Bradan 550 service

This 550 broke down in the hamptons. We diagnosed it as a failed crank sensor.
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These look similar to the Camshaft Position Sensors on e38 BMWs. They're known to go bad and throw CEL on BMWs but car could be drivable in an emergency.

 

I just replaced these on my car over the weekend. I wasn't having an issue, but each winter during hibernation, I replace a few sensors while doing the usual fluid changes etc. I figure, it's good to slowly replace all the sensors since they are getting old, so I spread it out a few each winter to keep the costs spread out. Glad I did, because the connector of one of these sensors was in pretty bad shape. It's looks like even though the Ferrari p/n's are different for LHS and RHS sensors, the 2 sensors are the same Bosch part. The only difference I see is one has a blue identification band on it to match up with the blue connector in the car. Strange thing is, the p/n that I ordered for the LHS had the blue identification, but in the car, the RHS sensor was connected to the blue connector. I wonder if LHS sensor means LHS ECU rather than LHS of the car since the sensor on the LHS of the bell housing crosses over and connects to the connector on the RHS. Oh well, doesn't really matter I suppose since the Bosch p/n on both is the same.

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Interesting. No differences in the OEM cable lengths or sensor orientation?

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Did you gap check the sensors?

 

No difference at all, just that one had a blue rubber band on the connector body. You can see the blue babd in the photo from Bradan. I had to remove the blue band in order for it to fit in the bracket. There are no shims, so I did not check the gap. Haven't run the car yet, other areas of the car are disassembled at the moment.

 

O2 sensors have that same blue band. It identifies that it is a left side connection

Those crank position sensor connectors are notorious for disintegrating. I suspect it's heat related.

 

Thanks, I just remember a long, confusing message thread on this forum on trying to match up the left and right Ferrari 456 sensor part numbers to Bosch part numbers.

 

Looks like the connector has been fried by exhaust heat, i.e. the heat shield was not mounted correctly to protect the connectors, wires and sensors. Make sure everything there is well covered as apparently it can get very hot!

 

No doubt head is a factor, but everything was in place properly, it's just age. My cam sensor connector came a part in my hand last year when I disconnected it during a belt service. These parts just get old and plastic gets brittle with age.