Crankshaft Position and Camshaft (TDC) Sensors

Crank Angle And #1 TDC Sensor Location:

SENSOR OPERATION
The Distributor houses the crankshaft position and camshaft (TDC) sensors. These sensors are incorporated into one unit, being a disc and a pick-up unit. The disc is affixed to the main shaft and the light-transmitting unit is mounted stationary in the housing.

Crank Angle And #1 TDC Sensor:

The crankshaft angle sensor and the Camshaft (TDC) sensor are composed of a disc and unit assembly. The disc is metal and has four light-transmission slits located 90° apart around its circumference. There is also one additional slit located inward from these four. The inner slit is for the Camshaft (TDC) sensor, and the outer slits are for the crankshaft position sensor

The pick-up unit assembly uses two luminous diodes and two photo diodes, in order to detect the two different slits. There is a very slight clearance between the luminous diodes and the photo diodes, and the disc rotates within this space.

Crank Angle And #1 TDC Sensor System:

As the main shaft rotates the slits at the discs edge pass between the light and the optical reading part of the unit. The light emitted from the luminous diodes pass through the slits to the photo sensing diodes. When the photo diodes receive the light, they become conductive and generate a signal, which is sent to the Control Unit.

Photoelectric Signal Pattern:

CAMSHAFT (TDC) SIGNAL:
Top dead center is detected by the signal obtained through the one inner slit of the disc. The ECU, based upon this signal, determines which of the four pulses from the crank angle sensor is the signal for the #1 cylinder.

CRANKSHAFT POSITION SIGNAL:
The four slits located at the outer circumference of the disc serve to detect the position of the crankshaft (and, therefore, the piston) relative to top dead center. The ECU, based on this signal, determines the fuel injection timing, and also calculates the amount of intake-air, the timing of the ignition signal, etc. for each revolution of the engine.