Replaced Plugs - Now I have a cam position sensor CEL

[FourGunner]

Hi All, finally got around to doing some maintenance last night. Did serpentine belt, oil change and of course the spark plugs at 110k.

Immediately after performing the repairs I tried to start the car but am getting multi-terrain select unavailable, traction control light on and CEL. Autozone scan reports back P0393 - Camshaft Position sensor B Circuit High Input (Bank 2). I've removed the negative battery terminal for 1hr+, same result.

From what I've read so far, this sounds like an issue when removing the middle plug on the passenger side and pulling the wire loom a bit too hard thereby damaging the cam position sensor plug? Anyone experience this before? I'm just not sure which cam position sensor this specific error code is referring to, I know there are multiple.

Lastly, with the plastic oil filter housing, I can't recall if it was supposed to tighten to sit flush with the metal it is threading into. Mine is a good few mm away, but tightening any further makes me feel like I'll wreck the o-ring. I did place the o-ring in the correct position, fwiw.

Thanks!

 

[DougR]

This Tundra forum post talks about how to test wiring to the sensor. Camshaft sensor problem on my new to me tundra I realize the engine size is different. Perhaps wiring color and function as described for the Tundra is the same for the 4Runner.

 

[FourGunner]

This Tundra forum post talks about how to test wiring to the sensor. Camshaft sensor problem on my new to me tundra I realize the engine size is different. Perhaps wiring color and function as described for the Tundra is the same for the 4Runner.

Thanks Doug really appreciate it.

In case anyone comes across this in the future, on the driver side bank, the cam position sensor is between the #2 and #4 cylinder spark plugs on the exhaust side. The harness for this sensor is taped beyond the loom making for a short pigtail. It splits off the of the same set of wires that run to the coil pack for the #4 cylinder spark plug. In removing the coil pack, I must have stressed the loom to the point where one of the wires came out of the pin in the cam position sensor plug.

As I have read in my research, these plugs/wires are very brittle. Of the three wires on this sensor (Green w/black stripe, pink, solid green), the solid green wire on mine has come loose - not visible by the naked eye either. In messing with the plug, I noticed the wire came out. I forced it back in, codes gone, car runs fine. I will be replacing this with a new plug/pigtail which I will crimp onto the existing wires. Toyota does not sell this part, so its going to have to be aftermarket. Dorman 645-744 looks to be the right part.

Hope this helps save someone a few hours of time and a possible wallet raping from the dealer.

 

[azmcrae]

Thanx for sharing!
Had the same thing happen to me after a spark plug replacement and found the solution from you!

Thanks Doug really appreciate it.

In case anyone comes across this in the future, on the driver side bank, the cam position sensor is between the #2 and #4 cylinder spark plugs on the exhaust side. The harness for this sensor is taped beyond the loom making for a short pigtail. It splits off the of the same set of wires that run to the coil pack for the #4 cylinder spark plug. In removing the coil pack, I must have stressed the loom to the point where one of the wires came out of the pin in the cam position sensor plug.

As I have read in my research, these plugs/wires are very brittle. Of the three wires on this sensor (Green w/black stripe, pink, solid green), the solid green wire on mine has come loose - not visible by the naked eye either. In messing with the plug, I noticed the wire came out. I forced it back in, codes gone, car runs fine. I will be replacing this with a new plug/pigtail which I will crimp onto the existing wires. Toyota does not sell this part, so its going to have to be aftermarket. Dorman 645-744 looks to be the right part.

Hope this helps save someone a few hours of time and a possible wallet raping from the dealer.

 

[delloro]

In case anyone comes across this in the future, on the driver side bank,
Hope this helps save someone a few hours of time and a possible wallet raping from the dealer.

Thanx for sharing!
Had the same thing happen to me after a spark plug replacement and found the solution from you!

That is awesome!

 

[gm350reratliff]

Thanks Doug really appreciate it.

In case anyone comes across this in the future, on the driver side bank, the cam position sensor is between the #2 and #4 cylinder spark plugs on the exhaust side. The harness for this sensor is taped beyond the loom making for a short pigtail. It splits off the of the same set of wires that run to the coil pack for the #4 cylinder spark plug. In removing the coil pack, I must have stressed the loom to the point where one of the wires came out of the pin in the cam position sensor plug.

As I have read in my research, these plugs/wires are very brittle. Of the three wires on this sensor (Green w/black stripe, pink, solid green), the solid green wire on mine has come loose - not visible by the naked eye either. In messing with the plug, I noticed the wire came out. I forced it back in, codes gone, car runs fine. I will be replacing this with a new plug/pigtail which I will crimp onto the existing wires. Toyota does not sell this part, so its going to have to be aftermarket. Dorman 645-744 looks to be the right part.

Hope this helps save someone a few hours of time and a possible wallet raping from the dealer.

Just want to say thanks for this post!

I replaced the spark plugs over a year ago and when doing so I also accidentally pulled a wire out of the cam sensor plug. At the time, we were living in a rural area and I was changing the plugs late at night anyway so I pulled apart the plug and did my best attempt to re-pin it and gain a little slack in the harness. My temporary fix worked until yesterday when we returned home from Colorado, where we were on some rough roads at times. This morning I ran down to O’Reilly’s and picked up the pigtail you posted and replaced it. I feel so much better knowing I have a better fix in place and hopefully I’ll never have to mess with it again.

 

[clemson4runner]

Same exact issue on my 2011 4Runner

I changed my spark plugs and had same exact issue. You have saved me a lot of time. Thanks very much for posting this info!

 

[CutthroatSlam]

You are not alone on this. I pulled a wire out of the back of the plug to the secondary air valve. Solved it with a replacement pigtail plug. Theses plugs in the OEM harness are pinned very poorly.

 

[Diiplomat]

You are not alone on this. I pulled a wire out of the back of the plug to the secondary air valve. Solved it with a replacement pigtail plug. Theses plugs in the OEM harness are pinned very poorly.

Do you have the wire order handy by chance? I pulled mine tonight and have a pigtail harness arriving tomorrow, not sure the correct order of the Green/Green+Blk/Pink wires and have had no luck finding info or a photo on the correct order! :smow:

 

[CutthroatSlam]

Do you have the wire order handy by chance? I pulled mine tonight and have a pigtail harness arriving tomorrow, not sure the correct order of the Green/Green+Blk/Pink wires and have had no luck finding info or a photo on the correct order! :smow:

Sorry, I don’t. Vehicle is with my wife at our Montana home and I’m down in Fullerton, CA. I’ll be driving up starting 3/20.

 

[JoeyV]

Good info to have ahead of time as I'm doing the plugs on ours this spring. Thanks!