Q: Can I drive my car with a bad crankshaft sensor? The car still drives right but my check engine light is on because of it.

asked by on October 02, 2017

My check engine light is on because of my crankshaft sensor and my car still drives right but will it mess anything up if I continue to drive? I ordered the part and it will arrive in the next week. Can I drive it until then or no?

My car has 134000 miles.
My car has a manual transmission.

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If the engine appears to function normally, as before, it is likely OK to drive it. However, if the engine starts to misfire (you would see a flashing check engine light) then it is NOT OK to drive it all without risk of damage. Diagnostic Trouble Codes can never be used to "directly" condemn parts. Consequently, in the case of a "suspected" faulty crankshaft position sensor, the sensor output must be evaluated on a scope to determine if the sensor itself is bad or if you perhaps have a situation where there is simply a loose wire to the sensor or other fault in the circuit (or even a fault in another unrelated engine system). If an actual diagnostic was done (reading trouble codes is NOT a diagnostic), and the sensor is confirmed to be not operating properly, then it should be replaced. If you desire that this problem be diagnosed by a certified Mechanic, dispatched by YourMechanic right to your location, please request a check engine light diagnostic and the responding certified mechanic will get this resolved for you. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.

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