Cam Sensor Fault

[bobholthaus]

Hey everyone, I have hade the sensor issue going on for a while as well. My first attempt at fixing the issue was to wrap the hose in front of the sensor in titanium shield from DEI: but the light returned. Second thing I tried was to wrap the sensor wire in Heatshield Products 281021 Lava Tube Shield. I got this from summit. Lava shield seems to have worked so far. I’m going to keep both to try and keep as much heat as I can off the sensor. I did disconnect the sensor to make sure I got the lava tube as far down as I could over the sensor wire. I did not clean the sensor. I’ll add pictures later.
Also wear gloves when using the Heatshield.
If the light comes back, I’ll update this.
2023 Wrangler Rubicon 3.0l Farout edition.

This is great info. I look forward to seeing the pics. Also, I added the receipt from the dealer from the guy on the Gladiator Forum (my post above); I have not attempted this fix with my dealer yet. Ironically, my CEL went off about 4 days ago... this may be my longest stretch of it being off for 5 or 6 months.

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[CO2Wrangler]

I've asked the guys on the JTForum to post their actual paperwork where they wrapped the wiring in a heat-proof material that seemed to work. Evidentally this was a fix suggested by Stellantis. I will ask my dealer now if there is any update to the star bulletin S2318000011

update: this is what he got from his dealer. So far it’s working.

Based on this info, I would guess it's not heat, but EMF radiation (electromagnetic field). The thicker wires near the cam shaft sensor may be interfering with the signal reading.

Appreciate all of you who are experimenting and researching on behalf of the community.

 

[2023reignitin]

This is great info. I look forward to seeing the pics. Also, I added the receipt from the dealer from the guy on the Gladiator Forum (my post above); I have not attempted this fix with my dealer yet. Ironically, my CEL went off about 4 days ago... this may be my longest stretch of it being off for 5 or 6 months.

Same here! My CEL light went off the day before I was supposed to drop it off at the dealer. I've driven about 300 miles since then and I haven't seen it again. Will keep everyone updated if it comes back on.

Really appreciate everyone sharing their knowledge and experiences with this!

 

[bobholthaus]

Same here! My CEL light went off the day before I was supposed to drop it off at the dealer. I've driven about 300 miles since then and I haven't seen it again. Will keep everyone updated if it comes back on.

Really appreciate everyone sharing their knowledge and experiences with this!

Mine came back on today after about a week off.

 

[bobholthaus]

Update: mine stayed off for like 10 days or so; but then it came back. And now it’s back every couple of days again.

 

[cmheap]

Update: mine stayed off for like 10 days or so; but then it came back. And now it’s back every couple of days again.

I stopped giving a shit. My DPF is also throwing a code. I’m waiting for the cam shaft thing to be figured out(hopefully) and then I’m letting the piece of shit emissions shit roll down the highway. Over it.

making me sour about even owning it. I don’t want to take all my shit off it for them to fix their problems.

 

[CO2Wrangler]

If you wanted to experiment with the EMF radiation solution you can use aluminum foil on the cam sensor wires and the B+ wires like the gladiator dealer suggested.

If it works you can find the same shielding in tape form as a more permanent solution.

The twisting of the wires is a tactic also used to cancel out interference but not sure how easy that might be for a garage fix.

 

[bobholthaus]

I stopped giving a shit. My DPF is also throwing a code. I’m waiting for the cam shaft thing to be figured out(hopefully) and then I’m letting the piece of shit emissions shit roll down the highway. Over it.

making me sour about even owning it. I don’t want to take all my shit off it for them to fix their problems.

I know this feeling. It's not today that I am worried about; it's when my 8 year, 125,000 mile warranty expires. I love this thing; the diesel is such a "perfect" engine for this platform. Except for the fact that it's a pain in the ass. And only get worse at it ages.

 

[bobholthaus]

If you wanted to experiment with the EMF radiation solution you can use aluminum foil on the cam sensor wires and the B+ wires like the gladiator dealer suggested.

If it works you can find the same shielding in tape form as a more permanent solution.

The twisting of the wires is a tactic also used to cancel out interference but not sure how easy that might be for a garage fix.

I would be willing to try this. What are the B+ wires? And how far do I need to wrap the foil around the cam sensor wires? Why the heck not? I'd even be willing to buy tape as a try if you have any suggestions for that.

 

[CO2Wrangler]

I would be willing to try this. What are the B+ wires? And how far do I need to wrap the foil around the cam sensor wires? Why the heck not? I'd even be willing to buy tape as a try if you have any suggestions for that.

B+ is the positive battery wire. Keep the foil away from any bare wire or the terminal itself, just wrap the coated portion. Best guess if I was doing it. I would wrap as far as you can on the cam sensor wire and the B+ just enough to keep it shielded near the cam sensor.

Maybe this stuff: Faraday Fabric Tape 1inch x 50 Feet Double Conductive Cloth Tape with Acrylic Adhesive, for Electrical Connection, Grounding, EMI Shielding, Wire Harness, Display Repair, Cable Interference Blocking https://a.co/d/aRVPGWf

 

[bobholthaus]

B+ is the positive battery wire. Keep the foil away from any bare wire or the terminal itself, just wrap the coated portion. Best guess if I was doing it. I would wrap as far as you can on the cam sensor wire and the B+ just enough to keep it shielded near the cam sensor.

Maybe this stuff: Faraday Fabric Tape 1inch x 50 Feet Double Conductive Cloth Tape with Acrylic Adhesive, for Electrical Connection, Grounding, EMI Shielding, Wire Harness, Display Repair, Cable Interference Blocking https://a.co/d/aRVPGWf

Thank you for this info. See my pic:

"Red" wire: this is the cam sensor wire - it's about 10" longer (.25" in diameter - in plastic loom that is not removable)
"Blue" wire: this is a big loom of wire that the sensor wire terminates into - this is the closest wire to the cam sensor wire (~1" in diameter, wrapped in fabric tape) - appears to terminate into the yellow wire under the engine cover
"Yellow" wire: this a big loom that runs up to the battery positive - wrapped in fabric tape mainly, but isn't a wire that could be easily wrapped - this appears to terminate into the blue wire and the sensor wire
"Purple" wire: comes off of the yellow wire and is also wrapped in fabric tape but couldn't be wrapped anywhere close to the sensor

The challenge is is that the red sensor wire terminates into the large blue wire. So would I wrap the red wire and the blue wire with the tape? There isn't much there to tape.

A guy in my office (low volt technology integration) told me that I should start with a ferrite ring and install a couple of them on the sensor wire. That flex loom on that wire is exactly 1/4" in diameter. I am purchasing these to start to see if it helps:
https://a.co/d/fF2y4cY

If this doesn't work, I'll then buy the mentioned tape and try to wrap the red and blue section, which are right next to each other.

Dealer update: I talked to my dealer yesterday and I am not getting much help from the service manager or the service writer. My desk guy, who is awesome, gets the whole story; he read the info from the other dealer. But he thinks I'll likely need to open a case/complaint with Jeep to get his bosses to call Jeep and see if they will be reimbursed to try the same fix. Since there's no official TSB, he has to live off of the star case, which says that it's intermittent and they don't have a solution yet. So even though those of us following here know of at least one solution that appears to be working, the dealership cannot implement it until it becomes and official solution (via TSB). Make sense?

I am still wide open to comments and advice. The ferrite rings are $8 for a set of 20; the tape is $10. I'll try both, one at a time, and keep you all posted. Thanks!

 

[CO2Wrangler]

Thank you for this info. See my pic:

"Red" wire: this is the cam sensor wire - it's about 10" longer (.25" in diameter - in plastic loom that is not removable)
"Blue" wire: this is a big looom of wire that the sensor wire terminates into - this is the closest wire to the cam sensor wire (~1" in diameter, wrapped in fabric tape) - appears to terminate into the yellow wire under the engine cover
"Yellow" wire: this a big loom that runs up near the battery positive - wrapped in fabric tape mainly, but isn't a wire that could be easily wrapped - this appears to terminate into the blue wire
"Purple" wire: comes off of the yellow wire and is also wrapped in fabric tape but couldn't be wrapped anywhere close to the sensor

The challenge is is that the red sensor wire terminates into the large blue wire. So would I wrap the red wire and the blue wire with the tape? There isn't much there to tape.

A guy in my office (low volt technology integration) told me that I should start with a ferrite ring and install a couple of them on the sensor wire. That flex loom on that wire is exactly 1/4" in diameter. I am purchasing these to start to see if it helps:
https://a.co/d/fF2y4cY

If this doesn't work, I'll then buy the mentioned tape and try to wrap the red and blue section, which are right next to each other.

Dealer update: I talked to my dealer yesterday and I am not getting much help from the service manager or the service writer. My desk guy, who is awesome, gets the whole story; he read the info from the other dealer. But he thinks I'll likely need to open a case/complaint with Jeep to get his bosses to call Jeep and see if they will be reimbursed to try the same fix. Since there's no official TSB, he has to live off of the star case, which says that it's intermittent and they don't have a solution yet. So even though those of us following here know of at least one solution that appears to be working, the dealership cannot implement it until it becomes and official solution (via TSB). Make sense?

I am still wide open to comments and advice. The ferrite rings are $8 for a set of 20; the tape is $10. I'll try both, one at a time, and keep you all posted. Thanks!

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I see your dilemma.

The ferrite rings will be very dependent upon where you place them.

You can tape the outside of that loom if you needed to as long as that tape doesn't make contact with exposed wire or a ground point. Technically, if the tape works you can tape over it with electrical tape if you wanted to ensure it wouldnt short something, particularly on the B+ path up near the battery.

 

[bobholthaus]

I see your dilemma.

The ferrite rings will be very dependent upon where you place them.

You can tape the outside of that loom if you needed to as long as that tape doesn't make contact with exposed wire or a ground point. Technically, if the tape works you can tape over it with electrical tape if you wanted to ensure it wouldnt short something, particularly on the B+ path up near the battery.

Thank you for your thoughts. I am thinking that since the blue wire does drop down pretty much next to the sensor as well, it could fairly easily be wrapped in tape. I'm not worried about shorting anything; it's all already wrapped in some kind of loom. I would just wrap the new tape over the top of the existing fabric or loom.

My larger concern was the need to wrap the yellow and/or purple, or the junction of the yellow/blue/red under the engine cover (I confirmed that they DO come together). Since the ferrite units and the tape are inexpensive, it's all worth a try. I was thinking two to three of the ferrite units along the sensor wire to start (there are four in each size in that kit I bought, and one of them is .27" inside diameter, so it should fit that sensor wire perfectly. One at each end I can get to, and one in the middle. Not sure if that does anything, but for $8, it's worth a try to start!)

I'll post results as they come up. I went almost 10 days with no CEL last week, but then this week it started again. Shaking my head.

 

[bobholthaus]

Okay, I installed the ferrite rings from Amazon; if one is good, three must be better! (And just fit the wire perfectly). This took 1 minute to put these on.

I will be shocked if this works, but the check engine light did go off after my second start putting these on. I’ll keep updating this thread. Thanks.

 

[CO2Wrangler]

Okay, I installed the ferrite pieces from Amazon; is one is good, three must be better! (And just fit the wire perfectly). This took 1 minute to put these on.

I will be shocked if this works, but the check engine light did go off after my second start putting these on. I’ll keep updating this thread. Thanks.



View attachment 912787

View attachment 912789

Damn, those things sure are beefy. My fear was that the noise would be introduced closer to the battery wire and that putting them near the sensor might not work, but hoping for the best for you!

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