OBD-II Code · Powertrain
P0336
Crankshaft Position Sensor "A" Performance
Severity
critical
Highest on our scale. Expect major repair cost if it is ignored.
Can you drive it
Not for long
Driving on this one risks further damage. Get it to a shop rather than carrying on with it.
Indicative cost (USD)
$100–$1,000
Varies by vehicle, diagnosis, parts, and local labor. This is not a repair quote.
CKP signal pulses missing or extra teeth detected.
How a shop works this
Work from evidence to part, not the other way round. A code names a circuit or a symptom; it does not name the part that failed.
Note every code that is set, not just this one.
Codes that appear together usually narrow the cause faster than any one of them read alone.
Read the freeze frame — the conditions the fault was recorded under.
Cold or warm, idle or load, road speed and engine speed. A fault that only appears cold is a different fault from one that only appears under load, even with the same code on the scanner.
Confirm the fault is current rather than history.
Clear the code and see whether it returns under those same conditions. A code that does not come back may have been logged during a repair, a flat battery, or a bad connection that has since been disturbed.
Then work the likely-causes list in the order shown.
That order is what a shop checks first for this code — wiring and connections before the component they run to, because a connector costs nothing to inspect and is a common answer.
If the code comes back after a repair, the underlying fault is still there. That is the point to bring in a scanner with live data and freeze-frame, or a shop that has one.
Common symptoms
- Misfire
- Stall
- No-start
Likely causes
- Damaged reluctor / tone ringMost common
- Failed sensor
- Sensor gap
Read the full diagnostic procedureP0336 means the CKP signal is present but the tooth pattern the ECM sees does not match what it expects — typically a missing tooth, an extra tooth,…
P0336 means the CKP signal is present but the tooth pattern the ECM sees does not match what it expects — typically a missing tooth, an extra tooth, or signal amplitude that drifts below the threshold during a specific RPM window. This is almost never a dead sensor; it is a mechanical or signal-integrity problem.
Cheapest-first ladder
- scope the CKP signal across the full RPM range and count teeth against the engine's tone-wheel spec (most domestic V8s are 58X, GM small block is 24X, modern Euro is 60-2).
- Look for one waveform that is shorter or taller than its neighbors — that is your damaged tooth.
- Inspect the reluctor ring through the sensor hole with a borescope for chipped, bent, or magnetized teeth (a magnetized tooth from a dropped tool will read as an extra pulse).
- Check sensor-to-reluctor air gap with a feeler gauge where adjustable (spec is typically 0.020-0.050 inch).
- Verify the crank pulley/harmonic balancer has not slipped on its rubber isolator — a balancer that has walked 5-10 degrees will throw P0336 with a perfectly good sensor.
- The expensive misdiagnosis is replacing the sensor twice and a PCM before realizing the flexplate has a hairline crack at one of the reluctor teeth.
Vehicle-specific patternsGM 3.6L LY7 and LLT (2008-2013 CTS, SRX, Traverse) set P0336 alongside P0008/P0017 cam correlation codes when timing chain stretch lets the crank-to-…
GM 3.6L LY7 and LLT (2008-2013 CTS, SRX, Traverse) set P0336 alongside P0008/P0017 cam correlation codes when timing chain stretch lets the crank-to-cam relationship drift past 5 crankshaft degrees — the fix is a full timing kit, not a sensor. Chrysler 3.6 Pentastar (2011-2016 Wrangler, Grand Cherokee, 300) throws P0336 intermittently when the oil control valve screens clog and cam phasers can no longer hold commanded position, corrupting the crank correlation math. Ford 4.6/5.4 2V (1997-2004 Expedition, Crown Vic) shows P0336 from a cracked flexplate at the reluctor teeth — common on high-mileage trucks pulling trailers. VW/Audi 2.0T EA888 (2008-2014 GTI, A4, Tiguan) sets P0336 when the timing chain tensioner fails and the chain jumps a tooth — catch this fast or the pistons meet the valves.
Estimated repair$150 to $2200.
Look up another code
P0336 — frequently asked
What does a P0336 code mean?
CKP signal pulses missing or extra teeth detected.
What causes a P0336 code?
Common causes: Damaged reluctor / tone ring; Failed sensor; Sensor gap.
What are the symptoms of a P0336 code?
Typical symptoms: Misfire; Stall; No-start.
Is it safe to drive with a P0336 code?
Not for long. Driving on this one risks further damage. Get it to a shop rather than carrying on with it. Estimated repair: $100-$1,000.
How do I diagnose a P0336 code?
Work from evidence to part, not the other way round. A code names a circuit or a symptom; it does not name the part that failed. 1. Note every code that is set, not just this one. 2. Read the freeze frame — the conditions the fault was recorded under. 3. Confirm the fault is current rather than history. 4. Then work the likely-causes list in the order shown.
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