94 Bonneville doesn't want to stay running

[JammieM]

I dont understand when your talking about camshaft mag. We just put a new camshaft sensor on so its there unless its somewhere else too...

[willwren]

The sensor picks up a signal from a magnet that rotates inside the cam sprocket. Take the sensor out, and crank the engine around with a socket on the crank bolt. You should either see a hole in the sprocket where the magnet should be, or a black plastic device holding the magnet every other full rotation of the engine when the #1 cylinder is at top dead center.

The magnet TRIGGERS the sensor. Without the magnet, the sensor has nothing to look for. This can affect ignition timing and injector pulse, fuel mileage, and driveabilitily.

In more simple terms, if you take the sensor out, you'll see the cam sprocket. Inside the cam sprocket there should be a hole with a magnet in it. To see it, you must rotate the engine around.

[JammieM]

Ok Im going to print all of this out. Now if the mag. is not there then what do we do?

[slug]

Inside the cam sprocket there should be a hole with a magnet in it. To see it, you must rotate the engine around.

Remember that the cam shaft only turns once per two crank revolutions, so be patient.

If you find that you're missing the magnet on the camshaft, just post again, and the "gearheads" will probably know what to do. (I know it's been a long haul).

(edited: I see some of our members have glued a new magnet button into the camshaft using JB Weld with a 24 hour cure. Total cost about $15. But you'd still want to get opinions from the gearheads and our admin who have already been following this thread).

[willwren]

The newer (92-99) magnets have metal clips holding them in and aren't really necessary to glue, but for safety I typically do it. In fact, I just did last weekend on myfirstbonnie's 2k, but we were installing a new cam sprocket. If you find it missing, and want to glue, you'll want to clean the pocket in the gear with some alcohol (not beer) and a q-tip first, then some hi-temp RTV in the pocket, and snap the magnet in. There's no telling where the old magnet may be stuck, but the odds of it coming by the sensor and giving a bad signal at the wrong time is very slim. A new magnet will work great.

This is all assuming you've lost the magnet, and there isn't really a great chance of that, but it's worth checking.

[JammieM]

I was telling my husband about this he said when he changed the camshaft sensor he put his finger in the hole behind it and it felt like it was all rusty. We are going to tinker some more with it and see what we can find out.

Thanks

[slug]

Be sure to give your hubby a pat on the back for noticing the corrosion and for being willing to go back in once more and fingering (literally) it out (wrap a Mr Coffe filter around his little finger or around a Q-tip and try to pull any loose stuff out with outward motions only, Use a little kerosene or light oil on the filter, especially for final cleaning).

Who knows--maybe this is the remnants of your magnet button, or maybe the corrosion has knocked the magnet button off the cam cog. Or not. But it's certainly worth trying to figure it out.

This is uncharted territory for the vast majority of our membership (including me), I'm sure. We're all learning and benefitting from what you're doing.

And BTW, I always miss things, and mess one or two things up when I try a new procedure (just ask bill buttermore har har).

[JammieM]

Here is an update. So far the car is going no where until this week and it will be moving due to us pushing it over to the other side of the drive way , but anyways we are still tinkering with it. My husband is off this week hes gonna check for corrosion and also test all the coil packs. But we got us a new vehicle and what would you know its a Pontiac. It seems these pontiacs keep calling our names. Naw I personally like Pontiac's first car I ever owned was a 91 grand prix sse I think it was. and I only pay 700 less then the 05 we just bought. Well heres the pics of the new vehicle we just got I hope it lasts for awhile we will be paying on it for 3 years. The place we got it from dropped the price big time we gave 8850.00 out the door for it. Of course we got a bank loan, but we got wheels now. We will still be working on the bonne so after we do what ya'll have suggested Ill be back with a it worked or its broke

Thanks everyone and slug you no how to get a hold of me I will keep you up to date via email





2005 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP

[Skippy1827]

ouch, a 3 year loan on an 05.
How many miles on it. It looks clean...
Must I say "white curse"

[JammieM]

My husband and I have NO credit so we are paying 22% interest it is worth it tho to build credit and have a vehicle. There is 69700. Its all leather on the inside, has onstar equip, xm equip its fully loaded. Blue Book if over 10,900 , so even with interest we are only paying about a grand over bluebook. And the white its going at tax time haha

[00Beast]

Mmmm, gotta love an L32. Congrats!

[JammieM]

Thank you and I do not mean to sound like a dummy but i am, what you mean by L32?

[00Beast]

L32 is the code for the supercharged engine under the hood of your new GTP.

[JammieM]

I see I think we got a good deal over all.

[Skippy1827]

I did a quick search around here, and same year 85,000 miles car was asking $9900. looks like you did good

[JammieM]

Yea we did. Right there is bluebook on the car. We paid under loan value but then we had taxes and fees that took it to 8850.00 out the door then we have all the interest to the bank. So as long as we have no break downs and dont have to shop it then we did good in 2.5 years if it isnt sitting in the driveway broke we did good hahah.


http://www.nadaguides.com/usedcars.aspx ... 1&mi=69613