THE IMPORTANCE OF SENSORS, COILS AND SOLENOIDS
                     THE IMPORTANCE OF SENSORS, COILS AND 
SOLENOIDS
Paul Norman Jasper
Writer  whose topics include, 
replacement auto parts reviews at autopartsu.com 
and replacement car parts reviews at autopartsu.com
.
The sensors, coils, and solenoids in a vehicle are all component parts of your 
vehicle’s engine management system. Camshaft sensors, crankshaft sensors, 
ignition coils, MAF sensors, and VVT solenoids all work together in an internal 
combustion engine to monitor and delegate many different items and make 
corrections if possible.
THE CAMSHAFT SENSOR
The camshaft sensor is mounted on the camshaft. Its purpose is to generate a 
signal that indicates the top dead center on the vehicle’s number 1 cylinder. 
The electronic control module (ECM) uses this information to manage the 
fuel injection at the proper time and it also detects misfires. When the 
camshaft sensor fails, the sensor will not be able to supply the information to 
the ECM as it should and the computer will make a best guess. This is evident 
in an engine that will still run, but it has little performance when you step on 
the gas and the fuel mileage will drop considerably low at the same time.
THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR
The crankshaft sensor in an internal combustion engine monitors the location 
of the crankshaft in the engine. It uses this information to fine-tune the 
amount and timing of a fuel-injected engine. The crankshaft sensor uses 
electric induction to detect the precise position of the shaft. It will then send 
the information that it gathers to the vehicle’s computer. The sensor is placed 
directly next to the crankshaft, which has several pins in it. Each pin is an 
equal distance apart and near the crankshaft is a strong magnet. The 
combination of the pins and the magnet creates a constant magnetic field. 
When the crankshaft is spinning, the rotating pins cause a fluctuation in the 
magnetic field. The magnetic oscillation is what the crankshaft sensor uses to 
determine the shaft’s speed and position. If you have a faulty crankshaft 
sensor, the computer is unable to make fine-tuned adjustments and your 
engine will lose power and fuel efficiency.
THE IGNITION COIL
The ignition coil is a major part of every vehicle’s ignition system. It functions 
as an induction coil the converts the vehicle’s 12 volts from the battery into 
several thousand volts that are necessary to jump the spark plug gap and in 
doing so it ignites the engine’s air to fuel mixture for fire. Older ignition 
systems use one coil for the spark to all cylinders and newer ignition systems 
use one coil for each cylinder. Signs of a faulty ignition coil are the engine 
misfiring, idling roughly and a loss of power and acceleration as well as 
reduced gas mileage. In some cases, the engine will actually stall. Other 
symptoms of a faulty ignition coil are that the check engine light is 
illuminated on the dashboard or the car won’t start at all if there is no spark 
at all.
THE MAF SENSOR
A mass airflow sensor (MAF) reports the amount of air that is entering the 
engine to the power train control module (PCM). The PCM uses this gathered 
information to calculate the engine load. The most common design of a MAF 
sensor is the hot wire sensor. It includes one wire that is heated and another 
that is not. The microprocessor or computer in the MAF measures the 
amount of air flowing into the engine by how much current is needed to keep 
the hot wire about 200 degrees hotter than the cold wire. The MAF will 
increase or decrease the current to the heated wire when it senses a change, 
which will, in turn, cause the engine to gee more or less air as an adjustment. 
Symptoms of MAF failure are the engine running rich at idle or lean under a 
load, constantly running rich or lean and a rough idle or start.
THE VVT SOLENOID
The variable valve timing (VVT) solenoid uses electronic technology to apply 
variable electronic signals from the information gathered from the ignition 
system to a VVT solenoid. The VVT solenoid is responsible to control the flow 
of oil to the VVT system when it is engaged. The VVT system will activate 
when the vehicle is operating under load, with additional weight, 
accelerating or traveling up hills. When the solenoid activates, it sends oil to 
lubricate the variable valve timing chain and gear assembly. If the VVT 
solenoid fails, the timing chain and gear will wear out prematurely or break.
The best replacement for sensors, coils and solenoids are high quality and OE 
accurate to improve engine operation under high heat, so they are longer 
lasting than lower quality parts.
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