Flaky crank angle sensor?

[ORCGuide]

'88 SE V6 Auto

 

She's dead sexy and not diggin the cold.

 

Keeps throwing DTC 11 Crank angle sensor.

 

Start the truck, wait until the idle drops from 1750 down to 1000 and the temp gauge starts to move. Then drive slowly out of the driveway and more or less idle it the two blocks to the highway.

At the highway, it's a left turn into a 70 km/h (46? mph) zone with fairly heavy traffic. POWER switch on, hammer the gas and. . . bog on launch. Or, walk into it and suffer mild detonation; feels like an intermittent miss. It'll do that all the way into the city 13 km (~8 miles) and usually while I'm going wherever. After stopping and doing whatever, the truck will usually run perfectly after that. for the rest of the day. Srsly wtf?

 

Whatever, all of the signs and symptoms point to the Crank angle sensor. I tried blowing and vacuuming debris out to the distributor under the plate under the rotor. That seemed to help a bit but it still does it.

 

Is the CAS a repairable item? Is it just a matter of reflowing a couple of cold soldered joints and getting another 24 years out of the truck? Or does it really need to be replaced?

I can't really afford to get one from Autozone. $320!!

I'll see what NAPA and the stealership want for one on Monday. And maybe visit the local NIssan friendly wreckers (not wallet friendly though. . .)

 

Any input anyone?

[ORCGuide]

Local Nissan dealership wants me to buy a whole new distributor for $7-800.

NAPA wants $378.

 

Seriously? Isn't this a $20 part?

[adamzan]

Have you checked rock auto? I think you might be able to buy the sensor separately. I recently had to replace my distributor so I feel your pain! (of paying through the nose for parts in canada)

[ORCGuide]

That's more like it. $125 or $158 + $30 shipping and who knows what for duty and another 5% for the feds. . .

 

Probably pretty close to the $262.80 from Elbonian tire. . .