P0335 Code on a Cadillac: Crankshaft Position Sensor A Circuit (Cadillac Guide)

P0335 is GM's "Crankshaft Position (CKP) Sensor A Circuit." It means the engine computer stopped seeing crankshaft pulses when it should have — while the starter was turning the engine, or while it was running. Because a Cadillac cannot time spark or fuel without that signal, P0335 usually comes with a no start, a stall or a stumble. The reflex is to buy a crank sensor, and sometimes that is right. But GM's Cadillac documents describe other causes: a jumper harness chafed on the front of an Escalade 6.2L, an engine harness worn through on the vacuum pump pulley, and, on the ELR, a P0335 stored in the hybrid inverter that may need only software or a ground bolt. The Northstar adds a twist of its own: from 2000 it has two crank sensors, and the 1990s Northstar tables we read do not use P0335 at all.

What Does P0335 Mean on a Cadillac?

The crankshaft position sensor reads a toothed reluctor wheel on the crankshaft. From it, the engine computer knows engine speed and exactly where each piston is — the reference it needs to fire the plugs and injectors. The cam sensors then tell it which stroke each cylinder is on.

GM separates crank sensor faults into two codes:

• P0335 — Circuit. Crank pulses are missing.
• P0336 — Performance. Pulses are there, but the count or pattern is wrong.

On engines with two crank sensors, the second sensor has its own pair, P0385 and P0386. Of the group, P0335 is the "no signal" code, which is why it so often goes with a crank-no-start.

How GM's P0335 Test Works

GM's 2015 OBD summary for the 3.6L in the ATS, CTS, SRX and XTS sets P0335 when:

• the starter is engaged, cam pulses are arriving (or the MAF shows more than 3 grams per second of air), and no crank pulse has arrived for 4 seconds; or
• the engine is running and crank pulses stop for 0.1 second.

It is a two-trip code. GM's 2007 table for the DeVille and DTS Northstar uses the same 4-second cranking test, plus checks for lost crank synchronization. Two details matter. The ECM uses the cam sensors as the witness — if the cams are turning and the crank signal is not, the crank circuit is blamed. And the running test is extremely short: a connection that drops out for a tenth of a second is enough. That is why chafed wiring and loose terminals belong on the list alongside failed sensors.

Northstar: Two Crank Sensors, and a Code That Changed

The Northstar is where Cadillac P0335 differs most from other GM brands.

• 1997–1999 Northstar: the GM tables we read for the LD8/L37 do not list P0335. Their crank reference faults are separate 24X/4X reference codes (the 1999 table lists P0371, for example). If a 1990s DeVille, Seville or Eldorado shows P0335, re-check the code and the scan tool.
• 2000–2003 LD8/L37: GM's tables list Crank Sensor A (P0335) and Crank Sensor B (P0385), each failing when the number of medium-resolution reference pulses per cam reference falls outside 47 to 49. Two sensors means two codes; one dead sensor sets one of them.
• 2004-on: GM's tables for the LD8/L37 and the 2007 LD8/L37 and LH2/LC3 tables still list P0335.

Several GM documents cover Northstar crank sensors, though for most we have seen only NHTSA's index summaries:

• 99085 — certain 2000 Eldorado and Seville 4.6L: crankshaft position sensors may fail, causing an intermittent chuggle, stall, long crank time and/or no start, and the check engine light.
• 04-06-04-060 — 2004–2005 DeVille and 2004 Seville: engine cranks but does not start, no injector pulses, with P0118, P0122, P0335, P0385, P0412 and/or P0340. That spread of codes — coolant temperature, throttle position, both crank sensors, cam sensor — is the signature of something they share, such as a sensor reference circuit, not of six failed parts.
• A 2004 SRX entry (01687) lists P0315 and P0335 on the 4.6L LH2 after a module replacement.

Escalade V8: Check the Harness First

On the 2015–2020 Escalade, GM's verified documents put P0335 in a crowd of other codes, and the fix is wiring:

• PIT5307F (2015–2019 Escalade): SES, ABS and suspension warnings, misfire, no crank, A/C inoperative and a long DTC list including P0335 and P0336. Cause: the engine harness rubbing on the vacuum pump pulley. Repair the circuits and re-secure the harness.
• PIP5553A (2018 Escalade 6.2L L86 and 2018 CTS-V): P0335, P0336, P0340, P0341 and others with a possible crank no start or stall, from a jumper harness chafed at the X154 connector bolt on the lower left of the front cover.
• PIP5724 (2020 Escalade L86): the same code list, with the harness pinched between the X154 bracket and the front cover.

For the 2007–2008 Escalade (5.3L, 6.0L, 6.2L), a GM index entry numbered 3808 covers crank no start, rough running or P0335; we have seen only the index summary.

On the newer 6.2L L87 (2020–2023 Escalade), GM's PIP5949A is a reminder that the right part matters: if an engine runs rough after an auto-stop restart following engine or crank sensor replacement, GM says install crank sensor 12712848. It names P0506, not P0335, but it shows that a replacement sensor that "works" can still be wrong.

CTS, XT5 and the V6 Family

We found no GM bulletin that names P0335 on a Cadillac V6. The closest documents:

• 17-NA-156 (2017 XT5 3.6L LGX with the 8-speed): P0336 from noise on the crank sensor line creating too many pulses. The fix is an ECM reprogram, with no parts.
• A GM index entry for the 2004 CTS 3.6L LY7 (01429) covers an intermittent stall with P0336.
• GM's PIP3423P covers a crank reluctor that slips on the V6 crankshaft. That moves the timing reference rather than killing it, so it sets correlation codes (P0016–P0019), not normally P0335.

On a V6, P0335 is diagnosed by the book: signal, power, ground and the harness route between sensor and ECM.

ELR and Catera

ELR. GM's PIP4880F covers the 2014 ELR (with the Volt and Ampera) with P0335 and/or P0336 stored in the T6 power inverter module, not the ECM. If the codes are in both modules or current, follow service information. If they are in history in the inverter module only on a 2013–2014 model, update that module's software. GM also describes ground G113 on the drive unit case: on rare occasions the bolt hole is not drilled deep enough, so the bolt bottoms out and the eyelet stays loose; the fix is a shorter bolt.

Catera. GM's 1997–2001 Catera tables list P0335. A GM index entry, 05-06-04-018, is a revised P0335 diagnostic for the 1997–1998 Catera; we have seen only its index summary.

Symptoms of P0335 on a Cadillac

• Crank-no-start, or a long crank before starting
• Stalling, sometimes with a chuggle first (2000 Northstar sensors)
• Tachometer dropping to zero while driving
• Check engine light, often with P0336, P0340 or P0385
• Unrelated warnings at the same time — ABS, suspension, A/C (Escalade harness)
• No injector pulse during cranking (2004–2005 DeVille)

Causes and How to Confirm Each

How Is P0335 Diagnosed on a Cadillac?

1. Write down every code and whether each is current or history. P0335 with P0385 on a Northstar, or with ABS codes on an Escalade, tells a different story than P0335 alone.
2. Identify the engine. A 1990s Northstar, a 2000-on Northstar, a V6, a V8 and the ELR each follow a different path.
3. Test the battery and charging system.
4. Watch engine RPM on a scan tool while cranking. Zero RPM with the engine turning confirms no crank signal.
5. Inspect the harness and connector along their whole route — on an Escalade, at the vacuum pump pulley and the X154 bracket.
6. Check the sensor's power, ground and signal circuits per service information, and scope the signal if possible.
7. Remove and inspect the sensor. Damage to the tip means something is touching the reluctor; find out what first.
8. After replacing a sensor or ECM, check whether a crankshaft position variation relearn is required for your engine.

Parts and Cost

GM Documents That Name P0335 on Cadillac Models

Have a dealer check your VIN against current bulletins and coverages rather than relying on any article, including this one.

What Other P0335 Pages Get Wrong

• "P0335 means replace the crank sensor." GM's Escalade documents trace it to harness damage, and the ELR document to inverter software and a ground.
• Treating a Northstar like any other engine. From 2000 it has two crank sensors with separate codes; 1990s Northstars use different reference codes entirely.
• Ignoring wiring. GM's running test fails on a 0.1-second dropout.
• Mixing up P0335 and P0336. Missing signal is P0335; a wrong pattern is P0336.
• Trusting every bulletin list. NHTSA's index links GM's PIE0416A (P0335, P0340, P0365) to the Escalade, but the document itself lists only the 2017 Buick Encore.

For other GM brands, see our P0335 GM guide and P0335 Buick guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will a Cadillac start with P0335?

Often not. GM's test sets P0335 when the starter is turning the engine and no crank pulses arrive. An intermittent signal can mean it starts sometimes and stalls at other times.

My Escalade has P0335 plus ABS and suspension warnings. Is that one problem?

Very possibly. GM's PIT5307F covers that exact mix on 2015–2019 Escalades: the engine harness rubbing on the vacuum pump pulley. Inspect the harness before buying sensors.

How many crank sensors does a Northstar have?

GM's 2000–2003 tables list two, A and B, with codes P0335 and P0385. Check service information for your year before ordering parts.

My ELR shows P0335 but runs fine. Why?

GM's PIP4880F covers P0335/P0336 stored in the power inverter module. If it is history-only in that module, GM points to a software update or the G113 ground.

Is P0335 dangerous while driving?

It can be, because the engine may stall without warning. Have it diagnosed before relying on the car for highway driving.

Do I need a relearn after replacing a Cadillac crank sensor?

Many GM engines need a crankshaft position variation relearn after a crank sensor, reluctor or ECM replacement. Check the procedure for your engine in service information.