C5 tourer not starting - camshaft position sensor?
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Robert1000
- Posts: 7
- Joined: 03 Mar 2025, 17:00
- x 1
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Svod
- Posts: 17
- Joined: 28 Mar 2023, 14:35
- x 22
Re: C5 tourer not starting - camshaft position sensor?
Hi all,
There’s been quite a bit of discussion about the 2.2 HDi 125kW not starting, but I haven’t found a case that matches mine exactly. Here’s what happened and what I’ve done so far:
What Happened:
The auxiliary belt snapped and got caught in the timing belt.
The timing belt survived, but timing slipped by a few teeth.
No metallic noises, no noticeable impact when it happened.
What I’ve Done:
Installed new timing belt, aligned everything according to official procedure.
Replaced camshaft and crankshaft position sensors.
Engine still won’t start.
Checked compression via glow plug holes – lower compression (engine has 400k km), but even across all cylinders.
Assembled everything again – still no start. Lexia diagnostic tool shows:
"No synchronization" between cam and crank while cranking,
Then briefly shows "Synchronized" after stopping cranking.
Found the camshaft pulley key (wedge) was broken, causing some play.
Replaced with new camshaft pulley and re-timed everything again – still won’t start.
Lexia still shows intermittent sync between cam and crank.
Tried:
Different combinations of new and old sensors
Repaired crank sensor wiring (had been hit by aux belt)
Tried different cam sensor positions – ended up leaving it at 7.5 mm as per documentation
Still no start, and sync status continues to be inconsistent.
Latest Discovery:
Hooked up oscilloscope and checked crank and cam signals:
Timing seems OK from what I can see.
I can clearly see the first and second crank pulses (blue) repeating during cranking. They have same period.
Any suggestions on what else I should check? Can somebody ensure that i see what I should see on diagram?
Thanks in advance for your input!
P.S. I'm aware the engine could be damaged due to the belt jump, but I'm trying to eliminate all possibilities before pulling the head.
There’s been quite a bit of discussion about the 2.2 HDi 125kW not starting, but I haven’t found a case that matches mine exactly. Here’s what happened and what I’ve done so far:
What Happened:
The auxiliary belt snapped and got caught in the timing belt.
The timing belt survived, but timing slipped by a few teeth.
No metallic noises, no noticeable impact when it happened.
What I’ve Done:
Installed new timing belt, aligned everything according to official procedure.
Replaced camshaft and crankshaft position sensors.
Engine still won’t start.
Checked compression via glow plug holes – lower compression (engine has 400k km), but even across all cylinders.
Assembled everything again – still no start. Lexia diagnostic tool shows:
"No synchronization" between cam and crank while cranking,
Then briefly shows "Synchronized" after stopping cranking.
Found the camshaft pulley key (wedge) was broken, causing some play.
Replaced with new camshaft pulley and re-timed everything again – still won’t start.
Lexia still shows intermittent sync between cam and crank.
Tried:
Different combinations of new and old sensors
Repaired crank sensor wiring (had been hit by aux belt)
Tried different cam sensor positions – ended up leaving it at 7.5 mm as per documentation
Still no start, and sync status continues to be inconsistent.
Latest Discovery:
Hooked up oscilloscope and checked crank and cam signals:
I can clearly see the first and second crank pulses (blue) repeating during cranking. They have same period.
Any suggestions on what else I should check? Can somebody ensure that i see what I should see on diagram?
Thanks in advance for your input!
P.S. I'm aware the engine could be damaged due to the belt jump, but I'm trying to eliminate all possibilities before pulling the head.
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Robert1000
- Posts: 7
- Joined: 03 Mar 2025, 17:00
- x 1
Re: C5 tourer not starting - camshaft position sensor?
My car, also a Citroen, but petrol, slipped some teeth and then did not start. Got a p0341. I redid the timing and engine started.
If it keeps throwing same error code, the timing should be the problem.
DO NOT USE AFTERMARKET SENSORS FOR CAM AND CRANK. Put back the genuine ones.
On 1.6hdi, the crank pinion has a notch/hole larger that the woodroof key from the crankshaft, and it you don't find the right position of the pinion the engine wont start. Does your engine crank has a woodroof key that fits perfectly into the notch/hole of the pinion or there is some left-right play?
Come back with an update.
If it keeps throwing same error code, the timing should be the problem.
DO NOT USE AFTERMARKET SENSORS FOR CAM AND CRANK. Put back the genuine ones.
On 1.6hdi, the crank pinion has a notch/hole larger that the woodroof key from the crankshaft, and it you don't find the right position of the pinion the engine wont start. Does your engine crank has a woodroof key that fits perfectly into the notch/hole of the pinion or there is some left-right play?
Come back with an update.