just wondering...

[aberdeenSHO]

I've had my 93 mtx in the shop now for a month for a head gasket replacement. he also did the timing belt, and water pump... how important is the valve lash adjustment for one thing. Because i didnt do that. Oh and he found something else wrong with it too. I can't remember what sensor it was but it had something to do with the cam timing?? he explained it saying that the car was running in limp mode. He said that it bypassed the dead sensor and the car wouldnt run right so he checked it out and one of the wires going into the sensor were completely cut through and coroded. So aparently i've had this problem for a long time. also to help identify the sensor... he said it was the one that found the first cylinder. anyway i was just wondering how much power i couldve been losing and what kind of problems could come from something like that? thanks...

 

[SHOfear]

CPS, most likely. Cam Positioning Sensor. As to the valve adjustment...if my car was Jesus, oil would be the blood of Christ, and valve lash the host.
(Because the SHO is so close to godliness in the automotive world, I do not consider this statement to be blasphemous)

Steve

 

[luigisho]

Not sure how much power loss all that would be. There may be a little if any of the valve shims are worn out of spec. Get the 60K video and do the valve gap yourself. Maybe save a few bucks.

 

[sdpatt]

The valve gapping is necessary to optimize the valve lift and to prevent the wear of the camshaft lobes.

The sensor that "finds the first cylinder" is the known as the cylinder identification sensor (CID) or camshaft position sensor (CMP) and is located on the passenger end of the rear bank exhaust camshaft. If this sensor had been out of order, you would have seen the CHECK ENGINE light and a code 214 and had really ugly times starting the car. The engine would have been backfiring during many of the starting attempts. Once the engine is running, the CID sensor is not nearly as critical.

The "limp home mode" for this sensor will let the car get started, but you will not let it do it that way many times because it will scare you. I don't think the sensor's wire had been cut very long or you would have been on this board earlier to discuss it. Take his explanation with a grain of salt (on an open wound).