89 Delta 88 -Service Engine Code 41

[4boostin]

Car is a 1989 Olds 88 with the 3.8 liter engine. I've been getting a code 41 for a couple of months and more often since the weather has gotten warmer. A mechanic friend said it could be a lot of things, other than the cam sensor. The car runs and drives fine. It does seem to run rougher when the service engine light comes on. The next time I drive it, the light is off and comes on after driving it a while. In the last year I've replace the plugs, wires, EGR, took off the cat (plugged) and two years ago replaced the coil pack. AC still works, but it doesn't blow out the body vents anymore (climate control automatically controls this).

Any ideas out there what the code 41 may be???

[4boostin]

Driving in cooler rainey weather yesterday, the service engine light never came on, so it has something to do with running hotter.

Any ideas???

[maxwedge]

41 can be a bad sensor or more likely the magnet has come off the cam gear.

[4boostin]

I didn't think it would run if the cam magnet comes off?? It's given a 41 code off and on the last year, but the last two weeks, the light comes on everytime I drive it....EXCEPT for the last three days it has not come on once and the weather has been cool...temps in the 60's & 70's. It really seems to be related to hotter running engine temps??

[maxwedge]

It will run with the magnet off, it just be be hard starting at times.

[4boostin]

No hard starting or long cranking..ever. Starts immediately every time.

[4boostin]

I thought I would post this solution in case someone else is driving one of these beaters!! I replaced the camshaft sensor which solved the problem. My mechanic friend said that they can go bad from heat and age as can the ignition module. The ignition module helped but the problem went away after replacing the camshaft sensor.