2005 Wrangler Rubicon. Engine started sputtering under acceleration and CEL came on. Code P0344 (camshaft position sensor). I read that "only get Mopar", but it appears that Mopar is no longer available. So what should I do? Autozone sells a couple of brands (Dorman and Duralast). NAPA also (Echlin and NAPA). Thanks in advance.
Camshaft position sensor: which one should I buy?
- Thread starter Franco
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JKP
TJ Addict
First thing to determine is if you need the entire OPDA or just the cam sensor.
I would pull and inspect the OPDA gear at a min.
I've had a Dorman OPDA and cam sensor in mine for about 165K mi with no issues.
I would pull and inspect the OPDA gear at a min.
I've had a Dorman OPDA and cam sensor in mine for about 165K mi with no issues.
JKP
TJ Addict
05 and 06 will relearn themselves with a battery disconnect, IIRC,, but you have to be within the tolerance or it will throw a code.
JKP
TJ Addict
This is great advice. Here's a link:
https://wranglertjforum.com/threads...cam-sensor-in-the-4-0-engine-2000-2006.69520/
What is happening is when you disconnect the battery is the DTC code gets reset, and if the new sensor is within the acceptable range of offset, it works. If not, it throws another code, making you think the new sensor is also bad (it's likely not - it just is out of range.) By performing the Relearn (for the NGC PCM in the 2005-6 TJs) or the Sync (for the JTEC PCM in the earlier models), you are adjusting the sync between the cam and crank signals back within that tolerance range. In the NGC, that is done electronically within the PCM (which requires a bi-directional scanner), and in the JTEC, it's done mechanically by rotating the OPDA. If you don't have a bi-directional scanner, you can also mechanically re-sync the NGC cam sensor by rotating the OPDA. All of this has been learned through the awesomeness of the users here over the last couple years!
Actually, 2005 and 2006 are the same (part number 5149034AA). 2004 and back to 2000 were different (part number 4897023AA).
Edited to correct my blunder.
Last edited:
JKP
TJ Addict
Actually, 2005 and 2006 are the same (part number 5149034AA). 2004 and back to 2000 were different (part number 4897023AA). Prior to 2000, there wasn't a cam position sensor because an old school distributor with points did the job. I think, but I've not been able to confirm it, the switch from the JTEC PCM to the NGC PCM necessitated a sensor change due to how the PCMs process the signal from the sensor.
As I said, 05 and 06 are different than all the others. PCM, OPDA, 6sp man trans, flywheel/flexplate, etc, etc.
The above statement isn’t an accurate description of the relearn on the 05/06 models. All the relearn does is set a value in the PCM of what the difference is between the cam and crank sensors on first start up after you perform the relearn procedure.
If your cam/crank is 8 degrees out and you do a relearn, the pcm will record 8 degrees…….it doesn’t readjust anything.
Your cam/crank signal needs to be in tolerance before you do a cam/crank relearn.
Find a scan tool that will tell you what the difference is between the two signals. With the engine running, you can very carefully rotate the OPDA until you get the difference number as close to zero as possible.
Once you do that, then do the cam/crank relearn procedure and it will store that number in the pcm.
Hope this helps
With the NGC (05-06), the sync is electronic, meaning that when you perform it, and the 8° offset in your example is measured and set, the PCM now knows to account for this offset. The offset is telling the PCM to shift one of the signals 8° (in your example) electronically. That's the equivalent of rotating the OPDA. With the JTEC (00-04), there is no offset, so you have to manually rotate the OPDA to sync the two signals.
Additionally, I've postulated that the reason aftermarket cam sensors often don't work right out of the box is that their output signals are have more rotational variation than the OEM sensors, so they definitely need to be synced, and in the case of the NGC controller in the 05 and 06 TJ, they may need the OPDA rotated to get the Cam/Crank Difference close to zero before doing the Relearn in order to give the best chance at success with those sensors. I've not been able to confirm this, however.
Quick question, if the scan tool shows the cam / crank difference is 8 but the jeep runs and drives fine is there any benefit to trying to get it closer to zero? Replaced the OPDA a year or so ago, jeep has run fine but upon a scan the difference is 8, any reason to mess with it or just leave alone? Thanks in advance.
If the "cam crank learned" value is also 8°, I'd leave it alone. If not, I'd do one of the following:
- If you have a bi-directional scanner, perform a ReLearn to get the cam crank learned value set to the current difference, or
- If you don't have a bi-directional scanner, rotate your OPDA until the cam crank difference matches the cam crank learned value
My bad. You know, I thought that, but when I looked in the parts manuals before I wrote that, I didn’t see a cam position sensor, but I bet I didn’t look in the right place. Sorry for the confusion! I’m going to edit my post now, so I don’t mislead anyone….Points ????? 97 -99 also use a cam position sensor ...
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