How long can you drive with a bad camshaft sensor

Last Updated on January 24, 2022

The camshaft position sensor (CMP) is just one of the many electrical parts found in a vehicle. We’ll go over what this component is, the symptoms of a bad camshaft position sensor, and what you can expect its replacement cost to be when it’s faulty.

A lot of people confuse the camshaft position sensor with the crankshaft position sensor because they sound similar. But there’s a big difference between the two as they perform different functions in the vehicle and have different symptoms when something goes wrong with them.

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  • What is a Camshaft Position Sensor?
  • Common Symptoms of a Faulty Camshaft Position Sensor
    • #1 – Check Engine Light Illuminates
    • #2 – Ignition Problems
    • #3 – Car Jerking or Surging
    • #4 – Engine Stalling
    • #5 – Poor Acceleration
    • #6 – Problems Shifting 
    • #7 – Bad Fuel Mileage
  • Camshaft Position Sensor Replacement Cost
  • Can You Replace a Camshaft Position Sensor Yourself?
  • How to Replace a Camshaft Position Sensor
    • Tip

How long can you drive with a bad camshaft sensor

Every modern-day vehicle has a camshaft position sensor. This sensor is a very important part of any vehicle because it helps ensure that the engine is running properly.

You may have trouble spotting the sensor when you look under the hood of your car. Usually, different car manufacturers will have their own unique spot near the engine for mounting the sensor. You may find it either in back of the cylinder head, in the lifter valley of the vehicle, or next to the engine block.

The purpose of a camshaft position sensor is to determine the position of the camshaft as it relates to the crankshaft. This data is then sent to the powertrain control module (PCM) for use with fuel injector and/or ignition system control.

Common Symptoms of a Faulty Camshaft Position Sensor

#1 – Check Engine Light Illuminates

How long can you drive with a bad camshaft sensor

When your camshaft position sensor is faulty or starts having issues, the first thing you should notice is that your “Check Engine” light comes on in your dashboard. Obviously, the “Check Engine” light could indicate a variety of problems and not necessarily a bad camshaft position sensor.

In this case, you should either use an OBD2 scan tool to retrieve the stored diagnostic trouble code(s) in your car or have a professional mechanic perform an inspection of the vehicle’s engine control module to see what is going on. They too will scan this module in order to receive a series of error codes which will indicate to them what the real problem is.

Please do not ignore or postpone scanning your vehicle or getting it inspected when your Check Engine light turns on or else your engine could end up getting seriously damaged. The engine could even end up failing altogether, which means you’d end up having to either rebuild or replace your engine.

Related: P0010 Code, P0011 Code, P0013 Code, P0016 Code, P0340 Code, P0341 Code, P1345 Code

#2 – Ignition Problems

How long can you drive with a bad camshaft sensor

As a camshaft position sensor starts having problems and weakens, the transmitted signal to the car’s computer weakens as well. This means the eventually the signal is so weak that it will not allow the car to start since there will be no spark from the ignition.

#3 – Car Jerking or Surging

How long can you drive with a bad camshaft sensor

If you are driving your vehicle and the camshaft position sensor starts failing, the engine will at times simply lose power and cause your car to jerk or randomly surge forward.

These are both a result of an improper amount of fuel being injected into the cylinders since the PCM is getting incorrect information from the camshaft position sensor.

#4 – Engine Stalling

How long can you drive with a bad camshaft sensor

An even worse scenario than not being able to start your car is that your engine actually shuts off or stalls while you’re driving because the fuel injectors aren’t being told to inject fuel into the engine cylinders.

We probably don’t need to tell you how dangerous that situation could be.

#5 – Poor Acceleration

How long can you drive with a bad camshaft sensor

Aside from jerking, your vehicle won’t be able to accelerate very fast when your camshaft sensor begins to fail. Heck, you’d be lucky to accelerate past 30 miles-per-hour in some cases. The poor acceleration is again due to incorrect fuel delivery by the injectors.

#6 – Problems Shifting 

How long can you drive with a bad camshaft sensor

Certain models of cars with a bad camshaft position sensor will end up with a locked transmission that stays stuck in a single gear. The only way you’ll be able to get out of that gear is to shut off your engine, wait a bit, and then restart.

This is only a temporary solution and the problem will reappear so replacement of the sensor is necessary as a permanent fix.

Along with this, your vehicle may put itself into “limp mode” which won’t allow you to shift gears or accelerate beyond a certain speed.

#7 – Bad Fuel Mileage

How long can you drive with a bad camshaft sensor

This is the opposite of not delivering enough fuel to the engine. In this case, because of an inaccurate reading from a bad camshaft position sensor, more fuel than necessary is injected into the engine which causes your fuel economy to drop.

Camshaft Position Sensor Replacement Cost

How long can you drive with a bad camshaft sensor

To replace a camshaft position sensor, you can expect to pay anywhere from $95 to $200. Parts alone will run about $25 to $100. Labor costs will be in the range of $70 to $100 for professional replacement.

Expect to pay more if you have a luxury vehicle or are having your local car dealership perform the replacement. There will also be additional fees and taxes added on to these costs as well.

Can You Replace a Camshaft Position Sensor Yourself?

Yes. This is one of those jobs that almost anyone can do and is an easy way to save yourself the minimum labor fee (often close to $100) that a repair shop or dealership will charge you. It should take about 5-10 minutes to replace it.

How to Replace a Camshaft Position Sensor

  1. Disconnect the negative battery cable.
  2. Locate the sensor. It’s usually on the top, front, or rear part of the engine. It will likely have a 2-3 wire connector attached.
  3. Release the tab on the sensor to disconnect the wires from the sensor.
  4. Remove the mounting bolt which attaches the sensor to the engine. It’s usually an 8mm or 10mm bolt.
  5. Pull the sensor off with a slight twist.
  6. Apply a bit of engine oil to the o-ring of the new senor.
  7. Install the new camshaft position sensor and secure with the mounting bolt.
  8. Reconnect the wire connector to the sensor.
  9. Reconnect the negative battery terminal.

Tip

When you bring your vehicle in to a dealership or repair shop for routing service or a tune-up, the mechanic won’t normally inspect the camshaft position sensor if they are not asked to.

If you have experienced any of the warning signs listed above, let them know you think it may be the camshaft position sensor. This will allow them to quickly inspect the camshaft position sensor to determine whether it’s causing these problems.

Can you drive with a messed up camshaft sensor?

The short answer is yes, it is safe to drive with a bad camshaft sensor, but it's not good for your engine long-term. You'll likely see a higher fuel consumption and poorer engine performance the longer you wait to get it fixed.

What happens when a camshaft sensor goes bad?

A failing camshaft position sensor begins losing its ability to quickly transfer data. Mismatched fuel delivery and ignition timing, even if off by a few milliseconds, will cause your vehicle to sputter, accelerate poorly, lack power, stall or even shut off.

What happens if you don't replace camshaft?

TOM: The camshaft's job is to make the valves open. When it starts to wear out, the valves don't open all the way. Then gasoline can't get into the cylinders, and the exhaust gasses can't get out. Eventually, the valves won't open at all, and the car will stop running.

Can you drive your car with a bad crankshaft position sensor?

Can I Start the Vehicle with a Bad Crank? If you wonder if it is safe to start your car when the crankshaft goes, the answer is yes if it is the very beginning of the issue. Once the position sensor becomes compromised or if you have symptoms of a problematic crankshaft that you can't ignore, do not drive your vehicle.