Crank codes, Cam codes, ISSUES AND FIXES 2007 350z HR

[Danial]

I have a 2007 350z with the HR motor

I have been having many issues with codes and sensors since purchasing the car and I would like to detail them here so that people after me wont have to work as hard to find them.

This thread will detail my experience with the install of a zspeed CSC, ACT prolite flywheel, ACT HD Clutch, and the error codes and failed sensor readings afterwards

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Current Issues Please help!!
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My car is in LIMP MODE. SES, VDC, and SLIP lights are on. A new crankshaft position sensor causes the car to be undriveable.

So to start off, after I took my trans off for a second time and verified the flywheel was in the right orientation, I cannot seem to get out of limp mode.

I went to advanced auto and got them to do the free code scanning. I got a code for a crankshaft position sensor and ordered one for $102 from the Nissan dealer nearby my house. I installed the sensor, cleared the codes, and tried to drive the car. SES immediately comes on, but no VDC or SLIP. The car had no power at all, it felt like it was bogging even from tapping the accelerator in neutral. Driving the car was impossible as there was no power to get forward motion.

I replaced the old sensor in the car and am back in limp mode, but the clutch holds great and I can drive the car. I just get hesitation around 3k rpms when the car doesnt go into VVT, and I just shift before I get to 3k rpms now

In LIMP mode with the supposedly faulty crankshaft position sensor, I recieve the following code

P0335 Crankshaft Position Sensor "A" Circuit

I called up NIssan thinking I had recieved a faulty new sensor and the parts department agreed to order me another new sensor and exchange for the one they gave me, even though it isnt usually their policy to do that. Nissan in Clarksville MD is very helpful.

New sensor came in and I tried exactly the same tactics as above, but with a more advanced code scanner one of the project managers at my job has. Its called a Crazy Cord or something and it connects to an app on his phone via wifi. Very cool, and semi relevant since it gives way more information to the user including more detail on the codes. P0335 was confirmed before installing the new sensor.

With the new sensor in the car, the same issues as with the last "new" sensor arose, but this time I had a way to document the codes better.
SES light on
P0011 "A" Camshaft position - Timing Overadvanceed OR system performance bank 1
P0021 "A" Camshaft position - Timing Overadvanceed OR system performance bank 2
P0014 "B" Camshaft position - Timing Overadvanceed OR system performance bank 1
P0024 "B" Camshaft position - Timing Overadvanceed OR system performance bank 2

P0011 - possible causes
- Faulty Intake Valve Timing Control Solenoid Valve
- Intake Valve Timing Control Solenoid Valve harness is open or shorted
- Intake Valve Timing Control Solenoid Valve circuit poor electrical connection
- Faulty Camshaft Position Sensor
- Camshaft Position Sensor harness is open or shorted
- Camshaft Position Sensor circuit poor electrical connection
- Faulty Crankshaft Position Sensor (POS)

P0014
- Dirty Oil
- Faulty Exhaust valve timing control solenoid valve
- Exhaust valve timing control solenoid valve harness is open or shorted
- Exhaust valve timing control solenoid valve circuit poor electrical connection
- Faulty Crankshaft position sensor (POS)
- Faulty Camshaft position sensor

Currently I am waiting to buy a new camshaft position sensor and try it out when I get paid. They are $70 on courtesy parts

I may also need to examine this
-may need to go into nissan to get an exhaust valve timing relearn??
-examine back timing cover gasket
-a restriction to the sprockets, or bad sprockets & timing covers, or worst case, lack of oil pressure to the sprocket due to the back timing cover gasket blown out.

How many camshaft sensors are there? and how do I know which is A and B, the FSM was very unhelpful here. Do I need to replace both or just swap a new one in and see if just one of them is bad

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CSC, clutch install, and FIXES FOR CODES
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Installed an ACT prolite flywheel and ACT HD Stage 2 clutch. At the same time I replaced the then leaking CSC (Concentric Slave Cylinder) with a heavy duty one from Zspeed performance since I was already getting pedal droop and was going to be pulling the trans out anyways.

The CSC was $325, many times that of the OEM unit, but the OEM unit is prone to failures.
By nature of the CSC clutch dust gets into the hydraulics. Normally without a CSC you would have a slave cylinder on the outside of your trans that pushes a clutch fork which then pushes the throwout bearing inside the trans to disengage your clutch from the flywheel. The CSC replaces the throwout bearing so that when you press the pedal you are actually expanding the CSC to disengage the clutch.

This sounds like a great idea in theory. less moving parts, less to break, right? Many transmissions including the tr6060 trans used by chevy high performance use a CSC design.

Well there are other issues that arise, mainly that the stock unit is very weak for the HR 350z. The seals have a tendency to fail and this exacerbates the main design issue with the CSC. Clutch dust gets in the hydraulic fluid every time that you shift and especially high RPM shifts. I have seen the clutch fluid on a ZR1 corvette after 2000 miles and it is black from clutch dust. When I drained my clutch fluid it was black as well, and this is on a car with 40000 miles since the last CSC replacement.

The CSC came with detailed instructions and only requires one very minor modification to the mounting area. You have to grind down 3 tabs so they are flush with the rest of the mounting area. I just took the cover plate out of the trans and used a grinder, took 10 min at most.

I have been very happy with the new clutch, flywheel, CSC. They should be good for close to 600torque which is much more than I will be putting into the car. I want to boost up to maybe 450 wheel hp and as much torque as I can get

As soon as I started the car after the initial install, I received codes and went into limp mode.

I took the trans off a second time. Verified that the timing hole in the flywheel was lined up with the timing "dowel" on the crank.

Same issues came up. SES, SLIP, VDC im in limp mode.... Skip up to the top to see how im dealing with this issue

[Danial]

Ok, so regardless that it seems no one uses this site anymore, I will continue documenting

Tomorrow is payday and here is the plan. each step will be followed until hopefully something fixes it

I have been throwing camshaft sensor codes for A and B when the new crank sensor is in. The car will drive in limp mode with the old "bad" crank sensor, and wont drive at all with the new sensor

-check timing
-get dealer to do exhaust valve timing relearn with all original sensors in.
-do a flush with seafoam in the oil and 5 minutes of hard driving. then an oil change. I always use royal purple 5w30.
-try exhaust valve timing relearn again
-check codes and replace any sensors that are faulty. (have the crankshaft position sensor, but how do i know which camshaft position sensor A or B refers to? arent there 4, whats the order
-cry and look for an alternate solution

hopefully i dont need a new timing cover or rear timing cover seal. no oil is leaking and the engine is really quiet though so im hopeful this isnt the case

[Danial]

I cant reply to pms yet as I dont have enough posts, but I will continue to document what I find

[Danial]

Ok, so it is looking more and more like a timing issue. Either skipped a tooth or got loose or whatever.

Checked timing with the same diagnostic tool iphone app as before. Reads +64 degrees or more.....

I poured seafoam in the oil and drove it hard for about 5 min and then changed the oil out for more royal purple 10w30 and changed the filter.
No improvement so I think we can rule out clogged sprockets.

Tomorrow I am going to take it to the dealer and get them to do a diagnostic. I havent been looking forward to resorting to this, but I dont want to aimlessly throw money at it either.
Im going to bring the new crankshaft position sensor and throw that on and have them do an exhaust valve timing relearn as well just for kicks

[Danial]

Dealer examined the car and couldnt come up with a reason for the issue unless the flywheel isnt for an HR motor. I bought it new but from a local guy not a store so now time to do more research and possibly pull the trans again

[Danial]

Attempted spacer on sensor. No luck.

Pulled the trans and putting back in the OEM flywheel. Reindexed correctly. triple checked. About to put the trans back on the car...

[Danial]

So I put back on the stock flywheel, and all of my issues have been gone.

The "friend" sold me a flywheel from a DE motor although he claimed it was for an HR. So. Another lesson for you. Don't trust anyone, especially not your friends, and do your own research.