1999 Toyota 4Runner P0340 Code (Cam Sensor)

Kent’s question: My 99 Toyota 4 runner with the V6 engine started running bad last week. It had code P0340 stored for the cam sensor. So I replaced the sensor, it only took five minutes. But the code is still there, and it still runs bad. I don’t know what to do.

P0340 Toyota

Answer: As I’ve said before, a trouble code is a general code. It doesn’t mean one particular part is actually bad, because all the parts in the engine work together. So just changing the sensor is only a guess, and it didn’t work in this case. The last 4 runner I fixed with that code had a worn timing belt that had slipped. Once the timing belt slips, the crank and cam sensors are no longer in time correctly. And in those Toyotas, the cam position sensor code will often pop up because of this (and not because the sensor itself is bad.) I’d advise pulling the timing belt cover and checking to see if the cam and crank are no longer aligned correctly with the line up arrows. If so, just install a new timing belt.