Crankshaft Position Sensor (Frontier & Xterra)

The crankshaft position sensor (OBD) is located on the transaxle housing facing the gear teeth (cogs) of the flywheel or drive plate on 4 cylinder engines and is located on the transmission housing facing the gear teeth (cogs) of the flywheel or drive plate on V6 engines. It detects the fluctuation of the engine revolution.

The sensor consists of a permanent magnet, core and coil. When the engine is running, the high and low parts of the teeth cause the gap with the sensor to change. The changing gap causes the magnetic field near the sensor to change. Due to the changing magnetic field, the voltage from the sensor changes. The ECM receives the voltage signal and detects the fluctuation of the engine revolution. This sensor is not directly used to control the engine system. It is used only for the on board diagnosis.