Can XG350 crank and cam position sensors be tested with multimeter or scope?

XG350 ran 50 miles after new timing belt installed, now won't start: no
spark. Suspect crankshaft position sensor, but would be nice if I could
verify before replacing it. The manual shown it as a simple variable
resistor with the wiper being the sensor output and the other 2 terminals
connected to +12 volts and ground. Looks to me like maybe a DVM on ohms
might show something?

Thanks

Dan

 

That diagram is definitely misleading. It's a hall effect sensor. Check
for battery voltage and ground in the pink and black wires of the
connector, respectively. If that's okay, reconnect, probe the yellow
wire, and crank the engine. Also check the three wires in the sensor end
of the connector with your ohmmeter. There should be no continuity
between them and ground while the connector is unplugged. You should get
a square wave. While your DVM won't show you a square wave, I would think
you could check with the frequency and a/c volt scales to verify that
something is actually occurring.