We're offline for a tune-up, we'll be up and running smoothly very soon. Show In the meantime, here are some other options available: Visit an Sign up for View us on Social Media We appreciate your patience – for your next visit: 15% offyour next purchase. Enter coupon code: in shopping cart. We look forward to serving you, Enter the characters you see belowSorry, we just need to make sure you're not a robot. For best results, please make sure your browser is accepting cookies. Type the characters you see in this image:Try different image Conditions of Use Privacy Policy © 1996-2014, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates November 27, 2016Updated: July 15, 2020By: Abraham Torres-ArredondoArticle ID: 556 The 2002-2003 3.5L Nissan Maxima has 2 camshaft position sensors and both can be easily tested with a multimeter. In this tutorial, I'll show you how in a step-by-step manner. Symptoms Of A Defective Camshaft Position SensorHere is a basic list of the symptoms you are going to see when the camshaft position sensor fails on your 2002-2003 3.5L Nissan Maxima.
Circuit Descriptions Of The Camshaft Position SensorYour 3.5L Nissan Maxima comes equipped with 2 camshaft position sensors. They're identified by the bank of cylinders that they are on. The Camshaft Position Sensor Bank 1 is on the cylinder head that over cylinders 1, 3, and 5. This bank of cylinders is on the firewall side of the engine. The Camshaft Position Sensor Bank 2 is on the cylinder head that over cylinders 2, 4, and 6. This bank of cylinders is on the radiator side of the engine. Both sensors work in the exact same manner and are tested in the same manner.
Where To Buy The Camshaft Position SensorYou can buy the camshaft position sensor at your local auto parts store or if you're like me and need to save money on any kind of purchase, you can buy it online. The Hitachi CPS0001 Camshaft Position Sensor listed below is the original factory part for the 2002-2002-2003 3.5L Nissan Maxima. You can check it out here: TEST 1: Checking The Camshaft Position Signal With A MultimeterAs the engine turns, the camshaft position sensor produces an ON/OFF signal that can be measured with a multimeter (oscilloscope too). The get an accurate test result, you'll need to turn the engine by hand. Don't use the starter motor to crank the engine. You can manually turn the engine by using a 1/2 inch ratchet and appropriate socket on the crankshaft pulley. NOTE: The instructions below apply to either bank 1 or bank 2 cam sensor. Oscilloscope: If you're using one of these bad boys, you can crank and start the engine to observe the waveforms. You can see the waveforms I recorded here: Oscilloscope Waveforms Bank 1 And Bank 2 Cam Sensors. OK, let's get started:
Let's take a look at what your test results mean: CASE 1: The multimeter registered 9.5 to 10 Volts DC and the 0 Volt pulse as the engine turned. This is the correct and expected test result and tells you that the cam sensor you're testing is functioning correctly. CASE 2: The multimeter DID NOT register the On/Off 9.5 to 10 Volts DC and 0 Volts pulse as you manually turned the crankshaft pulley. This result indicates that the camshaft position sensor is not creating a signal. The next step is to verify that it's getting power (12 Volts). For this test, go to: TEST 2: Making Sure The Cam Sensor Is Getting Power. |