All of the sensors and input switches can be diagnosed using a scan tool. Following is a short description of how the sensors and switches can be diagnosed by using a scan tool. The scan tool can also be used to compare the values for a normal running engine with the engine you are diagnosing.

The engine coolant temperature sensor is a thermistor - a resistor which changes value based upon the temperature - mounted in the engine coolant stream.

A low coolant temperature produces a high resistance (100,000 ohms at -40°C/-40°F) while a high temperature causes a low resistance (70 ohms at 130°C/266°F).

The PCM supplies a 5.0 volt signal to the engine coolant temperature sensor through a resistor in the PCM, and measures the voltage. The voltage will be high when the engine is cold, and low when the engine is hot. By measuring the voltage, the PCM calculates the engine coolant temperature. The engine coolant temperature affects most systems that the PCM controls.

The scan tool displays the engine coolant temperature in degrees. After engine startup, the temperature should rise steadily to about 90°C (194°F) and then stabilize when the thermostat opens. If the engine has not been run for several hours, the engine coolant temperature and the intake air temperature should be close to each other. A hard fault in the engine coolant sensor circuit should set DTC P0117 Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) Sensor Circuit Low Voltage , or DTC P0118 Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) Sensor Circuit High Voltage . An intermittent fault should set DTC P1114 Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) Sensor Circuit Intermittent Low Voltage , or DTC P1115 Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) Sensor Circuit Intermittent High Voltage . The DTC Diagnostic Aids also contains a chart to check for sensor resistance values relative to the temperature.

The ECT sensor (3) contains another circuit which is used to operate the engine coolant temperature gauge located in the instrument panel.

The mass air flow (MAF) sensor measures the amount of air which passes through the sensor. The PCM uses this information to determine the operating condition of the engine in order to control the fuel delivery.

A large quantity of air indicates acceleration, while a small quantity indicates deceleration or idle.

The scan tool reads the MAF value and displays the value in grams per second. At idle, the MAF value should read between 4 gm/s and 6 gm/s on a fully warmed up engine. The values should change rather quickly on acceleration, but values should remain fairly stable at any given RPM. A failure in the MAF sensor or circuit should set DTC P0101 Mass Air Flow (MAF) Sensor Performance , DTC P0102 Mass Air Flow (MAF) Sensor Circuit Low Frequency , or DTC P0103 Mass Air Flow (MAF) Sensor Circuit High Frequency .

The intake air temperature (IAT) sensor is a thermistor which changes value based upon the temperature of the air entering the engine. A low temperature produces a high resistance (100,000 ohms at -40°C/-40°F), while a high temperature causes a low resistance (70 ohms at 130°C/266°F).

The PCM supplies a 5.0 volt signal to the sensor through a resistor in the PCM and measures the voltage. The voltage will be high when the incoming air is cold, and low when the air is hot. By measuring the voltage, the PCM calculates the incoming air temperature. The IAT sensor signal is used to adjust the spark timing according to the incoming air density.

The scan tool displays the temperature of the air entering the engine, which should read close to the ambient air temperature when the engine is cold and rise as the underhood temperature increases.

If the engine has not been run for several hours the IAT temperature and the engine coolant temperature should read close to each other. A failure in the IAT sensor circuit should set DTC P0112 Intake Air Temperature (IAT) Sensor Circuit Low Voltage or DTC P0113 Intake Air Temperature (IAT) Sensor Circuit High Voltage .

The manifold absolute pressure (MAP) sensor responds to changes in the intake manifold pressure. The MAP sensor signal voltage to the PCM varies from less than 2.0 volts at idle to more than 4.0 volts with the key ON and the engine not running or at wide open throttle (WOT).

The MAP sensor is used to determine engine vacuum level for other diagnostics, to determine the barometric pressure (BARO), and to determine any manifold pressure changes while the linear EGR flow test diagnostic is being run. Refer to DTC P0401 Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) Flow Insufficient .

If the PCM detects a voltage that is lower than the possible range of the MAP sensor, DTC P0107 Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) Sensor Circuit Low Voltage will be set. A signal voltage higher than the possible range of the sensor will set DTC P0108 Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) Sensor Circuit High Voltage . An intermittent low or high voltage will set DTC P1107 Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) Sensor Circuit Intermittent Low Voltage or DTC P1106 Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) Sensor Circuit Intermittent High Voltage respectively. The PCM can also detect a shifted MAP sensor. The PCM compares the MAP sensor signal to a calculated MAP based on the throttle position and various engine load factors

The fuel control heated oxygen sensor (HO2S 1) is mounted in the exhaust manifold where the sensor can monitor the oxygen content of the exhaust gas stream. The oxygen present in the exhaust gas reacts with the sensor to produce a voltage output. This voltage should constantly fluctuate from approximately 100 mV to 900 mV. The heated oxygen sensor voltage can be monitored with a scan tool. By monitoring the voltage output of the oxygen sensor, the PCM calculates what fuel mixture command to give to the injectors.

The HO2S 1 circuit, if open, should set DTC P0134 HO2S Circuit Insufficient Activity Sensor 1 and the scan tool will display a constant voltage between 400-500 mV. A constant voltage less than 300 mV in the sensor circuit should set DTC P0131 HO2S Circuit Low Voltage Sensor 1 , while a constant voltage of more than 800 mV in the circuit should set DTC P0131 HO2S Circuit Low Voltage Sensor 1 . A fault in the HO2S 1 heater circuit should cause DTC P0135 to set. The PCM can also detect HO2S response problems. If the response time of an HO2S is determined to be too slow, the PCM will store a DTC that indicates degraded HO2S performance.

The throttle position (TP) sensor is a potentiometer connected to the throttle shaft on the throttle body. By monitoring the voltage on the signal line, the PCM calculates throttle position. As the throttle valve angle is changed as the accelerator pedal is moved, the TP sensor signal also changes. At a closed throttle position, the output of the TP sensor is low. As the throttle valve opens, the output increases so that at wide open throttle (WOT), the output voltage should be more than 4.0 volts.

The PCM calculates the fuel delivery based upon the throttle valve angle. A broken or loose TP sensor may cause intermittent bursts of fuel from an injector and unstable idle because the PCM thinks the throttle is moving.

A hard failure in the TP sensor 5.0 volt reference or signal circuits should set one of the following DTCs:

A hard failure with the TP sensor ground circuit may set the following DTCs:

Once a DTC is set, the PCM will use an artificial default value based on the engine RPM, the engine load, and the mass air flow for the throttle position and some vehicle performance will return. A high idle may result when either DTC P0122 Throttle Position (TP) Sensor Circuit Low Voltage or DTC P0123 Throttle Position (TP) Sensor Circuit High Voltage is set.

The PCM can detect intermittent TP sensor faults. DTC P1121 Throttle Position (TP) Sensor Circuit Intermittent High Voltage or DTC P1122 Throttle Position (TP) Sensor Circuit Intermittent Low Voltage will set if an intermittent high or low circuit failure is being detected.

The PCM can also detect a shifted TP sensor. The PCM monitors the throttle position and compares the actual TP sensor reading to a predicted TP value calculated from the engine speed. If the PCM detects an out of range condition, DTC P0121 Throttle Position (TP) Sensor Performance will be set.

The EGR pintle position sensor is an integral part of the EGR valve assembly. This sensor can not be serviced separately from the EGR valve assembly.

The PCM monitors the EGR valve pintle position input to ensure that the valve responds properly to commands from the PCM and to detect a fault if the pintle position sensor and control circuits are open or shorted.

If the PCM detects a pintle position signal voltage outside the normal range of the pintle position sensor, or a signal voltage that is not within a tolerance considered acceptable for proper EGR system operation, the PCM will set DTC P1404 EGR Valve Stuck Open .

The knock sensor detects abnormal vibration and spark knocking in the engine. The sensor is located on the engine block near the cylinders. The sensor produces an AC output voltage which increases with the severity of the knock. This signal voltage is sent to the PCM. The PCM then adjusts the ignition control (IC) timing to reduce the spark knock. DTC P0325 Knock Sensor (KS) Circuit and DTC P0327 Knock Sensor (KS) Circuit are designed to diagnose the PCM, the knock sensor, and related wiring, so problems encountered with the KS system should set a DTC.

Refer to Knock Sensor (KS) System Description description of the knock sensor system.

This vehicle may be equipped with Front(C60) and Rear(C34) A/C system. This system is designed to provide a comfortable environment inside the passenger compartment. The Rear(C34) A/C system is controlled by the Front(C60) HVAC Control Assembly. Both electronic and vacuum circuits determine air intake and discharge locations. PCM Controlled A/C operation is the same for either Front(C60) or the Front and Rear(C34) HVAC system. Refer to Powertrain Control Module Controlled Air Conditioning Description for more information regarding the PCM Controlled Air Conditioning system.

The electrical components of this unit are as follows:

For more information, refer to Transmission Component and System Description .

The 7X crankshaft position sensor provides a signal used by the ignition control module.

The ignition control module also uses the 7X crankshaft position sensor to generate 3X reference pulses which the PCM uses to calculate RPM and crankshaft position.

The 24X crankshaft position (CKP) sensor is used to improve the idle spark control at engine speeds up to approximately 1600 RPM.

The PCM uses this signal, from the ignition control module to calculate engine speed and crankshaft position over 1600 RPM.

The PCM also uses the pulses on this circuit to initiate injector pulses. If the PCM receives no pulses on this circuit, DTC P1374 Crankshaft Position (CKP) High to Low Resolution Frequency Correlation will set and the PCM will use the 24X reference signal circuit for fuel and ignition control.

This is a ground circuit for the digital RPM counter inside the PCM, but the wire is connected to engine ground only through the ignition control module. Although this circuit is electrically connected to the PCM, it is not connected to ground at the PCM.

The PCM compares voltage pulses on the reference input circuits to pulses on this circuit, ignoring pulses that appear on both.

The camshaft position sensor sends a CAM signal to the PCM which uses the signal as a sync pulse to trigger the injectors in the proper sequence. The PCM uses the CAM signal to indicate the position of the #1 piston during the piston's intake stroke. This allows the PCM to calculate a true sequential fuel injection (SFI) mode of operation. If the PCM detects an incorrect CAM signal while the engine is running, DTC P0341 Camshaft Position (CMP) Sensor Performance will set.

If the CAM signal is lost while the engine is running, the fuel injection system will shift to a calculated sequential fuel injection mode based on the last fuel injection pulse, and the engine will continue to run. The engine can be restarted and will run in the calculated sequential mode as long as the fault is present with a 1-in-6 chance of the injector sequence being correct.

The cruise control module sends the cruise status input to the PCM to indicate when the cruise control is engaged.

The PCM monitors the cruise status signal while commanding cruise to be disengaged via the cruise inhibit circuit. Any of the following conditions may cause the PCM to inhibit cruise control operation:

The PCM monitors the engine oil level switch signal at start-up to determine if the engine oil is OK. If the PCM determines that a low oil level condition exists, the PCM will communicate the information over the Class II circuit to the IPC and it will illuminate the indicator lamp.

The PCM monitors the engine oil pressure switch (1) signal to determine if the engine oil pressure is OK. If the PCM determines that a low oil pressure condition exists, the PCM will communicate the information over the Class II circuit to the IPC and it will illuminate the indicator lamp.

The PCM controlled lamps are intended to alert the driver to an operating condition which may require immediate attention. For information regarding other warning indicators or messages refer to Instrument Cluster Description , Driver Information Center (DIC) Operation , and Driver Information Center (DIC) Circuit Description in Instrument Panel, Gauges, and Console.

The Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) is located on the instrument panel and is displayed as CHECK ENGINE lamp.

MIL Function

MIL Illumination