Crankshaft Position Sensor: Description and Operation

CRANKSHAFT POSITION (CKP) SENSOR

The crankshaft position (CKP) sensor circuits consist of an engine control module (ECM) supplied 5-volt reference circuit, low reference circuit and an output signal circuit. The CKP sensor is an internally magnetic biased digital output integrated circuit sensing device. The sensor detects magnetic flux changes of the teeth and slots of a 58-tooth reluctor wheel on the crankshaft. Each tooth on the reluctor wheel is spaced at 60-tooth spacing, with 2 missing teeth for the reference gap. The CKP sensor produces an ON/OFF DC voltage of varying frequency, with 58 output pulses per crankshaft revolution. The frequency of the CKP sensor output depends on the velocity of the crankshaft. The CKP sensor sends a digital signal, which represents an image of the crankshaft reluctor wheel, to the ECM as each tooth on the wheel rotates past the CKP sensor. The ECM uses each CKP signal pulse to determine crankshaft speed and decodes the crankshaft reluctor wheel reference gap to identify crankshaft position. This information is then used to determine the optimum ignition and injection points of the engine. The ECM also uses CKP sensor output information to determine the camshaft relative position to the crankshaft, to control camshaft phasing, and to detect cylinder misfire.