2000 20vVIS starting trouble.Need cam sensor help!

Hi all, as above, have a 20v year 2000 vis.. Added to my collection a few years ago, was driving fine then, but last owner said difficulty starting at times... Fast forward now and all my attention was on my 50,000 barn find sprinty 20v turbo resto.... That's just about finished, and attention now to the sadly neglected vis..

New battery and first start attempt in maybe 4 years? Turns over, won't fire... Seems like no fuel, can't hear fuel pump prime.. Gave it a few hits and nothing.... Injector light stays on... Leads me to think either cam or crank sensor...

Anyone with valuable knowledge if the cam sensor on the vis is tricky to change? Is the crank easy? Also have a spare knock sensor, I think it is anyway, would this be any use to try?

Any help greatly appreciated, or any other thoughts or ideas... Have a obd connector kit for 3pin ports in the way, to try read the code in the meantime.... Thanks

Also have tried the fuel cut off switch and fiddled with the YCOD, with no joy, didn't unplug the connector for a look though..

I may get corrected here but the crank sensor being faulty usually manifests in a hot start issue. Im not too up on the vis but on the 20v turbo the crank sensor is mounted below the starter, held in by one bolt and has a wired plug. The knock sensor is right next to it.

Yeah in fairly sure it was the crank I replaced bout 12 years ago on my first coop, 16vt.....problems starting when hot... I can do simple enough things, bolt off, bolt on jobs myself, anything more involved I'd need a buddy of mine to help, while I watch

Thats what's leaning me to the cam sensor.... Any idea if I could attempt that change, or is it buried also in the vis engine? Thanks

It's a grand car also, bodywork very clean, be a shame for me to kill it completely....

Try cleaning behind the camshaft sprocket over the years it clogged up with debris which collects on the magnetic sensor

Use emery paper to clean the sprocket have a vacuum cleaner With electronic cleaner at hand

Report back your progress

Best

The VIS fuel system won't prime again once there's pressure in the lines, but the injector light is telling you there's an issue so the codes need reading first

Finally code the codes read.... The top code said fatal at the other side... I got excited and cleared them before I changed the language to English.... Car still won't start but injector light stays out and no more codes... Can anyone please shed any light? Thanks

Crank sensor, second one is cam sensor and Lambda

Cheers for quick reply.... If its the crank showing as fatal, is that the fault and that's why it threw the other 2 up as faults?

Apologies but I've no experience with reading codes on the coupes..thnak you cause I'm desperate at this stage!

If you've cleared the codes and they've returned the first one I'd try is renew the crank sensor as its easily accessible from underneath, if after that the cam continues to be an error then I'm afraid it's a little more involved.

Injector light hasn't returned yet... So no more codes to read... Will try turning her again tomorrow and see will it throw up and fresh codes...

Also is this the correct crank sensor for the vis? Thanks

The curiosity got the better of me and armed with a flash light I went out again... Turned her over a few more times and the injector light stayed on... Code read and its the crank sensor... Would ye wise heads reckon that's the only issue or could there be a cam sensor issue too? Thanks

Yes this is the VIS crank phase sensor

......... and if that's the only code now a new sensor should sort your issues, hopefully

Although... the crank sensor and the cam sensor are interrelated in that both are required to start the car (but only one needed once it's running; if it can't get one, it guesstimates it from the other) and it is possible for a fault on one to actually show as a fault on the other.

But I'd agree with Joe and replace the crank sensor first.

Thanks guys for the help, should have the new crank sensor with me tomorrow and I'll have a stab at changing it over, updates to follow!

Hi all, first chance to post an update....

So replaced the crank sensor today but still won't fire... Good news is pump is priming and fuel is reaching the fuel rail.

So progress....although disgusted it wasn't a simple fix

The plugs aren't wet though and on inspection, look terrible....
Tested the volts on the injectors and getting the 12 volts with ignition on and 9 volts on cranking... There's another wire that gives 3.3 volts?

Injector light is still on so will read that tomorrow/monday when I get the laptop... I'm hoping the light is still from the crank sensor error and will go out when it eventually fires, and that it isn't the cam sensor now.

So any ideas to try in the meantime? Thanks

Would be worth getting the voltage up with either another battery, jump leads, power pack etc. Things don't always work as they should on most EFI vehicles when the voltage drops that low.

20vt ECU stops working at around 9v, apparently to save the engine (it would run very lean if it tried to run the injectors on such a low voltage).

Sorry for the late update, she has finally roared back into life! Hooked the laptop wihh fiat multiscan up again, and there was a cam sensor error code... Cleared the code and started first time! Thanks for all the help much appreciated... Although could do with a little more help now on some more fun electrical problems with the lights.... I'll start a new thread now.. Thanks again all