Faulty or failing crankshaft position sensor, often heat-related; Damaged wiring, poor connector contact or corrosion in the sensor circuit; Metal debris or oil contamination on the sensor tip, or incorrect air gap from a loose sensor; Damaged, cracked or dirty reluctor (trigger) wheel, or missing teeth; Timing chain or belt stretched or jumped a tooth, giving crank and cam correlation errors; Low battery voltage or poor earth causing signal dropouts during cranking; Faulty ECU or internal signal processing fault.

P0336

Crankshaft Position Sensor A Circuit Range/Performance.

Generic
Powertrain
Generic code
High severity

How this code is built

P: SystemPowertrain
0: Defined bySAE, the same on every car
3: AreaIgnition system or misfire
36: FaultThe specific fault in that area

What it means

P0336 means the engine control unit has found the signal from crankshaft position sensor A is implausible, even though the circuit is not completely dead. The ECU compares the crankshaft signal with the camshaft position signal and expected engine behaviour during cranking and running. If the pulse pattern shows missing, extra or erratic pulses, or the signals are out of correlation, it sets this code.

Symptoms

Engine cranks but is hard to start or fails to start
Intermittent misfire or rough running
Engine stalls unexpectedly, often when hot
Hesitation or loss of power
Rev counter flickering or dropping to zero
Check engine light on, possibly with misfire codes

Possible causes

Faulty or failing crankshaft position sensor, often heat-relatedlikely
Damaged wiring, poor connector contact or corrosion in the sensor circuitlikely
Metal debris or oil contamination on the sensor tip, or incorrect air gap from a loose sensorpossible
Damaged, cracked or dirty reluctor (trigger) wheel, or missing teethpossible
Timing chain or belt stretched or jumped a tooth, giving crank and cam correlation errorspossible
Low battery voltage or poor earth causing signal dropouts during crankingpossible
Faulty ECU or internal signal processing faultrare

How to diagnose

Read all stored and pending codes and freeze frame data, noting engine speed, temperature and whether the fault happened while cranking or running
Check for related codes such as camshaft position, misfire or timing correlation codes
Inspect the sensor, connector and wiring for chafing, heat damage, oil ingress, corrosion and loose pins
Check battery condition and charging voltage, and the engine and sensor earth connections
Remove the sensor and inspect the tip for debris and damage, and check it is correctly seated with the right mounting and air gap
Check the live crankshaft RPM signal while cranking and compare it with the camshaft signal; on a scope, look for dropouts, noise or an irregular pattern
Inspect the reluctor wheel for damage or contamination where accessible
Check the sensor supply, signal and earth against the manufacturer's data, as the sensor type (inductive or Hall effect) varies by engine, and verify mechanical timing if signals are out of correlation

How to fix

Replace the crankshaft position sensor if it fails testing or the signal pattern is faulty
Repair or replace damaged wiring and connectors, and clean or renew corroded terminals
Clean the sensor mounting area, refit the sensor correctly and renew any damaged seals or fixings
Repair or replace a damaged reluctor wheel or trigger ring
Correct mechanical timing and replace worn timing components if the timing is out
Replace a weak battery or repair poor earths, and only consider ECU repair or replacement after all other causes are ruled out

Can I keep driving?

High severity

Avoid driving until it is diagnosed, as the engine may stall without warning, which can affect steering and braking assistance and is unsafe in traffic. If timing is suspected, further driving risks serious engine damage.

Guide written by AI from the code's definition. Confirm with a diagnosis before replacing parts.