Location of Crankshaft Position Sensor.

[kdfwagen]

I have an 84 325E. I want to locate the CPS or Crankshaft Position Sensor. I have searched for pictures of this on the web but cant seem to find one for an 84 325e.

Is it located near the:

water pump?

Trans bell housing?

under the intake manifold?

I am not looking for the one that reads the pulley on the front of the engine but the one that actually bolts into the engine and reads the geared teeth. The one that is read by the DME for spark and fuel seeing my 325e wont start. Also, it would be great to know if I have to remove something to get to it.

Thanks!

[jlevie]

On this car the CPS is mounted in the bell housing of the transmission.

[StereoInstaller1]

Do you have geared teeth on the front of your motor? If you do it isn't stock "e".

[dashboardmonkey]

bell housing, driver side

[kdfwagen]

Do you have geared teeth on the front of your motor? If you do it isn't stock "e".

Where on the front? you mean the camshaft gear?

[kdfwagen]

bell housing, driver side

Do I have to remove anything to get to it? easy job? I am not near my car, this is why I ask.

So are all the early e30's the same conerning the crankshaft position sensor? When does it change or with what model does it change?

[jlevie]

The location of the timing sensors changed with the introduction of the 325is in 9/86. 325e/es cars produced through 8/87 have the bell housing mounted sensors. The SETA cars (9/87-8/88) also have the front mounted CPS. All earlier 325 E30's have the bell housing mounted sensors.

Changing the CPS (or the Cylinder ID sensor) on this car is pretty easy with the car up in the air. It reads off the flywheel, so no worries about leaking transmission fluid.

[kdfwagen]

The location of the timing sensors changed with the introduction of the 325is in 9/86. 325e/es cars produced through 8/87 have the bell housing mounted sensors. The SETA cars (9/87-8/88) also have the front mounted CPS. All earlier 325 E30's have the bell housing mounted sensors.

Changing the CPS (or the Cylinder ID sensor) on this car is pretty easy with the car up in the air. It reads off the flywheel, so no worries about leaking transmission fluid.

so the crank shaft position sensor is the same as a cylinder ID sensor?

[kdfwagen]

ok, so I took out both of the sensors that run to the flywheel. They were both a bit dirty at the tip but not that bad (by the way, which one is the crank shaft position sensor, top/bottom?).

I was wondering how one checks to see if the sensor is working? Do I check the resistance using a multimeter on the prongs at the end of the sensor (which prongs there are 3)? The car has to be cranking over when I do this right? I want to rule these sensors out, should I just replace the CPS?

what else should I check concerning the crankshaft position sensor?

[kdfwagen]

^^^

I really want to be able to check the resistance correctly. anyone?

[JPlue]

The bottom sensor (labeled B on the bell housing) is the reference sensor (CPS). You can check resistance between two of the terminals (the only 2 with continuity) and it should be 960 +/_ 96 ohms (according to bentley manual). If that is good then you may be in the same boat as I am, and have a broken reference pin on the flywheel.

You can see the pin through the hole for the CPS, you can rotate the pin into position via the crank pulley hex on the front of the engine.

Good luck, hope this helps

[kdfwagen]

The bottom sensor (labeled B on the bell housing) is the reference sensor (CPS). You can check resistance between two of the terminals (the only 2 with continuity) and it should be 960 +/_ 96 ohms (according to bentley manual). If that is good then you may be in the same boat as I am, and have a broken reference pin on the flywheel.

You can see the pin through the hole for the CPS, you can rotate the pin into position via the crank pulley hex on the front of the engine.

Good luck, hope this helps

So I check the sensor at the plug right (3 pins)? The crank doesn't need to be spinning? Should the key be in the ignition?

[JPlue]

the sensor plug, yes

[accident]

jim: what is the sensor on the front of the etas near the crank pulley? it's like hard wired into the car

[kdfwagen]

The bottom sensor (labeled B on the bell housing) is the reference sensor (CPS). You can check resistance between two of the terminals (the only 2 with continuity) and it should be 960 +/_ 96 ohms (according to bentley manual). If that is good then you may be in the same boat as I am, and have a broken reference pin on the flywheel.

You can see the pin through the hole for the CPS, you can rotate the pin into position via the crank pulley hex on the front of the engine.

Good luck, hope this helps

ok... so I checked both the sensors. The top one read ~970 while the bottom one (CPS?) read 840...

Do you think it is worth replacing at that reading?

Could I try switching the two sensors to see if it will start?

Keep in mind my car will not start at all due to no fuel/spark. It will just turn over.

thanks for the help btw.