn’t start. Figured out it was the engine earth so fixed that. Now it cranks but just wont fire, reading the fault code and other places, it might be to do with the camshaft position sensor.
So I’ve gone through the workshop manual, got all the notes i needed. Watched videos and still I can’t find it. I’ve got both front wheel liners off, ive got the fan out and nothing I can’t find it anywhere.
The manual makes it look like its right on top but now I’m here, cap in hand hoping someone can explain exactly where it is and how i get it replaced before I pay someone for what looks like a 45 min job max.
Any advice will be massively appreciated! Pic’s even better but some simple instructions is good enough for me.
Cheers Bob
8th Mar 2024 6:39 pm
PROFSR G
Member Since: 06 Mar 2017
Location: Lost
Posts: 5040
It's just in front of the EGR on the LH (Pass side) cylinder head. It has to poke through the head face to pick up the reluctor behind the cam pulley.yµ (idµ - eAµ) ψ=mψ
8th Mar 2024 7:31 pm
Discobob!!!
Member Since: 08 Mar 2024
Location: Manchester
Posts: 23
Ok cool and the diagram confirms the same so at least im in the right place.
Do i need to remove the egr to access it? I can’t see a way down or what to remove to gain access to it.
I’ve honestly spent the best part of 3 hours just looking for it. I’ve got a new one ready to go but for the life of me i just can’t see how to access it
8th Mar 2024 8:07 pm
Discobob!!!
Member Since: 08 Mar 2024
Location: Manchester
Posts: 23
So i think Ive found it now it’s covered in this silver tape but i still can’t figure out how to remove the connector to access the screw. There’s literally no room at all to play with or get my hands in. I’ve removed the end of the EGR think its some sort of solenoid but still can’t get enough room. It says its less than an hours job so what am i missing?
9th Mar 2024 1:13 pm
PROFSR G
Member Since: 06 Mar 2017
Location: Lost
Posts: 5040
I'm just realising now you were asking about the 3.0 TDV6, sorry.
That is slightly more tricky alright even with the engine out as I had.
I'll have a look and see what I can find, but there's something in my mind telling me it might be accessed from behind the wheel arch liner.
Leave it with me.yµ (idµ - eAµ) ψ=mψ
9th Mar 2024 1:54 pm
Discobob!!!
Member Since: 08 Mar 2024
Location: Manchester
Posts: 23
Yeah its the 3 litre SDV6, seen it just in front of the EGR and there’s something in the workshop manual saying take the wheel liner off but again i can’t see how i can even get my hand in through the wheel liner to get it out. Cheers mate
9th Mar 2024 2:10 pm
PROFSR G
Member Since: 06 Mar 2017
Location: Lost
Posts: 5040
OK, but you're not going to like this.
Have a look at the attached PDF, pages 2644 - 2646.
It's critical that you can set the sensor correctly in place, otherwise it will be destroyed when you start the engine! There should be a nipple on the end of the sensor which should be set in place so that it just kisses one of the three reluctor plates behind the cam pulley. There is some adjustment of the sensor through it's oversized bolt hole before you tighten it! There is some reference to this in the PDF but I thought I'd highlight it here too!
So make sure the engine/cam pulley is in the correct position before you insert the new sensor, and that it just touches one of the three sectors. If the CMP sensor is faulty the car will not start as this provides the TDC position required by the PCM. If it fails when the engine is running the PCM can recalculate via the CKP sensor, but once you shut off the engine there is no longer a reference for TDC.
Good luck yµ (idµ - eAµ) ψ=mψ
9th Mar 2024 2:32 pm
Discobob!!!
Member Since: 08 Mar 2024
Location: Manchester
Posts: 23
Right so this is what I don’t get, ive done all those steps including the cooling fan.
So when it says LH does it mean on the left facing the engine 🤦♂️🤦♂️ have i been on the wrong side all along 😂😂😂
9th Mar 2024 5:16 pm
PROFSR G
Member Since: 06 Mar 2017
Location: Lost
Posts: 5040
Left meaning passenger side.yµ (idµ - eAµ) ψ=mψ
9th Mar 2024 5:20 pm
Discobob!!!
Member Since: 08 Mar 2024
Location: Manchester
Posts: 23
Morning, so at the weekend i finally changed the position sensor, so its tucked under the cambelt cover on the egr side. What i had to do is remove the egr motor. The connector to the sensor has sort of silver duct tape over it. I used a long flat head screwdriver to press the clamp and then push the connector off from the top.
I then had to use a long bar and a angled ratchet connection through the passenger wheel arch (liner off) which gave me just enough room to remove the bolt. Then i could reach down from the top and past the egr motor to get the sensor out. Takes a bit of wiggling but it eventually comes out.
Didn’t look any different to the new one and even the nipple was still there so maybe its inside thats broke.
Anyway putting it back in is a nightmare, i had a small mirror on a stick and a light to see around and under where the hole is and sort of mapped a route in my head. It took about 20 minutes to get it back in.
Then i had to try and get the bolt in through the liner without pushing the sensor back out of place which was a nightmare again. If you line it up and have long arms like me you can just about reach the sensor from the top and ratchet on the wheel and bobs your uncle.
A few tips,
I taped the bolt to my socket because its a bit awkward getting through the wheel liner.
Get yourself a mirror on a stick it was a god send.
Make sure you’re careful removing the bolt as mine dropped down and I couldn’t find it so i had to get a new one to fit.
If you undo the end of the fuel rail bolt a bit and move the sensor up you have a bit more room.
Don’t listen to the manual because it tells you to remove the cooling fan and all sorts but it’s completely unnecessary.
Car still doesn’t start though even with some easy start so onto the next thin (front crank seal :-/)
18th Mar 2024 9:18 am
Tyty
Member Since: 18 Aug 2022
Location: South West
Posts: 81
Glad you found a way to do it.
Just so you are aware, the 3.0L has 2 egr's one on each side of the engine. Anything engine related with "Left Hand" or "Right Hand" are always relative as if you are sat in the car. A suggestion before throwing more money on parts and poor advice would be to get it plugged in to a decent reader so you can see why exactly it's not starting. There are a number of possible reasons to why it is not starting. Hope you get it sorted.
18th Mar 2024 11:20 am
Fireburst
Member Since: 02 Nov 2017
Location: Hertfordshire
Posts: 195
Hi, My money is on the crankshaft position sensor.
I have just had a situation where the car would stall and after several attempts would restart and run for a month without issue. The IID kept showing no faults!
I replaced the starter motor and it started immediately, I thought I had fixed it but one week later it stalled again on my drive and no way would it restart. Because I got a battery warning on the dash I thought I would replace the alternator with a genuine Denso and it started straight away, ran fine for about a week and then the engine cut out while I was driving. I got the car home and tried the IID again this time I kept the engine turning over for at least 10 - 15 seconds and got a crankshaft sensor fault message.
Replaced the crank sensor and the car has been running perfectly for for the past month.
Good luck!
18th Mar 2024 5:21 pm
Jimbob42
Member Since: 23 Mar 2022
Location: Leicester
Posts: 179
Is the cam turning would be my starting point. Need to diagnose it rather than just guess. Crank sensor is a real tester, could even be the reluctor ring for the crank sensor broken. Only proper way to diagnose is using an oscilloscope and measuring the signals. Lr time did a great video of it.
19th Mar 2024 5:25 pm
Discobob!!!
Member Since: 08 Mar 2024
Location: Manchester
Posts: 23
Ok so an update hold on tight, the car now starts but is misfiring a lot and gone into restricted performance and coolant has disappeared. I did remove the coolant hose to take the injectors back out but i doubt it lost enough to cause the dash warning. I know what this might mean but let me go over what I’ve done and changed and you can advise. It starts and has zero oil leaking now.
1.New camshaft sensor
2.New left inlet manifold
3.New crankshaft front seal
4.New timing belt
5.New timing tensioner and bearing things.
6.New Aux belt.
7.Had a nightmare with one injector so new(one i had spare).
8.New fuel leak off.
So with all that changed and in place, I turned the engine and it cranked and started perfect!
Its ticking a bit and the obvious is the misfiring. At first i thought it was a knocking but when i removed the throttle body it was popping from the drivers side. So today i have a swapped the injectors over to see if the problem followed but it didn’t so doubt its them.
I’ve done a smoke test and can’t see anything coming out.
Ive checked the oil filter and nothing out the norm(as in metal bits).
Lifted the oil filler cap and there’s some slight discolouration but feel thats more from condensation than a full contamination.
So my final thoughts are, could i have blown my head gasket trying to get it started initially with easy start? And now everything is back to how it should he the real problem is showing.
There’s some moisture or oil coming out the exhaust with white smoke so im thinking with the coolant going down its a head gasket?
Let me know your thoughts
Cheers Bob
7th Apr 2024 6:42 pm
Jimbob42
Member Since: 23 Mar 2022
Location: Leicester
Posts: 179
Popping through the inlet would indicate a timing issue or valve problem. Does it rev?
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