Skylark V6-3100 3.1L VIN M SFI (1996)
Crankshaft Position Sensor: Description and Operation
Crankshaft Position (CKP) Sensor 24X
The 24X Crankshaft Position (CKP) Sensor is used to improve idle spark control at engine speeds up to approximately 1250 RPM.
The 24X crankshaft position sensor contains a Hall effect switch. The magnet and Halleffect switch are separated by an air gap. A Hall effect
switch reacts like a solid state switch, grounding a low current signal voltage when a magnetic field is present. When the magnetic field is shielded
from the switch by a piece of steel placed in the air gap between the magnet and the switch, the signal voltage is not grounded. If the piece of steel
(called an interrupter) is repeatedly moved in and out of the air gap, the signal voltage will appear to go ON OFF ON OFF. Compared to a
conventional mechanical distributor, this ON OFF signal is similar to the signal that a set of breaker points in the distributor would generate as the
distributor shaft turned and the points opened and closed.
