(2000 4x4 4-door, 225,000 miles)
Alright, just as I was about to tackle my A/C and heat issue, this more pressing issue popped up. The cam sensor and MAFS codes came up in the system, the tach went to 0, and it started shifting harder and at the wrong points. My cam sensor code has come up before, the tach died, it shifted rough, but when I replaced the sensor it fixed it. This time, I replaced the sensor and it didn't fix it. It and the MAFS were under Orielly warranty so I swapped them out. If I disconnect the battery and reconnect it, everything's fine for about a minute, then the engine light come back on and the tach dies, etc. So I went ahead and replaced the whole distributor, it was also under warranty. Nope, still has the problem. I haven't been able to read the codes again yet but I'm sure it's the cam sensor code still. What can cause it to think the cam sensor is bad when it isn't, and cause all the symptoms of a bad one?

I'm currently driving about 150-200 miles a day so I'm really needing to figure this out quick!

As usual I really appreciate the help.

 

Alright well it fixed itself. After about 100 miles of driving the SES went off, tach started again, and began shifting normal again. It's been about another 100 miles since then and still doing good.

 

How the hell would i know.. or even guess?

You want some suggestions on what to look for, give me some info I can work with

I take that back.. I know enough, I think, to make a pretty good guess... but I aint gonna tell you what it is because I like to be right.

And since I dont know WTF the codes were, I'll just wait.

 

I really don't see what I did so wrong, and why you'd need to be so rude. I feel I was pretty descriptive there. I said "cam sensor and MAFS codes". Are you just upset because I didn't say "P0340 and P0102"?

The problem is back again and it has the same codes. I'd appreciate any help anyone may be able to give me.

 

Listing the actual DTC is a requirement as the descriptions of codes varies to a certain extent. Your descriptions give no real valuable info about the actual trouble code as there are multiplex and maf codes, all with different troubleshooting steps.

Have you tried searching for the codes?

 

I'm sticking my head back in the door a minute.

Here's why.. It makes a big *** difference in the speed of resolution. You give us the codes, we look them up and think about what those have in common.

In this case , what they have in common is their power supply. Both fed by pink wire, 12v from Eng1 fuse in the underhood fuse block.
Codes suggest low supply voltage to sensors
Easiest first.
No tach? Disconnect MAF connector.
If tach comes back.. either bad MAF electronics or bad connection in plug.
No change?
Test for 12v between pink and black in the MAF connector. Then test between pink and the engine block. If you dont have 12v on either, problem is in the pink circuit.
Wiggle and push eng1 fuse
If you dont have full 12 across connector wires but you do pnk to engine, problem is in the gnd circuit.

If tach starts working again just after you test, it's a bad connection near the maf connector.

If 12v still low, disconnect the harsness plug at dist base and retest.

Now the alternative of knowing the codes are compatible with what I suggest up there is to replace the maf and the cam sensor.

Now it is not 100% that you'll find your problem as above but it's a damn good place to start and we should not have to drag that info out of you. You're asking for help, you dont get to determine what we need in order to give it to you.

 

These are the codes. Perhaps it was foolish of me to assume someone would know what codes I meant. But I don't think being somewhat ignorant warrants rudeness, I'm being as descriptive and polite as I know how to be.

I said in my first post, that I just replaced those, and also the distributor. Thank you for all that other diagnosing info, that will keep me busy for a while. I'll post my results here if you guys want. If you don't want, I'll just be gone. It's hard to tell what's going to push people's buttons here

I'd gladly help you guys out if the tables were turned and I had the answers, you know.

 

You aren't a rookie on here, or I would have posted more nicely.
There is NO car forum worth a crap on the net that would not ask for the specific codes! If someone answers without asking for them, you do not WANT his help!

If you go to AZ to have the codes read DO NOT let the guy just tell you the same as you posted. Get the codes.
I only came back on this thread because no matter how pissed off I get, I wont leave people hanging.

Blather and BS summarized: Next time post the codes along with the history, and it helps if they are in the subject line.

 

And BTW:
i did not advocate changing those.. I said that the alternative to being able to intelligently troubleshoot the problem is replacement.
You tried that, it didnt work, your problem is LIKELY in wiring from that fuse, through the fuseblock and its connectors through the harness, and the grounds on back of engine through the harness to the connectors.
95% certainty.

 

You're right about the importance of posting the codes, sorry about that, I will make sure to do that in the future. Oreilly lets me use their scanner myself, so I know what it really said.

I haven't had the time yet to do much of the troubleshooting that you mentioned before, but I did unplug the MAFS this morning and the tach has been working all day. It still shifts rough like something's up with the cam sensor (in my experience). When I was about home, the tach started bouncing/spiking randomly but never just went back to zero.

Thank you very much for your opinion on the matter.