DTC P0345 – How To Service a VQ35 Camshaft Position Sensor
John Huh
The OBDII Trouble Code P0345 relates to the VQ35 Camshaft Position Sensor in your vehicle, something that usually will create misfire, poor fuel economy and in extreme cases cause the vehicle to become non-operational. We’ll be taking a look at this trouble code in a 2005 Infiniti G35, and showing you how to fix your ODBII error code.This G35 is powered by Nissan’s VQ35, and the camshaft position sensors are relatively easy to replace and service should you need to. This customer’s G35 had occassional sputtering problems, surging idle and often would die on him at stoplights.Causes behind the DTC P0345 – P0345 Camshaft Position Sensor Failure A Circuit Bank 2
– Faulty VQ35 Camshaft Position Sensor – Nissan part number – A4015-304078
– Camshaft Position Sensor harness is open or shorted
– Camshaft Position Sensor circuit poor electrical connection
– Starting system circuit
– Dead (Weak) battery
Where are my camshaft position sensors located?
The VQ35 Camshaft Position Sensors are hall effect type sensors that send the position of the camshaft to your PCM, without this information your engine will not run right. These sensors are positioned in the rear of the engine, and in this scenario Bank 2 means the driver side of your 3.5L VQ35.
Intermittent problems will result in your VCD and ABS lights being constantly on in your Infiniti / Nissan, while some people falsely diagnose the problem as a ignition issue, camshaft position sensors are very easy to test.
The steps to diagnose your P0345 code in your G35
Visually inspect all the wiring and connectors in the CAS circuit
Check for continuity in the circuit wiring by using an ohmmeter
Test the unit for operation ( testing resistance)
First pop open your battery tray panel and disconnect the negative terminal on the battery before starting work on your G35. Take off the 10mm bolts that hold the top cover of the motor onto the intake manifold.
Your intake snorkel, mass air flow sensor and intake box must be removed to expose the Bank 2 side of your engine and give you access to the wiring and harness beneath it.
With the intake snorkel off remove the 10mm bolt that holds together your ignition harness to the valve cover and push your vacuum hoses and tabs out of the way. With enough room now you can take a look at the harness leading to your camshaft position sensor itself.
To remove the bank 2 cam angle sensor on this vehicle, you must take a smaller 10mm drive socket and reach from the PASSENGER side of the vehicle to undo the bolt that holds the sensor in place.
The driver side cam angle sensor is angled slightly upwards to allow for easy push off disconnection of the CAS connector and subharness.
Next remove your intake plenum cover and the intake plenum by following this bolt sequence in REVERSE, you will want to retorque the intake manifold to 11 ft lbs in the correct order when you are done.
The upper manifold comes off in two pieces, make sure to clear all passages and stuff paper towels down your runners, to prevent something from falling into your cylinder heads.
With the upper intake manifold removed, you should now be able to access the 10mm bolt that holds your camshaft position sensor in.
The image below shows the passenger side camshaft position sensor, or Bank 1 for those counting at home.
How Do I test my cam angle sensor?
Once you remove the 10mm bolt, your hall effect VQ35 Camshaft Position Sensor should slide right out. With the sensor removed, inspect it for any physical damage.
Test using a voltmeter and put both negative and positive terminals on either pins of the cam angle sensor, the resistance value that should be returned is shown above.
Between pin 1 and 3 are the most common errors, and if this doesn’t return the right resistance value, your camshaft position sensor must be replaced.
