It converts the force created by the engine's pistons moving up and down into a force that moves the wheels in a circular motion so the car can go forward.
Problems with the crankshaft sensor will often present as problems with engine timing. If you think your sensor has failed, here are some common symptoms of a bad crankshaft sensor that can help you in determining whether or not it has failed. There are a number of different problems that can cause similar symptoms to a crankshaft position sensor problem. Many of the issues mentioned above can be caused by failures in the ignition system or fuel injection system. Before you conclude that the crankshaft position sensor is bad you may need to run some tests. Although you're turning the crank, if you do it for a while you soon get a distinct feeling that you're moving your hand back and forth instead of round-and-round. So the crank is really converting a back-and-forth motion of your hand into rotary motion in the generator. Photo by Robert J. Fluegel courtesy of US Navy.  The Crankshaft Sensor communicates to the computer what position the motor is in so it can fire the appropriate spark plugs and fuel injectors in a continuous cycle, or firing order. Answer 1It is a sensing device which detects each revolution of the crankshaft, and the rotational position of the crankshaft at any given time, in order to provide that information to the engine computer. The computer then uses that information as a reference upon which to base ignition timing adjustments. Crankshaft (red), pistons (gray) in their cylinders (blue), and flywheel (black). A crankshaft —related to crank —is a mechanical part able to perform a conversion between reciprocating motion and rotational motion. The distance the axis of the crank throws from the axis of the crankshaft determines the piston stroke measurement, and thus engine displacement. A common way to increase the low-speed torque of an engine is to increase the stroke, sometimes known as shaft-stroking.. Top 10 amazing movie makeup transformations. The crankshaft is located in the engine of a vehicle and converts the force created by the engine's pistons moving up and down into a force that moves the wheels in a circular motion so the car can go forward. Located inside the car's engine, it is connected to all the pistons in the engine and to the flywheel. The pistons, which are attached to the crankshaft in an engine, are moved down by the explosions inside the cylinders. When the pistons move down, the crankshaft rotates. The pistons are connected to the crankshaft to ensure it moves with them and keeps their movements regulated. Many crankshaft position sensors are a type of electronic sensor known as a Hall effect sensor. A Hall effect sensor produces electricity in when it is exposed to a magnetic field. In a crankshaft position sensor, a toothed wheel, spinning with the crankshaft, disrupts the magnetic field. Sometimes it may be mounted at the rear or the side of the engine. Sometimes the crankshaft position sensor measures the speed of the clutch flywheel to determine the speed of the crankshaft. In these cases, the sensor is mounted to the bell housing of the transmission. Typical inductive crankshaft position sensor. A crank sensor is an electronic device used in an internal combustion engine to monitor the position or rotational speed of the crankshaft. This information is used by engine management systems to control ignition system timing and other engine parameters. Common mounting locations include the main crank pulley, the flywheel, the camshaft or on the crankshaft itself. This sensor is the most important sensor in modern day engines. Confidence votes 1.7K. The crank sensor (real name is crankshaft position sensor) senses when a notch on the crankshaft goes by and sends a pulse to the car's computer. This tells the computer where the crankshaft is in it rotation so that the computer will fire the spark plug at the correct time.  The functional objective for the crankshaft position sensor is to determine the position and/or rotational speed (RPM) of the crank. Engine Control Units use the information transmitted by the sensor to control parameters such as ignition timing and fuel injection timing. Common mounting locations include the main crank pulley, the flywheel, the camshaft or on the crankshaft itself. This sensor is the most important sensor in modern day engines.
http://www.1aauto.com/content/articles/bad-crankshaft-position-sensor-symptoms http://www.explainthatstuff.com/cranks-and-cams.html http://www.answers.com/Q/What_does_the_crankshaft_sensor_do https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crankshaft http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-a-crankshaft.htm http://www.1aauto.com/content/articles/what-is-a-crankshaft-position-sensor-and-where-is-it-located https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crankshaft_position_sensor http://www.answers.com/Q/What_does_a_crank_sensor_do https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crankshaft_position_sensor
what does a crankshaft do