P0336

What does P0336 mean?

The crankshaft position signal is out of range or erratic.

Can I drive with P0336?

Based on this code and its usual severity, do not keep driving if the car is also shaking, losing power, overheating, smoking, or the check-engine light is flashing. Get it looked at before driving further. See Can I Drive It? for a quick read on your exact symptoms.

Common symptoms

• Check engine light
• Hard starting or a no-start
• Stalling
• Rough running or lost power

Possible causes

Possible causes include — not “the part is definitely bad”:

• A failing crank sensor
• A damaged trigger/reluctor wheel
• Wiring

What P0336 does not prove

It does not prove the position sensor has failed — wiring, connectors, the reluctor/trigger wheel, or actual timing can all set it.

What you can safely check

• Whether it starts and runs, or stalls
• Whether the light is steady or flashing
• Whether it just had timing-related work

What a shop may check

An example diagnostic direction, not a guaranteed procedure:

• Scan tool and live camshaft/crankshaft position data
• The sensor wiring and connector
• Timing components and correlation between cam and crank signals

What not to do

• Don’t assume the sensor without checking wiring and timing
• Don’t keep cranking a no-start repeatedly

Generic OBD-II guidance — manufacturer-specific codes and causes vary by make, so always confirm against your vehicle. A code identifies a system or condition; it does not, on its own, prove which part has failed.