Chrysler Repair: 1994 concorde no start: code 11, 12, 33, crankshaft position sensor, compressor clutch


Question
My grandma's 1994 Concorde does not always start.  The check engine light does
not come on & I hear the fuel pump running.  Most of the time it starts but on
occasion it just turns over.  If you wait a while it usually will then start.  
The codes I got were 11,12,33 & 55.  This is not usually a problem in the Michigan
winters.  

Answer
Hi Larry,
The most relevant code is the 11 which says that sometime in the past the signal from the crankshaft position sensor has not been present. That would prevent a spark and thus cause a no start. The 12 says the battery was disconnected in the past, and the 33 says the A/C compressor clutch circuit is not working properly to actuate the device when the A/C is requested.
The crank position sensor is located on the right side of the engine at the rear, fairly low, just above the surface of the differential housing, mounted in the trans bell housing. It has a 3 wire plug. The new one comes with a paper spacer on its tip which you leave in place, insert the sensor so the tip touches the surface of the flex plate that is hidden inside and which has the position hashmarks that the sensor need to be close to.
With the tip in contact tighten the retaining nut so that it stays in place and then reconnect the wiring.
Usually when the sensors begin to fail they do so after driving for a while, only to recover and allow restart after the engine cools a bit. But even so, if it won't start when cold, sometimes, and you have the 11 code it dictates that the sensor be replaced.
The 55 code means "end of readout".
Roland