How Do I Calibrate a Crankshaft Sensor on a 2001 Oldsmobile Alero?

Once the proud manufacturer of one of the most famous muscle cars of its era, the Cutlass 4-4-2, Oldsmobile became known more for catering to older Americans later in its production life. In an attempt to attract younger buyers, Oldsmobile released the compact and fairly sporty Alero in 1999. When replacing the crankshaft position sensor in the 2001 Alero, you must perform a relearn, or calibration, of the sensor to the powertrain control module. Failure to perform this task results in your Alero not running correctly. To perform this process, you must have access to a special tool: an Onboard Diagnostic Series II scanner with special features capabilities.

Instructions

1

Position wheel chocks in front of and behind the front and rear wheels. Engage the parking brake.

2

Turn off all of the Aleros accessories, including air conditioning, radio, turn signals, headlights, etc.

3

Look under the drivers side of the dashboard and find the data link connector, which is a male electrical connector in the same shape as the female connector on the end of the OBD-II scanners cable.

4

Start the engine, set the emergency brake and place the transmission in Park or Neutral. Allow the engine to idle until it reaches operating temperature, which is roughly halfway up the temperature gauge.

5

Enter the scanner's Crankshaft Position System Variation Learning Procedure. This process varies depending on the style of scanner you use, so refer to the scanners instruction manual and onscreen prompts to enter this procedure.

6

Press and hold the brake pedal, gradually increasing the engines speed to 3,920 rpm on the 2.4-liter engine or 5,150 rpm on the 3.4-liter engine. Once you reach the specified rpm, you will feel the engine speed suddenly decrease.

7

Release the accelerator pedal once you feel the engine speed start to decrease.

8

Watch for the scanner to alert you that the relearn process is in process, then complete. Each scanner varies in its alerting you of the completion of the process, but typically, it will read something to the effect of P1336 ran and passed.

9

Turn the engine off and unplug the scanner.