P0386: Crankshaft Position Sensor B Circuit Range/Performance
Do not keep driving
Expect reduced performance. Both crankshaft sensors should be compared rather than sensor B replaced on the strength of the code alone.
What this code means
The second crankshaft signal is present but does not agree with the primary. This is the cross-check doing its job — and note that it identifies a disagreement, not a culprit. Both sensors need evaluating on live data, because the code names sensor B while the fault may lie with either.
Likely causes
Start here
- Damaged reluctor or tone ring · specialist
- Faulty crankshaft position sensor · moderate
- Incorrect sensor air gap · moderate
Less common
- Metal debris on the sensor tip · easy
- Electrical interference from ignition leads · moderate
Symptoms
Components involved
Information, not instruction
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Have anything you intend to act on checked by a trained person against the manufacturer's own procedure for your vehicle. Nothing here replaces that procedure.
Community experience
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What makes one worth reading:
- The car — make, model, year and engine. The same fault behaves differently on each.
- What you measured, not only what you replaced.
- What actually fixed it — or that nothing did, which is worth knowing too.
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