i have a 1990 firebird with a 3.1l and am thinking i need a crank position sensor.(mechanic said could be my problem) was wondering the location or if i even have one. i cant find it and my hayes manual says nothing about it

 

Your car uses a distributer. Inside the distributer is an LED sensor which "senses the camshaft." You do not have a CKS.

 

As mentioned you don't have a Crank Position Sensor.

But the pick up is not optical, it is a magnetic trigger.

 

Take it to a different mechanic, he doesnt know WTF hes talking about.

 

Ahh, my bad and I stand corrected. Magnetic trigger is gm's name for a permanet magnet sensor, right?

 

Yeah sort of but the dizzy is a coil type, the actual name is eluding me at this point. I want to say hall effect, but I don't believe that's it.
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x3 (I'm letting one of my other personalities vote too )

I forgot to mention that in my last post.

 

Magnetic Reluctor, that's what it's called. It has 1 set of fixed poles and one set that rotates with the shaft.

Hall Effect is when you use a metal vane to cut off electrical flow.

 

Yes, thank you, reluctor was the word that was eluding me.

 

thought I might suggest looking at the date on a thread before you post. this post is 4 years old. 3.4s have a crank sensor, 2.8s and 3.1s don't.