The crankshaft position sensor on your 1996 2.5L Dodge Dakota can be tested with a simple multimeter. The test result can accurately tell you if it's defective or not.
In this tutorial, I'll explain how to test it in a step-by-step manner so that you can find out if the crankshaft sensor is behind your Dodge Dakota's no-start problem
Contents of this tutorial at a glance:
- Symptoms Of A Bad Crankshaft Position Sensor.
- OBD II Trouble Code P0320: No Crank Reference Signal At PCM.
- Circuit Descriptions Of The Crankshaft Position Sensor.
- Where To Buy The Crankshaft Position Sensor.
- TEST 1: Testing The Crankshaft Position Signal.
- TEST 2: Making Sure The Crank Sensor Has Power And Ground.
- Intermittent Failure Of The Crankshaft Position Sensor.
- More 2.5L Dodge Dakota Tutorials.
You can find this tutorial in Spanish here: Cómo Probar El Sensor De La Posición Del Cigüeñal (1996 2.5L OHV Dodge Dakota) (at: autotecnico-online.com).
Symptoms Of A Bad Crankshaft Position Sensor
The crankshaft position (CKP) sensor is located on the transmission bell housing and when it fails, you'll usually see:
- Engine cranks but doesn't start.
- No spark at all spark plug wires.
- No fuel injector activation pulses.
- Trouble Code P0320: No Crank Reference Signal At PCM.
Even though the fuel injection computer is programmed to set a trouble code when the CKP sensor fails, it doesn't always. So, it's always a good idea to test it when the engine doesn't start.
OBD II Trouble Code P0320: No Crank Reference Signal At PCM
When the crankshaft position (CKP) sensor fails on your 1996 2.5L Dodge Dakota, you may see the following trouble code registered in the fuel injection computer's memory:
- P0320: No Crank Reference Signal At PCM.
Trouble code P0320 tells you that your Dodge Dakota's fuel injection computer is NOT seeing a crankshaft position sensor signal when the engine is being cranked.
Trouble code P0320 usually sets when the crankshaft position sensor fails internally and does not generate it's pulsing signal.
Trouble code P0320 may also set if the crankshaft position sensor is missing power or Ground when the engine is cranking.
Circuit Descriptions Of The Crankshaft Position Sensor
The crank sensor is 3-wire Hall Effect sensor. Below is a brief description of the three wires that connect to the crankshaft position sensor.
| Crankshaft Position Sensor Connector | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pin | Wire Color | Description |
| 1 | Purple with white stripe (PPL/WHT) | Power (5 Volts DC) |
| 2 | Black with light blue stripe (BLK/LT BLU) | Sensor Ground |
| 3 | Gray with black stripe (GRY/BLK) | Crank Position Signal |
NOTE: The color of the wires above apply to the wires of the engine wiring harness CKP sensor connector (since the wires of the CKP sensor itself are all black).
NOTE: The engine wiring harness CKP sensor connector has round female terminals. The connector on the crankshaft position sensor itself has round male terminals.
Alright, let's get testing.
Where To Buy The Crankshaft Position Sensor
Checkout the following links and comparison shop the crankshaft position sensor:
TEST 1: Testing The Crankshaft Position Signal
As the engine turns, the crankshaft position (CKP) sensor creates an ON/OFF voltage signal. For the sake of our testing purposes, ON is when the sensor produces 5 Volts DC and OFF is when the sensor produces 0 Volts DC on its signal wire.
When the CKP sensor fails, it will usually stay stuck producing 5 Volts DC or 0 Volts DC as the engine turns.
So, what we're gonna' do is connect the multimeter to the crankshaft position signal wire and see if these ON/OFF pulses are present (as we manually turn the engine).
NOTE: To get the most accurate test result, you must turn the engine by hand (for example: using a ratchet wrench and appropriate socket on the crankshaft pulley). If you use the starter motor to turn the engine, your multimeter will not be able to read the ON/OFF voltage pulses.
IMPORTANT: The crankshaft position sensor must be connected to its engine harness connector for this test to work. You'll need to connect your multimeter test lead to a back probe or a wire piercing probe to read the crank signal. You can see an example of a wire piercing probe here: Wire Piercing Probe Review (Power Probe PWPPPPP01).
These are the test steps:
- 1
Place your multimeter in Volts DC mode.
- 2
With the red multimeter test lead, probe the GRY/BLK wire of the crank sensor connector (on the engine wiring harness).
The gray with black stripe (GRY/BLK) wire connects to the male terminal labeled with the number 3 in the illustration above. - 3
Connect the black multimeter test lead directly on the battery negative (-) terminal.
- 4
Turn the ignition key to the ON position and turn the engine by hand using the 1/2" ratchet wrench and appropriate socket on the crankshaft pulley. For the accuracy of the test, do not use the starter motor.
- 5
Your multimeter will read an ON/OFF voltage of 5 Volts and 0 Volts (if the crankshaft position sensor is functioning correctly).
ON is when the multimeter reads 5 Volts DC and OFF is when it reads 0 Volts DC.
Let's take a look at what your crank sensor test result means:
CASE 1: The ON/OFF DC voltage signal is present. This is the correct and expected test result and tells you that the crankshaft position sensor is functioning correctly.
If you have a P0320 trouble code or the engine stalls intermittently (while you're on the road), you could still have a defective crankshaft position sensor on your hands (even though it tested OK at this moment). I suggest taking a look at the following section: Intermittent Failure Of The Crankshaft Position Sensor.
CASE 2: The ON/OFF DC voltage signal IS NOT present. This test result tells you that the crank sensor is defective.
Before you replace it, make sure it's getting power and Ground. For this test go to: TEST 2: Making Sure The Crank Sensor Has Power And Ground.