Crankshaft Position Sensor: Description and Operation

Crankshaft Position (CKP) Sensor:

PURPOSE
The Crankshaft Position (CKP) sensor is the primary sensor for ignition information to the Integrated Ignition Control Module (ICM).

CONSTRUCTION
The CKP sensor is a magnetic transducer mounted on the engine block adjacent to a 36 minus one-tooth trigger wheel located on the crankshaft. The trigger wheel has a total of 35-teeth spaced 10 degrees apart with one empty space for a missing tooth.

OPERATION
By monitoring the trigger wheel, the CKP output is a spiked sine wave that is proportional to crankshaft speed and position information to the integrated ICM. By monitoring the missing tooth (36-minus 1) design, the CKP is also able to identify piston travel in order to synchronize the ignition system and provide a way of tracking the angular position of the crankshaft relative to fixed reference.