I hate this car (96 Corolla 7AFE with P0340 code)

[VJZ]

I have been trying for months to get this code to go away.

It still runs weird, sluggish and has the code P0340 for the camshaft pos. sensor.

I replaced the harmonic balancer because it was bad.

Next, I tried a dizzy from a yard.

Nothing worked.

I brought it to a shop, and they put a new crankshaft pos. sensor in by mistake. I got mad, so they refunded my money and let me keep the sensor in the car.

I ordered a NEW distributor. Not a reman, but BRAND NEW.

NOTHING has worked.


I need this code to go away and this piece of shit fixed.

Ideas?

[VJZ]

I need help now.

This is kind of an emergency

[cipher93]

Well... replace the camshaft position sensor.

[VJZ]

that sensor is on the distributor.

You replace the whole unit.

Hence, why I put a NEW distributor in.

[Bitter]

check wiring duh, you could have a poor connection at a terminal in a connector or a broken/chewed wire somewhere in the circuit.

[topnotch]

if anything take the car to an electrician and get a dianogistic test done to see wats the problem.

[VJZ]

Understood.

The car is still sluggish as well.

If you floor it, around 55-60 it won't accelerate anymore. But if you let off the gas and let it shift, its just fine. However, if you gradually accelerate under normal driving, it drives just fine.

I am not very good with electrical crap, so if anyone has any better advice, that would be great.

[Bitter]

that could be a different problem. the cps is just to be obd2 compliant and detect cylinder misfire. its the cam sensor that runs the car.

the floored issue sounds kind of like a clogged cat or clogged muffler.

[topnotch]

or even a clogged intake

[cipher93]

Originally Posted by VJZ

that sensor is on the distributor.

You replace the whole unit.

Hence, why I put a NEW distributor in.

Ah, didn't know it was on the distributor. Inspect the wiring harness and loom around the distributor for damage. Also remove it from the distributor and spray some contact cleaner into the contacts.

[VJZ]

Yeah it just doesn't sound right while driving it.

I mean, the flex pipe is starting to go, as it sounds raspy on acceleration.

None of these issues were present before the harmonic balancer failed and the CPS code came on.

Might I mention that the balancer failure and CPS code came the same time as each other

[tangopampa]

Originally Posted by CJRocker

Well... replace the camshaft position sensor.

If you are a doityourselfer, get a repair manual and an electrical tester and test the sensor like it tells you in the manual. All sensors emit a voltage. Thats all the ECU gets: voltage.
Your car might have the magnet on the crankshaft missing(would emit no voltage ever) or the sensor could be wrong(but you replaced it, so ruled out unless new and broken also) or you could have a problem with the wire running from the sensor to the ECU(good luck finding that one). Or last one, you might have another totally unrelated electrical problem causing that unrelated electrical problem(belive me, that happens more often than you might think). Do a thorough inspection of cables in the engine compartment. Clean the cables and spray wd40 or similar in all connectors. Any cable that is pinched under something or exposed is suspect , cover with electrical tape.
ps. If you solved the problem, please post your solution, it helps others like me in the forum. Thanks.

I would try other things first. It is cheaper than an engine swap.
My basic tune up:
Injector cleaner every other fuel tankfull.
Oil changed regularly.(semi synthetic or synthetic)
Change spark plugs!!!!!
If you want, change spark plug cables and distributor cap and rotor.
when the car runs rough, find the cheap solutions first. Oil is cheaper, spark plugs are cheaper.
My 90 corolla was running rough until i changed the oil. Every time i neglect changing the oil soon enough, my car starts running rougher every day. if i use cheap gas, it runs even rougher.

[VJZ]

Well the other night we replaced the battery...

And the CEL went away.

The car still ran kind of rough though.

Tonight (though its COLD) I drove to the store and the CEL came on.

Then, it started flashing.

It also is running REALLY rough now.


I'm very confused.

[fast68]

plugged cat converter is very common i would check it to make sure its not overheating or pluggin up swellin when hot, etc

TPS may be bad

flashing CEL !!!

this 95% of the time means it is now running in limp mode because a catastrophic condition detected

sounds like a complete misfire on a cylinder, one cylinder not runnin

check spark and fuel for each cylinder

unplug an injector while runnin, see if engine changes how it runs,

it it does then try the next injector

this will tell you what cylinder is not runnin

then you can figure out if its the injector or the plug or the wire or the coil pack for that cylinder

i think you have a lot to learn here about how fuel injection works and how igntion system works as well,

more knowledge you have the easier it will be to figure this one out.

we have had quite a few cars in the shop here with blinkin CEL and all of them always have been one bad injector, not working.

put another one on them and bam they are fixed immediately and run like brand new again.

auto zone etc will scan the ECM codes for free and it will tell what cylinder is not running

you are just blindly tossing money and parts at it when you just need to figure out what cylinder is not runnin

really simple here, and a common problem with multi port fuel injection engines of the 90s

[cipher93]

The CEL went away when you unhooked the battery as doing so resets the ECU and thus CEL. Another way to check the injectors is to get a mechanics stethoscope and press it against the injector. You'll hear a clicking if it's working correctly. Dumping injector cleaner in the tank as mentioned never hurts. Inspecting the condition of your spark plugs should give you an idea what is going on. Here is a handy chart for checking spark plug condition. It wouldn't hurt to get the code read again.