HALL SENDER - can I short it out?? Advice please.

[philKS2]

Ok.. I have a faulty Camshaft position sensor (or Hall Sender) and cos Vagparts have gone bust, and xmas and NYear hols... its going to take weeks to get replaced (part has to be ordered in from Germany)

...so.... as already written on this forum, I know pouring water down the back of the cambelt onto the sensor somehoe enables the car to start... presumably because the water shorts out the sensor.

so..... Can I Just SHORT OUT the sensor at the connector with a piece of wire?? Will this blow up the car/break anything else??? As a temportary fix??

Phil

[Jamo]

You can't simply short it out as it sends a voltage per cam revolution.

Have you spoken to S2_Bo?

You can also order it from GSF via the bosch number if you manage to sweet talk them or from any Bosch agent. I posted details on the forum.

[UrS4boy]

...so.... as already written on this forum, I know pouring water down the back of the cambelt onto the sensor somehoe enables the car to start... presumably because the water shorts out the sensor. so..... Can I Just SHORT OUT the sensor at the connector with a piece of wire?? Will this blow up the car/break anything else??? As a temportary fix?? Phil

Phil: I believe the cold water trick is NOT about shorting things out. It is about cooling the CPS down enough that it works again (for a while). Once the engine is started, the ECU will run the engine off the crank position sensor. If the Cam sensor fails again while running, the engine will continue to run until turned off but will NOT restart (the water trick *might* work again but the Cam sensor is doomed to die).

You should have got in on the group buy with BB AutoMacao re: HME301.

http://www.bbautomacao.com/products.asp?cat=14

[twoqu]

http://www.s2forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=32657

[nigelm]

Hall Sender

Just buy one from a Bosch dealer. A lot cheaper than a stealer.

Nigel

[Knight Rider S4]

Still have some

[ifa]

Water trick can help with cold engine too.

[Jamo]

Water trick is for hot engine not cold. If the engine is cold so should the sensor. Once you start having to use water it needs to be changed.

BTDT

[aelred]

never heard such a thing like pouring water LOL, there are more relible methods to start the car with the sensor down

[Fat Audi 80]

Well I have used the water trick once and never had to ever again. Don't ask me why or how it works, it just does!

That was on a COLD engine too and over a year ago!

Cheers,

Steve.

[Jamo]

never heard such a thing like pouring water LOL, there are more relible methods to start the car with the sensor down

It's off the forum, I thought it was a joke when I had it but Doug_RS2 explained it.

I changed the hall sensor and it was all back to normally.

[ericd]

never heard such a thing like pouring water LOL, there are more relible methods to start the car with the sensor down

and ?

[UrS4boy]

and ?

Yeh, really. If the cam position (hall effect) sender is dead and the water trick doesn't work, as far as I know the ONLY solution is to change the sender. The only other possible quick fix is a bad connection at the fuel rail harness (ABY, ADU and AAN).

Whatchu got Aelred?

[aelred]

When the sensor is dead the way I always managed to start a car is to connect a temporary wire to the signal pin on the hall sender (I always left the connector pluged in) and 2 people, whilst one person is cranking the engine, the other will touch the temporary wire on and off very quickly to a good earth. At some point the ecu will receive the expected signal.
This will unable you to start the engine. Once the engine starts it will be on "take you home" mode. As soon as you switch the engine off to restart is the same process, ultimately is only to get you home and you should replace the sensor if it is dead.

[UrS4boy]

When the sensor is dead the way I always managed to start a car is to connect a temporary wire to the signal pin on the hall sender (I always left the connector pluged in) and 2 people, whilst one person is cranking the engine, the other will touch the temporary wire on and off very quickly to a good earth. At some point the ecu will receive the expected signal.

I am very surprised that you were lucky enough to get the signal correct (I think it is based on a minimum of 28 engine RPM). However, you seem to have been lucky.

Of the three pins, which is the one that you short to ground?

Could be useful some time to someone.