car wont start says sensor error

car wont start says sensor error

car wont start at all says ignition sensor what is this how do I fix it?
I also have a 97 ford Taurus will a hole in my gas tank I need to fix but I have to drive everyday to work I know the best way is to empty it so I can repair but my work schedule wont allow me to do that is there another easier way without emptying my gas tank an what works best to patch the hole ?

Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :

Hi there:

We need to know what type of vehicle has the ignition sensor error to give you some advice, but you should have a professional mechanic complete a check engine light inspection to determine which sensor is faulty and replace it. Second, in regards to patching your fuel cell; we don’t recommend that to be done. It’s best and safer to replace the fuel tank.

How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?

Our sources include academic articles, blog posts, and personal essays from experienced mechanics :

Bad Sensors

Sensors that fail to send information to the computer may cause the engine to run less efficiently, and they can sometimes be the cause of an engine that won`t start. One common culprit for this problem is the crankshaft position sensor, which measures the position and speed of the crankshaft.

Hard start symptoms and starter failure may NOT be caused by the starter, but could actually be caused by the crankshaft position sensor. If your vehicle is experiencing one or more of these symptoms, the crankshaft sensor may be at fault.

Bad Crankshaft Position Sensor

Too late or too early and the air/fuel mixture won`t entirely combust, reducing performance and potentially failing to start the engine entirely. One of the reasons your spark plugs might be firing incorrectly is due to a faulty crankshaft position sensor.

The O2 sensor will not cause the no start. The no start can be caused by the fuel pump or the ignition system. You should check the engine for spark and fuel pressure, when it is not turning on to help narrow the problem down.

Dust, other contaminants, vibrations, shocks and exposure to high temperatures all have a shortening effect on the average lifespan of a sensor, so it is important to look for a solution that overcomes these problems by design, rather than just accepting frequent sensor failure and replacement as part and parcel of …

Poor Engine Performance

You bet. Moreover, you may also notice poor acceleration, engine misfires, and even stalling. Bad oxygen sensors disrupt all kinds of essential engine functions, including engine timing, combustion intervals, and air-fuel ratio.

A sensor can be triggered from an external source, such as a photocell. An external input can also be used to enable when time or encoder triggering is active. For example, as long as a target is detected by a photocell, the external input would enable internal triggering of scans.

Four common types of sensor faults: (a) bias, (b) drifting, (c) complete failure, and (d) precision degradation.

If a pressure sensor fails, it can cause the entire control system to fail and lead to inoperable equipment or system down time; depending on the type of system, significant damage can occur to the equipment and surrounding environment.

A faulty sensor could result in the engine overheating, where the PCM doesn`t know to turn on the fan when it is needed. Incorrect temperature readings could also result in the control system remaining in an “open loop”, which is a temporary state only meant to occur when the engine is cold-started.

Starting Trouble

A malfunctioning mass airflow sensor can also make it difficult to start your automobile. This can be due to the air and fuel in balance in the combustion chamber or because the main computer chip has received an error code from the sensor and does not want to start your car.

Oxygen sensor failure can often be traced to one of three common factors: Age and high mileage, an internal contaminant (poisoning) or an electrical issue. One or two wire unheated oxygen sensors should be inspected or replaced every 30,000 miles.

Sensor errors are deviations or differences between the true value of the physical quantity and the measured value by the sensor. Sensor errors can be classified into two main types: systematic and random.

Possible reasons of sensor error include: Previous sensor session wasn`t ended and the transmitter still trying to connect to old sensor. Sensor site bleeding during insertion. Incorrect transmitter SN entered in the display device.

The “Sensor Warning” message indicates that the analyzer has detected something wrong using its internal diagnostics.

That is why in general, it is unsafe to drive a vehicle with a broken wheel speed sensor. If the wheel speed sensor becomes damaged or wears out, initially you probably won`t notice much difference in the way your car performs if your ABS light comes on unless you are driving on slippery pavement.

It might be a battery or alternator problem.

If the source of the clicking is electrical, the starter (a small motor energized by the battery that gets the engine running) doesn`t have enough juice to stay powered. So instead, it rapidly turns on and off and produces a clicking noise!

The most common reason cars don`t start is a dead or faulty battery. Even though most cars run on gasoline, they all require electrical power to function. The starter that cranks your engine to start requires an electrical signal to fire. If something`s wrong with your battery, your car engine won`t turn over.

The sensors typically send out some type of energy — such as microwaves, ultrasonic waves or light beams — and can detect when the flow of energy is interrupted by something entering its path.

How Sensors Get Damaged. When other components aren`t working correctly they can damage the sensors. For instance, the coolant sensor may be damaged if the engine overheats. However, normal wear and use can also cause a sensor to fail, often seen with the throttle position sensor.

For example, if a pressure sensor with a full scale range of 100 psi reports a pressure of 76 psi – and the actual pressure is 75 psi, then the error is 1 psi, and when we divide this by the full scale and express it as a percentage, we say that accuracy (or error) of the sensor is 1%.

The car`s internal computer only resets after a set period where it checks all of its sensors once more. The reset can happen automatically after around 10 to 20 cycles. A cycle is a phase where you turn on the car and turn it off again. For other vehicles, you`ll have to drive around 50 to 100 miles before it resets.

Mass Air Flow Sensor

The Mass airflow sensor or MAF is one of the most crucial sensors used in automobiles. The MAF sensor is located near the air filter and monitors how much air is flowing into the engine.

Relevant Questions and Answers :

the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue

Map sensor car won’t start up good ?

ANSWER : Your MAP sensor is an important input for your computer. It helps determine the load on the engine to calculate the correct amount of fuel to inject. It sometimes takes a few seconds for the vehicle to realize that the sensor is not producing a good signal.

At that point, it will use other methods to determine the fuel rate, such as pre-programmed fuel maps, throttle position, etc. I would suggest replacing the MAP sensor and retesting. If you would like to have it checked first, a certified technician from YourMechanic will be able to scan your vehicle and test components to determine the root cause of your starting issue before making a repair.

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My car will not start Intermittently. I purchased a new battery 2 weeks ago and yesterday the car wouldn’t start. Got a jump and

ANSWER : The issue you are having is probably due to an intermittent fault in the starter motor itself or a deficiency in the starter electrical circuit, for example a large voltage drop due to a poor ground or a high resistance connection. These issues can be readily diagnosed and resolved on a mobile basis if you request a hard starting diagnostic. If you request that diagnostic, the responding certified mechanic will get this resolved for you promptly. Based on Toyota’s Factory Service Manual, the battery should not be disconnected if the vehicle engine is running. The battery acts as a large resistive voltage sink and consequently taking the battery out of the circuit, while the alternator is still running, can create a voltage spike on the car’s electrical system which is not good for voltage sensitive components such as the engine computer. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.

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Fuel pump engages. Batery good, alternator good volts, jump start helps when wont start. Temp does not matter. Intermittent?

ANSWER : Hello. Thank you for writing in. There are several reasons your vehicle may only start when jump starting. The first and most common is a build up of resistance that is causing you to need a boost of voltage to get the engine started. This may be due to poor battery cables, a bad ground connection, a poor starter solenoid, and a couple of other issues. The first thing you want to do is perform a visual inspection of the starting system. Make sure there is no corrosion build up in the battery cables. You can also check the resistance across these wires and make sure you have a solid connection between components. You then want to make sure the starter solenoid is doing its job. It is responsible for taking the small amount of electricity sent by the ignition and turning it into a huge electrical charge that is strong enough to push over the engine with the help of some gear ratios in its favor. Do some more testing, and stick to the basics before assuming its something seriously complicated.

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car hesitates when trying to start the car ,but when started then i shut car off and start again it will start right up

ANSWER : Hi there:

Sometimes when you have problems starting an engine initially it is caused by a restriction in fuel flow; caused either by clogged fuel injectors or the throttle body that needs to be cleaned. Once the fuel starts to flow and engine warms up, it’s much easier to start. However, it could also be an air filter, EGR valve or other components that causes this issue as well, which is why it’s best to have a professional mobile mechanic complete a car is hard to start inspection so they can pinpoint the source of this issue.

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My ignition and steering wheel got locked. After getting it unlocked, it wont start. System is saying start then an error shows.

ANSWER : Hi there. If you’re having problems with the steering wheel and ignition cylinder being locked and the vehicle is having issues starting, the problem may be with the ignition lock cylinder. Sometimes the components inside the ignition lock cylinder can wear out over time which can cause the symptoms you’re describing. If you need to have the problem scoped out further, a qualified professional from YourMechanic, can come to your car’s location to diagnose the steering issue and figure out why the vehicle will not start.

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Charging warning light comes on when i turn the key and try to start the car and the car want start but when someone tried to give

ANSWER : Hi there:

If you recently replaced your battery, the issue may be caused by a malfunctioning alternator or other electrical component that comprises the charging system on your Nissan Sentra. The best way to find out which item specifically is faulty, is to have a professional mobile mechanic complete a car is hard to start inspection. This will allow the mechanic to determine the precise source of what’s going on with your Sentra and recommend or complete the right repairs.

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My car stutter starts, but only after driving it for a few minutes.

ANSWER : Hey there. This may also be caused by what is called the fuel pressure regulator. This is a unit that helps to maintain the fuel pressure at the proper level. When this is not working properly, the fuel pump may be pumping properly, but the fuel may not arrive at the fuel injectors at the proper psi. When this happens, this can cause a lean fuel condition which may cause the car to hesitate, misfire, or stall. If you would like to have an expert pinpoint the issue, a certified professional from YourMechanic can come to your car’s location to inspect the hard start problem and confirm which repairs are needed.

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Why does my car start one day and the next day it wont start? The car will crank but wont turn over

ANSWER : Hello, thank you for writing in. With intermittent symptoms, diagnosis can take longer but is typically the same as diagnosing any other starting problem. The main issue is that you can only perform the testing needed when the issue is occurring. If the vehicle starts and works normally, all of the components are likely going to pass their tests. There are several components that will work intermittently. They include the fuel pump, charging system, a number of sensors, and any electrical connection that is loose. When the vehicle is not starting, test for fuel pressure, spark, and the electrical connection on any of the sensors that effects starting (air intake, camshaft/crankshaft position sensors). For more diagnostic help, contact our service department to schedule an appointment.

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