⚠ P0335 HIGH SEVERITY

P0335: what it means

Officially? A wall of jargon. To most people? Absolutely nothing. That's exactly why we built the app.

The official definition vs. an actual explanation

Plug into any code reader and you'll get the same line every other app shows you. Technically correct. Practically useless.

What other apps tell you

"P0335: The crankshaft position sensor's signal is faulty: the engine's basic sense of where the pistons are."

What OBD Mechanic tells you

"The crankshaft position sensor tells the engine where the pistons are and how fast it's spinning. Without that signal most engines can't fire. So this code often comes with a car that won't start, or one that cuts out when hot and restarts once it cools. The usual culprit is the sensor itself. Check its connector and wiring first, because that's free. A damaged reluctor ring it reads from is the rarer, dearer cause."

What actually causes it, cheap to dear

Worth checking in roughly this order. Don't jump straight to the expensive fix:

Failed crankshaft position sensor (common, often heat-related)
Damaged, chafed or corroded wiring or connector
Metal debris on the sensor tip, or the sensor not seated properly after work nearby
Damaged reluctor (tone) ring on the crank or flywheel (less common)
Weak battery or poor connections upsetting the signal while cranking (some cars)

usually cheap depends pricey

Suggested checks

Inspect the sensor's connector and wiring for damage, oil or corrosion. Plug it back in firmly
Check the rev counter while cranking. On many cars it flicks up when the sensor's working. No movement at all is a clue
Make sure the battery is healthy, as low cranking voltage muddies the picture
If the wiring checks out, the sensor is the likely part. A garage can test it or scope the signal
Only if a new sensor doesn't fix it, look at the reluctor ring

Which dials to watch for P0335

The code itself is a snapshot. The fault sets after the car's watched the numbers over a whole drive cycle. Here's what's worth keeping an eye on:

Engine RPM (live graph)

The RPM reading comes from this sensor. If it drops out, jumps or reads zero while the engine is clearly running, the signal is breaking up.

12 V battery

A weak battery or poor connection can make this sensor's signal look faulty while cranking. Rule it out before buying parts.

Live simulation on the readings our free demo drive supports. This is how the app’s dials move.

It spots things you'd never see in the numbers

Codes rarely tell the whole story. The clever part is reading them together, and against your exact car. Here's the kind of thing it catches:

AI Mechanic

What our mechanic says

P0335

The crankshaft position sensor tells the engine where the pistons are and how fast it's spinning. Without that signal most engines can't fire. So this code often comes with a car that won't start, or one that cuts out when hot and restarts once it cools. The usual culprit is the sensor itself. Check its connector and wiring first, because that's free. A damaged reluctor ring it reads from is the rarer, dearer cause.

P0335: quick questions

Can I still drive it?

The engine may cut out without warning. Get it checked before you drive far. If it's cutting out when hot, avoid fast roads and busy junctions until it's fixed. If it won't start, don't keep cranking it down to a flat battery.

Why does it start again once it's cooled down?

That's a classic sign of a failing crank sensor. Many fail when hot and work again when cool. It points at the sensor, but check the wiring too.

How much will it cost to fix?

The sensor is usually a modest part. Labour depends on where it sits. On some cars it's easy to reach, on others it's buried. The reluctor ring is the rare expensive case.

Stop guessing what your codes mean.

Free app. Plug in, and get every code in plain English, plus the connections you'd never spot.

Join the test Need an adapter?