OBD-II Code
P0370
Severity
Not yet reviewed
Nobody on our side has assessed this code yet, so we are not going to guess at how serious it is.
Can you drive it
We cannot say
Treat it as unknown until a shop reads it with live data. If the check-engine light is FLASHING, stop driving as soon as it is safe to — that means an active misfire, whatever the code.
Indicative cost (USD)
$90–$620
From this code's diagnostic notes. Varies by vehicle, diagnosis, parts, and local labor. This is not a repair quote.
P0370 is timing reference high-resolution signal A malfunction — this refers to the high-resolution crank position signal used by the ECM for precision ignition timing and misfire detection, distinct from the basic crank signal used for engine speed.
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 follow the diagnostic notes further down this page, in the order they are written.
They are written in the order a shop works this code, cheapest checks first. Where they name a component, inspect its wiring and connector before replacing it.
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
- Check engine light
Read the full diagnostic procedureP0370 is timing reference high-resolution signal A malfunction — this refers to the high-resolution crank position signal used by the ECM for precisi…
P0370 is timing reference high-resolution signal A malfunction — this refers to the high-resolution crank position signal used by the ECM for precision ignition timing and misfire detection, distinct from the basic crank signal used for engine speed. On engines equipped with both a coarse-resolution and high-resolution crank sensor (common on Nissan VQ-series, some GM and Mitsubishi platforms), this code targets the high-res sensor specifically.
Diagnostic ladder
- scope the high-resolution signal — it should produce many pulses per crank revolution (typically 60-1 or 120-2 patterns) with consistent amplitude and timing.
- Inspect the sensor mounting (a loose sensor or worn locator pin lets the air gap drift, producing weak or missing pulses), the reluctor ring or tone wheel for damaged teeth, and the sensor connector for oil intrusion.
- Caveat: P0370 sometimes coexists with P0335 or P0336 — if both log together, focus on the wiring and ECM connector rather than two simultaneous sensor failures.
Vehicle-specific patternsNissan VQ35DE V6 (Maxima, Altima, 350Z, Murano, Pathfinder, 2002-2008) — high-resolution CKP sensor on the bellhousing fails from heat-soak; sensor i…
Nissan VQ35DE V6 (Maxima, Altima, 350Z, Murano, Pathfinder, 2002-2008) — high-resolution CKP sensor on the bellhousing fails from heat-soak; sensor is $80-130. Mitsubishi 4G63T (Evo VIII/IX, 2003-2007) — crank angle sensor in the distributor housing fails from oil contamination; distributor o-ring leak is the upstream cause, replace o-ring and sensor together. GM Northstar 4.6L V8 (Cadillac Seville, Deville, 1996-2005) — crank sensor wear pattern combined with crank reluctor ring chip; verify reluctor before sensor replacement.
- 2004-2011Mazda RX-8 Renesis — leading and trailing ignition timing signal corruption from oil contamination at the eccentric shaft sensor.
Estimated repair$90 to $620.
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