[s-cars] Deleting the Cam Position Sensor??

[Dave Forgie]

Steve: That is good news bad news. The bad news, you've already proven that
the fuel pump can't be jumpered to get things to work because the ECU needs
the Cam sensor input to fire the injectors.  The good news is, you just told
us all that losing a cam sensor on a trip will be a pain but it is not then
end of the world - if you have a friend with a can of ether to get the engine
fired and past some low RPM threshold.

A can of ether should now go in the emergency box along with a spare fuel pump

and, in my case, a prepped 1.8t coil pack.

Dave F.

Steve Powers wrote:

> Dave -
>
> > So given all that, it MIGHT (I stress might) be possible to jumper the
> > fuel pump relay when the cam position sensor fails and get the car to
> > start.  It all depends whether the ECU programming has a protocol that
> > prevents the ignition from firing as well as the fuel pump relay if
> > there is no cam sensor signal.  If it does have that protocol, then only
> > somebody who can modify the ECU could get it to work.  This would be
> > expensive to pay somebody to figure it out.  Easier just to replace the
> > cam sensor.
>
> when the wire on my cam sensor broke, it behaved no differently than a
> failed sensor. while debugging, I discovered that jumping the fuel
> pump does no good because the ECU requires the presence of the signal
> before it turns the injectors on while starting (likely below some RPM
> threshold). I got around that by providing my own "fuel" in the
> cylinders by squirting ether into the air intake. the car started and
> ran just fine without the sensor - it was the starting ritual that was
> the bitch.
>
> my $.02
>
> Steve Powers



Steve Powers wrote:

> Dave -
>
> > So given all that, it MIGHT (I stress might) be possible to jumper the
> > fuel pump relay when the cam position sensor fails and get the car to
> > start.  It all depends whether the ECU programming has a protocol that
> > prevents the ignition from firing as well as the fuel pump relay if
> > there is no cam sensor signal.  If it does have that protocol, then only
> > somebody who can modify the ECU could get it to work.  This would be
> > expensive to pay somebody to figure it out.  Easier just to replace the
> > cam sensor.
>
> when the wire on my cam sensor broke, it behaved no differently than a
> failed sensor. while debugging, I discovered that jumping the fuel
> pump does no good because the ECU requires the presence of the signal
> before it turns the injectors on while starting (likely below some RPM
> threshold). I got around that by providing my own "fuel" in the
> cylinders by squirting ether into the air intake. the car started and
> ran just fine without the sensor - it was the starting ritual that was
> the bitch.
>
> my $.02
>
> Steve Powers