QuestionHi, have recently bought P reg Alfa 145 2.0 TS, has done 125,000 miles, but runs like a dream. 2 weeks ago the car would not start at all, with no intention of starting, had it plugged into a diagnostic computer, & showed "Crank Angle Sensor" Fault, but mechanic was of no help at all, & told me to get rid of it!!! He said the car is now running, asked him how he started it , he said he tried it & it started up ! I told him that i disconnected the battery, so hopefully it would re-set itself, he said that by doing that the fault showing up could be an "old" one still in the memory. Since then I ran it for a further 2 weeks & then it packed up again & will not start at all, even after leaving it sitting for a couple of days. On speaking to a friend he said that the car has a "Cam Angle Sensor" & is very unlikely to be an intermittent fault- they either work or they don't, unfortunately it is a major job to get to the sensor to re-new it, & wondered if any one else has come across this sort of problem ?
AnswerYou must first determine if it is a fuel or spark problem.
In the no start mode operate the starter for 30 seconds then remove any spark plug--if it is wet you have a spark problem if it is dry you need a fuel pump. And the odds are you need a fuel pump (and filter) but do the test first.
Now, to reset the computer you need to touch the negative (disconnected) lead to the positive lead for at least 10 seconds. Secondly, when you reset the computer all fault codes are lost.
If the above tests show an ignition problem then the crank angle sensor could be the problem.
