1994 Protege Check engine light: code 03

[Bob Service]

I have a 1994 Protege 1.8 liter DOHC with 98K miles. My check engine light is on 80% of the time with a trouble code 03-Crank Position Sensor 1 (G-signal). I've followed the diagnostic troubleshooting tree from my dealer's manual and it recommends I replace the distributor...sounds extreme. Has anyone else experienced this condition and found another repair solution?

[sp1der]

I have the same problem, but at first it was giving me both 02 and 03. Mostly now it just gives 03, but once when i checked it I got 02,03 and... 05 or 06. i forgot if it was 5 or 6 because i never found a deffinition for that code. I already had a spare cap and rotor so i put that on, but it didn't help. The light came on a day after I ran into a snowbank, which was January. So the good news is that this problem shouldn't leave you stranded, and it doesn't seem to harm performance. I've been too lazy to find another PCM to try, but that's what i'd do next. The dealership wants $80 just to look at it. Let me know if you find a cure. It'd be nice to not have to look at that light.

[Bob Service]

Thanks for the info. My light's actually been on for well over a year now. When it comes on or goes off, I can feel the car "buck" or hesitate which makes me a little nervous. I'm hoping that's just the computer going into or coming out of failsafe mode. I'll let you know if I ever find resolution to this issue.

[stefanosg]

We have a '99(LX/1.6L/35K)that had a similar problem. The light would come on and then go away for a while, but at no time did the car run bad. Dealer found no problem and reset it. Came back on a week or so later. Car ran fine so I ignored it. I took it to Tire Kingdom and had Oil and all kinds of other stuff done. They found that I had a fouled plug, replaced them and the light has been gone ever since.

[Bob Service]

We have a '99(LX/1.6L/35K)that had a similar problem. The light would come on and then go away for a while, but at no time did the car run bad. Dealer found no problem and reset it. Came back on a week or so later. Car ran fine so I ignored it. I took it to Tire Kingdom and had Oil and all kinds of other stuff done. They found that I had a fouled plug, replaced them and the light has been gone ever since.

Good thoughts. My plugs are worn but not "fouled" but knowing that they could be the cause is worth the $10 investment. I'll let you know if it fixes the issue.