04 civic will only run with cam sensor unplugged

kellyf · October 19, 2011

Buddy changed timing belt on 04 civic.now will only run with cam sensor unplugged.Any honda guys out there?

lmorris · October 19, 2011

By unplugging the cam sensor it must be in default. I would hazard a guess that the cam with the trigger wheel is out of time enough to shut down the engine. Or the sensor or trigger wheel got damaged in the process.

Fredsvt · October 20, 2011

Sounds like it's out of time. Usually it should code a P0341, a kind of generic Honda code for cam/crank correlation. Since this is a sohc vtec, it's only got one sprocket to line up. The dohc 2.0 is chain drive in '04.

When he put the belt on, it's real easy to roll the crankshaft, and once the belt is on the crank mark on the oil pump is obscured by the belt. Putting the stupid "self" adjusting tensioner on the 1.7 is a pita as the instructions have to be followed to a "t". If not, when the motor turns, the cam and crank are out of time. All the older D series Honda motors had manual, locking spring loaded tensioners.

He can pull the valve cover, on the 1.7 it's a bitch with all the coils, brackets and junk, the upper timing cover and roll the motor till the white mark lines up with the pointer on the lower cover. Obviously "up" should be up, and the two marks on the pulley should be parallel up with the top of the plastic inner timing cover, and NOT the two arrows on the inner cover itself.

As an aside, did he run the valves (stone cold) while the cover was off the first time? All Hondas have adjustable valves.

Only other thing I can think of, if the CMP was somehow damaged, and now doesn't make a signal, although it's "there" electrically, the PCM may not allow it to start, but would start if it's disconnected, as morris mentioned in default.