The advanced design of your Mercedes engine includes many sensors to monitor and detect engine operating conditions and adjust fuel delivery and timing. The camshaft position sensor determines the precise position of your camshafts and adjusts the fuel ejection and firing of the ignition system for maximum power and efficiency.
If your camshaft sensor gets worn or damaged, your engine can suffer several problems that make it difficult or impossible to drive. Knowing the symptoms can help you understand what is wrong and know when it is time to contact a qualified shop to service your Mercedes and get it running properly again.
What to Watch For
These are some of the common symptoms to watch for to know if your camshaft position sensor is having issues:
- Drivability issues: Problems during acceleration or at idle can indicate that your camshaft position sensor isn't detecting the position of your camshaft correctly. You may experience hesitation, stumbling, vibrations or stalling.
- Problems starting your vehicle: Your vehicle may take a long time to start or not start at all if the camshaft position sensor is damaged. This problem tends to get worse as time goes on, to the point that your vehicle won't start at all.
- Check engine light: There can be many reasons that your check engine light comes on, but a faulty camshaft position sensor is a common cause. As your sensor drifts out of range, your ECU detects a malfunction and turns on the dashboard warning light.
These are all issues you can detect as a driver. While they may not keep you from driving your Mercedes at first, you never know when the problem will get worse and your camshaft position sensor will fail completely. That's why it is critical to have your car inspected and serviced by a qualified service center.
Reading an Error Code
When you bring your Mercedes to us here at Burdi Motorworks, we will start by hooking up a diagnostic tool to your vehicle through the OBD port. This allows us to access information on a host of engine management systems, including the camshaft position sensor. An error code of P0340 in a Mercedes indicates a faulty camshaft position sensor, which can be due to a faulty sensor itself or problems with the wiring.
Once we know what's wrong, we can quickly replace the damaged parts and get back on the road again. That's the advantage of turning to a qualified shop with over 25 years of experience servicing Mercedes vehicles. Come and discover how Burdi Motorworks has become a leading Chicago-area service center specializing in Mercedes cars, SUVs and vans and trust your vehicle to our capable and experienced technicians. Contact us to schedule an appointment and bring your Mercedes to us so that we can correct your camshaft position sensor problems today.