Here's my CKP sensor experience so far:
A couple of times in August, the Jeep did a weird "bucking" thing, where - as i understand it now - basically the engine flat died, but as the torque converter hadn't time to release the clutch, vehicle movement kicked the engine over again, and it continued running. This happened 2 or 3 times, but no codes, and as it kicked over again there wasn't any cause for much alarm it seemed.
On Labor day, I went to town, 20 miles, to the closest Napa store. All was fine, Jeep ran completely normal. I don't even remember what I needed, but when I exited the store, and went to start the Jeep, there was nothing. Lights on, battery good, turn the key, and Nada. I checked the battery connections, checked the fuses, checked the relays, everything normal. At this point, I was thinking bad starter or bad solenoid.
I went and called AAA from the Napa phone as I didn't have my cell with me.
In meantime, I pulled the (-) terminal off the battery for 15 minutes to see if whatever it was would reset. When I hooked it back up, still nothing. I had a fellow in the store do the wood stick, and hammer-tap maneuver on the starter while I held the key in the crank position, which normally works if the problem is starter motor brushes. That made no difference. So I buttoned the thing back up and sat waiting for the tow truck.
After about 10 minutes more, I pretty much out of habit this time, turned the key, and it immediately cranked over and started. No missing, just sat there idling perfectly. I went into Napa again, and called AAA to cancel the truck, as it was now running, and when I came back out of the store he was there wondering why he was supposed to tow a running vehicle. I signed his job sheet, apologized, and went to drive back home.
The first 4-5 miles went perfectly, but then it started the "bucking" thing again, and this time I gave it about half throttle so it was really obvious with the dying, kicking over, hard power, (not limp mode) buck, power, dead, buck, power, etc. till I finally came to a friend's driveway, where I pulled in, and it died, dead. Same as before. (no one home b/c holiday)
Getting suspicious, I looked at the Temp gauge, and the needle was just above the 10:00 wide black mark. Not quite fully warmed. After about an hour the temp had gone back down, I tried to start it, and it fired back up.
Drove it again, about 5 more miles, and the bucking started up again, then finally just died flat. I was able to coast to a pull-off point, and hiked a mile to the nearest phone, and called AAA again. By the time the tow truck got there, it fired up again, but I just had him tow it the remaining 10 miles back home.
No one locally had the CKP sensor this thing uses, (not even the dealers) so I ordered one online.
I installed it. I've driven it about 200 miles since, hot, cold, rain, shine, 6+ miles of full throttle acceleration 0-80-0 repeatedly, and it hasn't missed a lick since.
I still have this doubt in the back of my mind though, that some have said that the CKP sensor, when it fails, the engine cranks, but won't start. This one, every time, was just flat dead. Plenty of battery, but no cranking at all. All of the ones that said that were 2005. Mine is 2006. I know the ECM is different, but I don't know if that is one of the differences. I've kept all my flogging the last week to a 50 mile radius from home, just to be somewhat cautious, but it's given no more hint of that problem
Also.. All this time, the whole time.... No Codes.
I took the sensor I removed, and tested the resistance across the 1-2 terminals. Supposed to be ~1000 ohms. It measured 986 at room temperature. I put it in water on a low temp burner with a thermometer in it. As the temperature raised, the resistance raised. When the temperature got to 160-165 degrees F, the ohmmeter suddenly went from about 1010F to reading 000. Not an open circuit, and a dead short contact reads 0.000 on that setting, and it beeps. I've never seen that reading from that meter before. At around 180 degrees F the reading picked up around 1030 ohms. As the temperature fell back down upon removing from the heat, around 175 degrees F, the reading again went all wonky until about 160F.
I'm pretty sure the one I removed is bad. I'm just not completely sure that something else isn't hiding in the woodshed.
One positive note.. When I switched the sensor, I dug out a roll of header wrap I didn't get around to using about 10 years ago, and wrapped the down pipe from the turbo flange, all the way to the woven flex section by the rear crossmember. Anchored it on with Stainless worm drive hose clamps. Immediately after doing the repeated acceleration runs, I was able to grab hold of that section of the exhaust pipe. It was hot, but not to the point of making me let go quick. I could hold it in my hand without getting burned, and the difference when I raised the hood was immediately noticeable. Even if it does make that piece rust faster, it's still worth it. The only thing left throwing heat you can feel is the back couple inches of the exhaust manifold that isn't shielded.
The most pressing question right now is whether to publish this as a short story or a novel....
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