Just as in the aftermath of the Great Depression, the aftermath of the 2009 recession has seen one of the largest booms in luxury car sales of all time. This is a nice indicator of a nation's welfare, if you happen to think that the speed of the jet stream at 80,000 feet has anything to do with the barometer reading at ground level. The rest of us, though, are keeping our cars longer than ever, and working-man's heroes like the S-10 have taken on a truly special place in our nation's collective heart.
Lift the front of the truck with a floor jack, and support it on jack stands.
Locate your crankshaft position sensor. On the 4.3-liter engine, the crank sensor is readily accessible from the bottom, bolted to the bottom of the timing cover under and behind the crankshaft pulley. On the 2.2-liter engine, it's over the starter, between the top of the starter and the bottom of the manifold.
On the 4.3-liter engine, simply remove the one bolt securing the crank sensor to the bottom of the timing cover, and pull the sensor out. Unplug the sensor and inspect the flat, metal portion on the bottom of the sensor. If you see a semi-circular divot cut out of the middle, refer to the Tips section below. Otherwise, plug a new sensor into the hole, snug the bolt down hand tight, and plug the sensor in.
On the 2.2-liter engine, reach over the starter and feel for the sensor; you can find it by tracing the wiring to the sensor. Once you locate the bolt on the side, remove the bolt, and pull the sensor out of the hole. Unplug it from the wiring harness. Push a new sensor into the hole, thread the bolt in and snug it down hand tight. Plug the wiring harness in. Refer to the Tips section below if you prefer not to do this operation "blind," or have trouble locating the sensor.
Lower the truck. Start the engine and watch the check-engine light. If it doesn't turn off when the truck starts, drive down to your local auto parts store and ask to use the OBD-II scanner to clear the stored trouble codes.
