Q: My car showtimes take a few times to start. It turns off while I'm driving & sometimes jerks. I was told it's my crank sensor?

asked by on October 11, 2016

My car showtimes take a few times to start. It turns off while I'm driving and sometimes jerks. I was told it's my crank sensor, could it be that?

My car has 99000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

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Hi there, thanks for writing in. In short, yes, a crank position sensor that is damaged or out of alignment can cause the symptoms you are describing above. The crank positioning sensor monitors the position and rotational speed of the crankshaft and sends the information to the computer so that it can make the appropriate adjustments based on the operating conditions. If the sensor is faulty or damaged, it will either stop relaying information or worse, send faulty data to the ECM. This is what can cause the sudden stalls. However, this issue could be something else. I recommend having one of our certified automotive technicians from YourMechanic come to your home or office to inspect, diagnose, and repair the issue.

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