PT Cruiser Diesel: Bad Cam Sensor Killing Performance

Had a similar situation with my PT Cruiser CRD (2003 Diesel, similar symptoms). The rough idling and engine misfire initially pointed to the camshaft position sensor, but diagnosis revealed more complex timing issues. The engine would stall intermittently and showed significant power loss, especially during acceleration. After thorough testing, found the wiring harness connecting to the camshaft sensor was damaged, causing intermittent signal loss to the ECU. The connector pins were corroded and the insulation was worn through in spots. The fix required replacing both the sensor and the wiring harness section. This resolved the stalling engine problems and restored proper timing signals. The crankshaft position was also verified during repair to ensure complete timing accuracy. The job took about 4 hours at the shop, including diagnostic time. This was definitely a serious issue since faulty timing signals can potentially cause major engine damage if left unaddressed. Would strongly recommend getting it checked soon, as running with incorrect timing can lead to valve damage. These timing sensor issues are fairly common on PT Cruisers from that generation, especially in higher mileage vehicles where wiring insulation starts to break down.

Thanks for sharing your repair experience. My repair was exactly like that, had a bad automotive sensor and corroded wiring giving me those rough idling symptoms. Really useful info about checking the wiring harness too, since mechanics sometimes just replace the camshaft sensor without looking deeper. Curious, do you remember the total repair cost for your fix? And has everything been running smoothly since then, or did you notice any other timing issues pop up later? Just want to make sure I budget properly and know what to watch out for going forward.

Just had the repair done last week and can confirm the camshaft sensor failure diagnosis was spot on. The mechanic found and fixed the faulty wiring connection to the sensor, which was causing those engine misfire symptoms. Total cost came to 95€ for the repair work, mainly labor for testing and fixing the cable connection. The car has been running perfectly since the fix, no more rough starts or power loss issues. The check engine light cleared up immediately and timing issues are completely resolved. Much cheaper than I initially feared, since no sensor replacement was needed, just the connection repair. The mechanic mentioned these timing sensor problems are pretty typical for our model year PT Cruisers. Regular inspection of wiring connections can help catch these issues before they cause more serious engine problems. Haven't seen any new problems crop up since the repair.

Got the repair done yesterday and wanted to close out this thread with my experience. The mechanic found exactly what we discussed, bad wiring to the camshaft sensor causing those timing issues. The repair took about 2 hours total. Final bill came to 180€, which included a new sensor and fixing the corroded wiring harness. The crankshaft timing was also checked as a precaution. Pretty reasonable considering the check engine light kept coming on before. The car runs perfectly now, starts right up and has full power again. No more rough idling or engine misfire problems. Really glad I got it fixed before any major engine damage occurred. Pro tip for others: Make sure your mechanic checks the wiring connections, not just the sensor itself. The corroded wiring was the real culprit in my case. Always worth getting a proper diagnosis rather than just swapping parts. Thanks for the helpful advice that pointed me in the right direction.