OBD II P0341 Scan Code

I have a '99 Saturn SL2 with the service engine soon light on. I took it by Autozone and the error that came up on the OBD II scan tool was P0341 Camshaft Position Sensor Circuit Range/Performance.

I was wondering if anyone has any experience troubleshooting this specific code and whether this is a sign of a potentially big problem or something relatively minor.

Thanks in advance,
Jason

Hi Jason,

I am encountering the same problem. I have a p0341 code on my 1999 saturn sl2. The really strange thing is that I went to Autozone in Laurel, MD 20707 and they pulled the code for me. Is this the same Autozone? Well my Saturn is still having the problem. Did you find a solution???

Thanks,

Dave

hello, the P0341 code is a fluke in the programming. saturns don't have a cam sensor. you need to hop into a saturn dealer and have the PCM- power control mod recalibrated to correct the false code.

I just got a P0341 on my 2000 Saturn SL1.
I read somewhere that a guy replaced the spark plug wires and spark plugs and the problem went away. So, I bought some new plugs, gapped them to .040 and installed. Borrowed a scantool to reset the computer and so far the problem is gone. Tomorrows drive to/from work should settle the issue. By the way, the gap on the old plugs was cyl. #1 - .047, cyl #2 - .040, cyl #3 - .047, cyl #4 - .043, so it is possible that just cleaning and regapping might of worked, but the little maintenance cheat sheet says replace the plugs every 30,000 miles, well after 55,000 miles, I figure maybe I ought to do it.

P0341 is not a fluke in the programming. saturns do not have a camshaft sensor, however, the PCM uses the ignition signal from the #4 cylinder as a camsensor to determine the camshaft position. the code is almost always caused by a misfire. replace the plugs (with OEM NGK's) and the plug wires. check your coil towers for corossion, if there is any present, replace them(some people just clean them, but i would recommend replacing them). this will correct the problem.

i have a 1998 saturn that has that po341 code on it and we replaced the plugs and wired and that didnt help. what else

your in luck, i just posted this two days ago... http://www.saturnfans.com/forums/showthread.php3?s=&threadid=43380

Sierrap615, Just read your post on saturnfans. that is good advice. I figure that the computer must read the resistances somehow and if they get outta spec, then it sets the code. So keeping the ignition circuit clean is going to be key here.

I live in SoCal and don't go near the beach often enough to have to worry about the salt air, but I reckon this could be a problem in the rust belt area.

I spoke too soon that code is not showing up on my car anymore but now i have a "catalyst effeciency below threshold" do you think that is an o2 sensor or my catalytic converter. just wondering thanks.

it is not a fluke in the program for all of you uneducated so called wanna be mechanics, just ask the saturnman,and i will give you a straight answer.. 0341 is a ground problem with the ignition module....a cheap fix is to remove the ignition module,cleal the surface of the trans and back of module,replace bolts and plug wires along with .040 gap plugs.clear code.. if light comes back on,replacement of ignition module is needed............

anyone know anything about the po420 code for a 1998 saturn sl1 thanks.

DTC P0420
Catalyst System Low Efficiency

most likey a bad cat, but possibly a bad O2 sensor or leak in the exhaust system. take it to you local saturn dealership, that cat may be covered by the 8yr federally mandated warrenty

thanks sierrap615 but i dont think i have that warrenty cuz this one has been wrecked before. and there is no saturn dealers anywhere around me so ill just fix it myself. thanks alot though

I believe your response to this error code might fix my problem. I'm going to replace the ignition module next.

By the way, many Saturns DO have a camshaft/crankshaft position sensors! Your dealer might call it a crankshaft postion sensor while many after market part companies will call it camshaft. Doesn't matter, it is the same sensor. It is located slightly above and behind the starter. To find it, you must find the starter, located on the backside and under the engine. Jack up the car and reach your hand (hope it isn't as fat as mine) above the starter and feel for the sensor since you can't see it. You are trying to feel for a wire connector with a 10 mm bolt underneath it. The 1 bolt is the only thing holding the sensor on.

My local dealership (Southern California) says that the sensor itself rarely fails. And after looking at one, I can see why. It doesn't appear to have any transistors or computerized parts on it.

What many times the problem is, assuming it really is a problem with this sensor (many times it isn't), is a broken or about to be broken or exposed wire to the sensor. The 2 wires that go to the sensor are poorly placed. The wire protection is not enough and the wires are bare for at least 8 inches, on a hot area of the engine.

After taking out the sensor and making sure it is clean, check the wires.

slow down mortgagewiz. i think you are talking about two different problems. first the camshaft and crankshaft are two seperate parts, and every Otto cycle engine has both(except Formula 1 race cars, but thats a different subject).

The crankshaft receives a linear force from the pistons/connecting rods and converts it to a rotational force, then sends the energy to the transmission and any other assecerys.

the Camshaft (or Camshafts) is timed to and powered by the crank shaft and controls the opening and closing of valves, it can also drive assecerys. the camshaft turns at 1/2 crankshaft speed on 4-stroke engines.

by montoring the crankshaft, the PCM can determine the engine position or more specifcly the pision position. by montoring the camshaft, and combining it with the crankshaft position, the PCM can now determine which stroke each piston is on. this information is used for missfire diagonois, SFI, and coil-over-plug spark timing. since the S-series uses DIS, the later is not important.

the sensor you are discribing is the crankshaft sensor, and as my link above says, the S-series doesn't use a typical camshaft sensor, instead it creates a fake signal by watching the #4 spark plug for timing.

and whatever your method of finding that the ignition module is bad, i suggest you rethink it. i have talked to several techs that have worked for saturn dealerships, and between all of them, i have heard two times the ignition module need replaced: one was in a flood and the other had battery acid leaking onto it. however, sometimes the mounting bolt start to rust, which leads to a bad ground. the crankshaft sensor isn't rare to fail, but it isn't common. there is a transiter inside. test it with a ohm meter, it should be 700-900 ohms, then wave a peice of metal near it, the reading should go to zero.

Geeze, I, as do most people in the world, know the difference between a camshaft and a crankshaft! My point is that some people, depending on who you talk to, will call the sensor a CAMSHAFT SENSOR, and some people will call the sensor a CRANKSHAFT SENSOR. My point isn't that a camshaft and a crankshaft are the same thing. My point is that when referring to a the SENSOR, you must know the one I'm talking about, the SENSOR is the same thing. I understand that there is a correct term for the sensor, and Saturn probably named it, it's just that the automotive world is imperfect.

Listen, in the competition of knowledge, YOU WIN, HANDS DOWN! I was only trying to add what little I know about a sensor that rarely fails.

BTW, thanks for your input on the sensor. I didn't know they could fit a transistor in that thing.

Also, I still stand by my earlier response. The sensor has an indention on the end of it that fills up with grime that keeps the metal part inside the sensor from doing its job. Cleaning that part out then reinstalling it is a way of fixing the problem, if it is the sensor. Testing the sensor is always the best way of determining the sensor's functionality, but some home mechanics, me included, don't keep sensor testing equipment at home and won't spend the 50-350 bucks to get the equipment when you can just as easily test the car itself.

Car runs fine=problem fixed
Car still runs bad=try something else

And, once again, those wires can become frayed.



I don't know why I'm even spending so much time about this stupid sensor anyway. That sensor hardly ever goes out. I believe when the code trips on the code reader, it is almost always something else. Saturnman had a good response to the post as the likely real problem.

Lastly, I will never trust any ignition modules on GM cars. 2 ignition modules of the 4 GM cars I have owned have gone bad. Actually, one went bad on the same car twice and one went bad on another car. It just might be that I keep my GM cars too long. For example, my Buick, which had the sensor go out twice, I had well over 150k miles. My Saturn, which I suspect is the module thanks to Saturnman, is at 145k miles.

This thread really helped me with replacing the crankshaft sensor on my car.

First, from what one auto parts store told me, the government made all car manufactureres conform to one set of codes in order to make devices like the OBD work for all vehicles. Shops and manufacturers probably hate this because it helps people find problems with their car instead of having to go to a shop and pay 100s of dollars for simple replacement part fixes. The OBD II for my Saturn said I needed a camshaft sensor and also listed a number of other error codes. I bought a crankshaft sensor and the camshaft sensor error code and all the other error codes no longer show up on the OBD II. If the sensor is at the bottom of the engine, it's a crankshaft sensor. If it's near the top of the engine, it's a camshaft sensor.

The crankshaft sensor on a Saturn SL2 1996 is a black plastic covered cylinder shaped device, 3 1/2 inches long by 3/4 " diameter.

It's located above the starter but foward so you can't see it unless you use a mirror, which is what I did. Obviously you'll have to look at your new sensor in order to know what you're looking for when trying to find the old sensor on your car. You'll probably need a flash light to do the job. Don't take the wire connection off the sensor until you have it pulled out of the engine block; it can be difficult to pull the sensor out and the connector helps get a grip on it.

More propaganda. Forget you ever heard "the crankshaft sensor rarely goes bad". That statement is designed to get you to take your car to the shop. The crankshaft sensor is only $15, less than new plug wires. The guy on this page http://www.aa1car.com/library/saturn04.htm spent a bunch of money on an ignition module and plug wires and wasted time doing all sorts of electrical testing only to find he only needed a $15 crankshaft sensor. If your car has a lot of miles on it (75,000) and you're getting the P0341 code, the crankshaft sensor should be the first part you change - not the last part you change.

No matter what a mechanic or a car manufacturer tells you, always consider the opposite. The crankshaft sensor doesn't last any longer than any other sensor.

I have a 1998 saturn sw2, this morning the service light came on. I drove to autozone. The codes that came up were p0134 and p0341...then I drove for about 6 miles and the service engine soon light went out...any suggestions or direction to take in this regard I appreciate... Thank you