Yet another Pathfinder Intake Timing Sensor (P1140)

[flynmoose]

Long-time Lurker, First Time Poster.

Rewind. 2 months ago my wife's '01 Pathfinder popped a P1140. Found some info on reading out the pins (can't remember where) which was turned out to be worthless (at least on my $20 multimeter). None of the pinouts read anything ON EITHER SENSOR. Since both sensor's had the same ohmmeter readings, I wanted to be sure, so I swapped them. Sure enough the code swapped to P1145. Ordered the part for ~$50 from Pinnacle Nissan, installed on the DRIVERS side (remember - I swapped them as part of the troubleshooting). Voila! - No more SES and the car is happy.

Fast Forward. 2 days ago the SES came on. Popped my trusty CarChipE/X onto the port and what do you know - P1140. So apparently the passenger side (old driver's side) sensor has crapped out now also. I will order the new part tomorrow but I have a couple of "hmmmm . . .s"

Did I somehow break the sensor by: (a) swapping it around (b) fiddling around with an ohmmeter (I tried every pin-to-pin combo to see what I would get after the all readings except one read "open" on both the good and bad sensor.

Is it not really the sensor but actually a solenoid problem? (I AM getting the SES light as soon as I turn the motor over which the STICKY says is indicative of a sensor not a solenoid.)

Does Nissan have a P.O.S. electrical system on the Pathfinder? (2 cam pos. sensors in 3 months and all six coil packs replaced 3 months before that - ~$500 in electrical on a 4 year old car with a little over 50K miles on it) (At least I did the work myself - the coil packs would have set me back $750 at the dealer and it took me all of 45 minutes toolbox-to-toolbox to swap out all six coils. I like making $500 per hour! )

Any thoughts would be most appreciated (including what other random breakage to expect next )

[NISTECH]

Try your swap trick if the code moves you know its the sensor again. If the code comes up for the same bank you know its the solonoid.

Your rear O2's are next, You will need an ECM reprogram when you do replace them , to prevent them from going out again.

[flynmoose]

Thanks Scott.

So the swapping thing is not too much trauma on the sensors? Since I just put in 1 new sensor I don't want to break that one too.

Will keep the O2 sensor(s) in mind. Thank goodness for OBDII. At least it is (mostly) accurate.

It's sad that I am currently on 2 vehicle websites trying to troubleshoot vehicle problems (the minivan on http://www.allpar.com).

I'll report back on the results of the swap.

[NISTECH]

Nah it wont hurt it as long as you dont use excessive force to remove it. What happens to then is they get oil in them internally causeing them to short out when voltage is being sent through.

Caravan? Whats wrong with it?

[flynmoose]

Well, back in April when I first had the problem, I ordered the following part from Pinnacle Nissan.

Mechanical Catalog - 2001 - Nissan - PathfinderElectrical, Powertrain control, Camshaft position sensor, CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR, Pathfinder, Front

And received the part in the Haynes manual refered to as the Intake Valve Timing Control Position Sensor. I replaced it per the original post and all was well. So 2 weeks ago when I got the P1140, I once again ordered:

Mechanical Catalog - 2001 - Nissan - PathfinderElectrical, Powertrain control, Camshaft position sensor, CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR, Pathfinder, Front

And received this part: 23731-2Y510: Camshaft Position Sensor. I guess I got what I ordered the second time (the online catalog does not actually have the part numbers, just text descriptions.)

See the attached PDF for comparison pictures.

I contacted the parts counter at Pinnacle and described to them what happened. They could not explain why I got the part I wanted in April when I clearly ordered a CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR. They insisted that the Intake valve Timing Position Sensor is actually called a Crankshaft Positon Sensor. (In the Nissan Parts Pictogram I believe the part I want is 23731TB

So, oh expert ones. . .

Am I right? Do I need the part refered to as 23731TB to address the P1140? (Is it really a Crankshaft Position sensor?)

Is the part they shipped me (23731M in the diagram and 23731-2Y510 on the box) really a Camshaft Position Sensor?

Should I just give up and pay a dealer/mechanic to do my repairs from now on (because I'm in over my head)? (I know SWMBO would vote for this option at this point since she hasn't been able to drive her car for 2 weeks now)

Will Lassie save Timmy?

[flynmoose]

As to the Town and Country minivan, rather than pollute a Nissan board with Chrysler talk, I'll refer you to my extensive post on Allpar.

For all the gory details see,

My Chrysler Woes

[NISTECH]

Yes the intake sensor is an issue when trying to order it. It happens at the dealer too. The problem is they are both campshaft position sensors. one measures the cam shaft position the other measures the cam shaft advance. The one you want is listed in distributor in the nissan parts system. I would look at your PDF but my adobe is having issues at the moment so it wont load up. But the sensor you want to repalce is the one higher up on the timing cover going into it at an angel alond the 2 raised portions of the cover. Not the sensors going straight into the front of the cover lower down.

[flynmoose]

For anyone else having Adobe issues, attached is just the PARTS DIAGRAM.

In the end, I am getting the part that you describe. The sensors insert from the sides, not the front. The part that they shipped me is the one that inserts from the front. The part that inserts from the front has a very cylindrical sensor body with a small exposed piece of metal on the end. The Variable Valve Pos. Sensors (note plural) have more of a blade or box shaped sensor body and have no exposed metal.

[NISTECH]

In your diagram. The sensor for this code is 23731tb

[lawson70]

Hey all-

I'm also getting a P1145 error, and I'm eager to order the part but I was a little confused by NISTECH's and flynmoose's posts....

I'm wondering which part actually needs to be replaced to fix the P1145? Do the two identical sensors (23731TB) both fix the P1145 and the P1140? I pulled both 23731TB and 23731M out today and they are three pronged and two pronged respectively. I believe that I only need to order the 23731TB, and not the front loading one (23731M - aka part #23731-2Y510). Is all this correct?

Thanks all for your time. Very helpful to solve this annoying problem.

[NISTECH]

You are correct on the sensor. However you may want to read my sticky at the top of this forum related to these codes.

[lawson70]

Thanks NISTECH....

Since I'm not 100% sure of that part number (plz supply if you happen to know), I apparently need the "Crankshaft Position sensor" (3 prong) and NOT the "CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR" (2 prong).

Does the Chilton manual have the part #'s? I just ordered the manual today.

[NISTECH]

No the chiltons wont list part numbers. If you use the illistration in this thread and go by the number we mentioned you will get the correct one. BTW both the cam and crank sensor are 3 terminal sensors. If you pulled a 2 terminal sensor you did not pull any of the sensors we have been discussing.

[drick132]

I've also been trying to troubleshoot this issue on my pathfinder. After going through the similar trouble of determining the correct name and p/n for the sensor, I finally got one. I was about to install it last night but I ran into some trouble. According to my Chilton's manual, I tested the sensors by measuring the resistance across the leads. The P1145 code refers to the left bank, but I found the right one to not agree with the test. The left sensor has resistance values across all of the pins. The right one only had it on 3 and 2 leading me to believe it was the bad one. Before I installed the new one I measured it as well just to see and it also only showed values on pins 3 and 2. The other pins were just high. My manual says that any zero or infinity value determines a bad sensor.

I read your sticky and it seems that my issue is a sensor issue. I do have a scanner and to be honest, I'm now getting a P1145 and P1136 error. However, I tried clearing the codes and starting the car. The light doesn't come back on the first time I start the car, but it does the second time....before driving. So is the new one also bad or am I looking into any of this the wrong way? I'm going to try to swap the sensors from left to right to see if the codes change for now. Any ideas?

TIA!

[NISTECH]

your left one is bad. even though you had readings on all 3 pins it is the bogus one. The light will not come on the first time you start the car when it fails. What I was saying if the light comes on when you just start the car it means its an electrical problem with the sensor and not the solonoid. OBDII uses 2 trip logic. Meaning if it fails it wont turn the light on during that "trip" but it will store the code in the ECM as a 1t code. When it fails a second time it will turn on the light.

[Daddy Rim]

Well I brought my Pathy to the dealer and they told me that both sensors needed to be replaced (P1140 and P1145). They had to call the techline to determine what course of action should be taken.

Anyhow, rather than pay their rediculous quote, $220 for each sensor and $135 for labour I've replaced both sensors myself, obtaining them for $97 from another dealer.

I actually noticed a difference right away as prior to this repair, it seemed like I was getting some sort of pinging, which is now gone even after letting it fully warm up and a 1/2 hour drive.

However, the SES light is still on, and it never did go off after replacing the sensors, even though I had the battery disconnected for nearly 1/2 hour. Any thoughts on how to clear the ECU?

I'm looking into purchasing a code reader off E-bay, however can you actually clear codes with these systems?

[NISTECH]

Give it a week and the light should go out.

[colinw]

Yes, after just a little over 50K miles, I got my first SES light.Went out and got a code reader, and of course it was a P1145. The car was running fine. The local dealer wanted $90 to read the codes.

Thanks flynmoose for the swap trick and the diagram. It helped in a couple of ways.First it helped me find the thing. The diagram was good, but there are so many sensors.Second, it corrected the left / right confusion I got from the online codes list and what I found in this forum. Of course the forum was correct. P1145 is the left side, P1140 is the right side.Third, it gave me great confidence when I went to the parts counter that I had the right part. The parts guy said there were three different sensors call CAM position sensors. The key was the TB at the end of the number from the diagram. Also, it looks like they obsoleted the original part for a new part number. Lets hope the new part lasts longer than 50K miles.

So, for only $82 and 20 minutes my dash board is dark again.....

[NISTECH]

Good to hear, also glad to hear you find our info accurate AND useful.

[AZhitman]

Man, awesome thread.

Scott, your info is SPOT-ON and easy to understand.

I just got a call from a guy at a local independent shop to compliment you (he was using NICO for assistance). THAT is a testament to your expertise.

[NISTECH]

Greg, That information there validates the time I spend on this site doing this. I had said along timke ago in one of my threads why I do this. I will try to quote it as best I remember it. " The reason I do this is to try and prevent cars from having hack work done by aftermarket shops or after an owner attempts to fix his car. Then comes to the dealer for us to fix it. It ends up costing the customer twice as much to fix what ever the aftermarket shop screwed up plus fix the actual problem with the car."

I thank you for passing that info along to me.

[mik3ymomo]

I replaced my passanger side sensor this past weekend. All the info from this site made it possible. Thanks for saving me ALOT of $$$.

I bought the "car chip" to read my codes and reset my check engine light. off EBAY for $90 It works great. Also the PDF posted helped alot. Once i figured out how to work the harness connector it took all of 10 mins to replace.

The dealer here in NJ quoated me $500 to fix it.

I purchased my sensor from the Nissan/ Honda barn in Stratham NH for $66. So all in all it cost me $156 and I still have the Car chip module and software to use another day. No paying anyone to read codes and reset lights!

Thanks for the help. Wanted to let you know how valuable this site and its information has been for me.

[NISTECH]

Awesome, welcome to nico....as a posting member anyhow..lol

[SHEENA4UK]

I had code P1145 about 6 months ago, Hall Nissan Virginia Beach charged me over $280 to fix that. NOW - code P1140 reading. Just came from Hall Nissan again and they wanted $341 for this one. I left. You mentioned changing this yourself. Could you explain how you done this? Where is this sensor? How easy/difficult is it to get to? Etc. Also, where did you purchase the sensor? Hall Nissan told me the part alone would cost $166. Which sounded off the wall. My husband will probably be able to fix it if given the info. Any info that you can give is appreciated. Thanks Sheena

[MikePathfinder2001]

Wow, after about a week of total confusion, I learned a whole lot from you guys! I have a 2001 Pathfinder with a P1140. I took it to autozone and the guy gave me the correct code, but said it was a mass air metering problem. Next, I took it to the dealer and they charged me 65 dollars to tell me the code and the problem (stated above) and then said they didnt' have the part in stock. This is a good thing because I got the guts to do it myself rather than pay the extra 235 bucks they were saying it would cost to fix it. I ran into a snag though. I checked autozone, Napa, etc and they didn't know what a intake timing sensor was. They only had Camshaft sensors, and from what i read above, it is also called a crankshaft sensor. Anyway, getting to the point, I have the part number, could somebody point me in the right direction on how to get the part. The Dealer was asking over 100 bucks. I read that someone got the part for less than fifty. I was just going to get it from the dealer, but I have a suspicion that they are overcharging. I also thought it was strange that the guy that gave me the estimate for the repair said

"This is the cost of the repair, but if you want it done we have to order the part. "They" (whoever they are) said they want you to pay for the part up front though if you want the repair done."

This was strange, because when I went to the part section of the dealership, the guy said he was going to order a bunch of the sensors and that If Iwanted to buy the part, I could just come in next week and get one without prepaying. Anyway, if someone could give me a link to a good part shop that has this sensor, I would be very grateful.

Mike

[NISTECH]

here you go ,from a nissan dealer even.http://www.trademotion.com/par...id=49

[MikePathfinder2001]

Thanks, but when I type in the number 23731tb, it says there is no part for that number. I read earlier in the post that that was the part number for the intake valve timing sensor. Then someone posted that the intake valve timeing sensor is also called the crankshaft sensor. If that is true, do I need the Upper or Lower Crankshaft sensor for a p1140 code that says I have a bad right intake valve timing sensor.

Again, thanks for all of the help and forgive the confusion, but for some reason after reading all of the information everything was clear to me except for the actual name of the part.

Mike

[NISTECH]

Hmm I linked you to the actual part page with the price and part # but for some reason it went to a add you number page. Any how here is the actual part # 23731-2y523

And here is the link again for the price , lets see if it works this time.http://www.trademotion.com/par...id=49

[MikePathfinder2001]

Hmm. For some reason, all I get is the order page and not the actual part page. I typed in the part number though and got the VTC sensor part, which I bet is the correct part. But, then it gives me this option:

Old Partnumber: 237312y523 New Partnumber: 23731-2Y524 Search for Superceded Part Number

So if I search for the superceded part number I get a whole slew of parts that are all the same price. I'm thinking they are all the same part.Item Number MSRP Core Price Price 237312Y524 $74.28 $0.00 $57.01 Electrical - Powertrain control - Camshaft position sensor CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR, Pathfinder, Front 2003 - 2004 Add to Cart Contact Us 237312Y524 $74.28 $0.00 $57.01 Electrical - Powertrain control - Crankshaft position sensor CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR, Pathfinder, Upper 2001 - 2002 Add to Cart Contact Us Part Number Search Results : Collision Catalog Item Number MSRP Core Price Price 237312Y524 $74.28 $0.00 $57.01 Electrical - Ignition system - Camshaft sensor - Front Front - 3.5 liter 2003 - 2004 Add to Cart Contact Us 237312Y524 $74.28 $0.00 $57.01 Electrical - Ignition system - Crnkshft sensor - Upper Upper - 3.5 liter 2001 - 2004 Add to Cart Contact Us Part Number Search Results : OEM Catalog Item Number MSRP Core Price Price 237312Y524 $74.28 $0.00 $57.01

VTC SENSOR

Anywyay, I'm thinking the VTC Sensor is probably what I need. However, I'm just covering my bases.

Again, thanks for all the trouble.

Mike

[NISTECH]

yep that is all the same part # and that is the part your after.