Cracked flywheel causing engine to cut out?

[callbay]

99 Chrysler Town & Country 3.8L. Engine cuts out and drops rpm several times a minute. 196,000 miles.

A mechanic told the old owner it needed a new flywheel.

It throws a code that it is loosing signal from either the camshaft sensor or the crankshaft sensor.

Could that be because the bad flywheel is throwing off the crankshaft position indicator?

I put a new crankshaft position indicator and it runs the same.

About how much to have a new flywheel installed if needed?

Thanks for any help!

 

[The_Eric]

Yes it can on that engine. The crank sensor gets it's signal from windows on the flywheel.

Also buy OEM crank and cam sensors only. I've gone through three aftermarket crank sensors, before using an OE sensor before it works properly. It was doing the same thing as yours.

 

[NHGUY]

Those flexplates crack around the crank center,but I've never heard of one cracking completely down the middle,in half.That would mean the starter teeth are messed up too.

 

[chestand]

I put in a flexplate a few months ago on my Toyota T100 truck to replace a cracked one. At least on my truck, nothing needed to be removed as such but the engine and trans needed to be separated enough so that you could access the flexplate bolts. With FWD, I don't know if you'd have the room to just slide everything apart or if the engine would actually need to be lifted out to get it done.