Looking for Peace of Mind

[ihave2seats]

So I think a stupid rat chewed through my crankshaft position sensor (throwing 0337/ car in limp mode). I'm hoping someone who has been under the car to access it or something in the area can provide some peace of mind that it will be accessible to solder back together. I'm worried there won't be enough space (have yet to have time to get under the car).

Also, any photos would be AWESOME! B8.5 btw, not sure if its different for the B8

Thanks in advance!

[maksym]

Really depends where the damage is. The bottom run is accessible no problem. The wire then runs by the side of the transmission (attached to clips that sit on the ribs of the bellhousing) and there’s like zero space unless you remove the transmission. You might be able to get it out under the hood, but might have to unplug everything else on that harness - power steering, transmission position and maybe a few other things.


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[maksym]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240907/50c79ac6e98fc12da20f01246b106450.jpg
The wire partially missing split tubing is the crank position one, the one with foil is transmission position, and the one by the blue masking tape is power steering (could not unplug that one). The black vertical shaft on the bottom of the engine is the crank sensor.


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[maksym]

That’s a manual B8 with a dynamic steering.


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[LowKeyLoki]

Don’t solder the wires, solder joints can crack and break from vibrations overtime. Correct way is using proper size crimp connectors and heat shrink tubing over to seal. You can either buy factory wires for the repairs and reuse the old connector or buy a junkyard harness. I have a complete engine harness from a B8 if you’re interested. I imagine that crank sensor is the same as the B8.5 for DSG.

[ihave2seats]

Thanks for the info! What gauge crimpers do you believe I'd need? Want to make sure I have what I need when I get under the car.

Hoping it is on the lower part and I have my fingers crossed that there is enough slack to reconnect the wires without having to repin.

Also, where can I buy factory wires? Or suitable generic wires on Amazon I assume?

[ihave2seats]

Got under the car today and the harness seems fine from the parts I can see. I tried to check everywhere - but I don't have a diagram of where it runs entirely (tried googling and all links are dead too). For full disclosure, when I turn the car on it displays Stabilization Control (ESC) Fault, TPMS Fault, and Sports Differential: System Fault.

Could it be the sensor itself? They instantly go bad? Or is there another wire I should check?

Thanks for the insight in advance. Really need to get the car drivable again.

[maksym]

All these faults would appear if you disconnect the sensor. Sensor wires run into ECU bulk connector - it is located under the windshield washer reservoir. There should be a thread with a link to a full shop repair manual. It has a full electrical diagram with pinout of the connector. You can use those pins to check for continuity or hook up an oscilloscope to see the actual signal.

You can also get a rough idea if it still works by observing engine rpms through obd2 or some such. Note there are might be
multiple rmp entries - there are cam shaft sensors on top of the engine, that’s what gets used if you unplug the sensor. I guess you can unplug those and see if you still get rpms?

The sensor could have gone bad, although it’s not very common. Replacing is a piece of cake if you want to fire a parts cannon - unscrew a single bolt and pull it out.


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