I have a pontiac sunfire 2000, and I was told I need the cam sensor and...

[hotvon23]

...control module replaced..? Where could I find these parts for a reasonable price? I just had the car repaired when it overheated, I had to get the head replaced, could that cause the issue I am having now which is the engine cutting off while I am driving, especially slow? The diagnostic I received from a mechanic was the above, so I just want to buy the parts and pay for labor.. I would appreciate any help on the subject.

 

[mojito man]

so this happened right after the head repair? maybe they screwed something up when reinstalling everything. as the cam sensors go directly into the head and are wired from there to the ecm. however, what technicians and repair shops/dealers will do sometimes is recommend to replace this and that to cover their rear. i personally would start by just replacing the sensor, as its probably the cheapest and easiest. but then again, if this happened after the head was replaced its very possible that whoever repaired it did not set the cam timing correct!! i think it should be rechecked by whomever did the head repair.

 

[catmandew]

My advice is to find another mechanic. If the cam sensor were permanently bad, the car wouldn't start. And if it were an intermittent problem while running, the car might not run as good, but wouldn't cut out. The Powertrain Control Module is a favorite target of people who don't know what they're talking about. The Ignition Module is however a possibility for your symptoms. But if he said Control Module I have to assume he meant the first one, and it's very rare for them to go bad. As the other poster also mentioned, it would very rare for any 2 of these parts to go bad at the same time.

As far as the cause being related to the head repair, that seems unlikely. If something were left unhooked, or the cam timing were off, it would run bad all the time. Ask your friends, relatives, neighbors, and co-workers if they know any good mechanics, especially one who is good at Driveability (doesn't run right) problems. And ask if they are ASE Certified.

 

[zack o]

honestly it is never a bad idea to get secind opinion just like when you go to doc. he may be right but usauly when you have cam sensor problems or module problem the dont normally occur at the same time usauly it is just one or the other plus usaully when the camsensor or module have problems the car just wont start not cut off again usually he may be right I didnt look at car but those repairs could be expensive so i recommmend getting a second opinion