just as the subject says... but went to a dyno the other day w/o realizing i had a bad KS... and i'm hoping that my low hp and tq were a result of the troubled KS. so does anyone have an idea of how much hp/tq a faulty KS may rob a 4th gen?

 

Don't know exactly but it is noticable, acceleration up to 2000rpm or so under light foot is WAY weaker...

 

yeah, i've noticed that... and during accel. my car stumbles up to 4-5k. but my concern was about my dyno run... my numbers were way off what they should be... like ~20hp and ~30tq. is this the result of a bad KS?

 

dont mean to mess up the subject but my cel comes on and i check the code and it gives me the ks code. that was about a week ago and then today i checked it again and it gave me an evap thing. Does that mean the ks is good now?

 

hard to say... but from what i've heard, the KS won't trip a CEL by itself... the only reason i know about mine is my dyno. i've reset my ecu 3 times, and immediately after i still get the 0304 code. so far mine has not gone away. but do a search on how to check your KS... using an ohmmeter, you need to test the resistance accross the KS... i don't know exactly what you are looking for though. or you can replace your KS with a 480k - 500k ohm resistor and see if you notice a difference in your cars performance... or if you have access to an obdII, you can monitor your timing.

 

KS wont trip a cel, but it does give a code, called a "ghost code". If your KS is bad, it could be as bad as to "retard" your timing so your car will operate in safe mode. This will greatly affect your performance, gas mileage, and cause your engine to act in ways it wouldnt usually do. It does this so your engine wont get any worse.
I had the same problem, I bypassed the KS and added 550k ohms of resistors and I got almost all my power back. It does really make a huge difference.

 

anyone know how many MPG lower a car will run with a bad knock sensor, as a rough average?

 

well, is it worth buying a new KS, or is it safe just to bypass it all together? i've never heard any pinging or spark knock from my engine...

 

It depends, I bought a new KS cause mine was shot. Even after buying it from the dealer i still get the code, and no other code is comming with it, so I just bypassed it. Ive had teh car run horribly for so long, that I just bypassed it, I dont have the funds to proferssionally get it fixed. Also, my MPG went as low as 11.4 mprg

 

I also have a bad ks and I feel that my car is not as quick as it should be. It's weird, like, sometimes my car feels a lot quicker than other times. Sometimes, it stumbles and hesitates and feels slow as hell in every gear. But just the other night I beat a 02 Benz sl-500 by 1/2 car length. Yes, an sl 500 with 302hp that does the 1/4 mile in 14.5 seconds!!!!!!!!!!!! That night my car felt extremely fast. Faster than usual and I have intake/ypipe/5speed.

I really need to get my ks changed asap!
-Paul

I ran a 15.5 with i/y a long time ago. NOw I know why my times are so slow. I should be running 14s esp if I beat a sl 500!!!!!!



and NO...he was not toying with me. You can tell when they are.

 

point blank, I went from a 15.8 to a 14.8. no joke.

 

i ahve a knock code too but i am getting about 21 MPG running it pretty hard and it seems to have good acceleration so???? i dont know if its worth the money

 

"keeps your engine in a safe zone" if your engine is worth more than about $125, get the knock sensor...it is a very important part of the VQ

-matt

 

if you're not willing to replace the sensor, then at least take it off and clean it. I've read posts where people have cleaned their sensors using various methods and the problem went away.

 

i don't mine spending the money at all... i try to give my car everything it needs, since i can't afford anything newer right now. but i just don't want to waste my money either. but it looks like i'm just going to have to get the sensor and head back to the dyno.

 

does anyone have the info on cleaning the ks. Mabey i'll try that and see if it helps at all

 

Where is the cheapest place to buy a KS?

 

cheapest place to buy one is www.thepartsbin.com

 

so again, should someone get a new KS or bypass it? And how would I bypass this?

 

it is up to you weather to replace it or bypass it. there is a risk involved in bypassing it. Here is link to the thread i posted on bypassing the KS ks bypass thread

 

To 'clean' the KS, first remove it. Then use light sandpaper to clean the bottom of the KS and the engine bolt mounting point to get a good mechanical and electrical ground connection. Reattach.

 

i got a KS from the dealer today for 130$ put it in and notice a big difference code 05 05 all clear now wasnt hard to put in at all took 30 mins

thanks for the help

 

lucky you don't have a 97+ (in that respect)... the KS is a biatch to get to... not looking forward to it tonight

 

How long does a KS usually last, I think if I buy a new one it will retard in a few months or so! Iono man my KS has been messing me up for so long its not even funny, and its missfiring too

 

I got a CEL and shortly after noticed some hesitation on highway and bad smoking and missing at idle. Codes said Knock sensor and #4 cylinder misfire. The day before started getting water in passenger compartment from evaporator core. My mechanic says some computer terminals are corroded. Am ordering a new knock sensor and an updated cowling that is supposed to actually keep water out and off the computer if the evaporator leaks. Anyone had a similar experience? Thanks

 

I am not sure what to do. My car isnt running bad, it's quite strong actually, always use 93 gas but I run nitrous also. The ECU pulled out the code for the KS but my car isnt running on safe mode, it is getting very bad mpg though, but could just be a result of my driving. Should I change it? I have the money for it, but just dont know if its necesarry.

 

i thought my car was running great b4 i put the new KS in. Now i notice a definite difference with the new KS. if u have 03 04 code and the sensor doesn't have around 540K ohms of resistance then go and replace it, u wont regret it gave me more power than my intake seriously just my 2 cents

 

well, on a 96 max se auto, it runs the absolute same on 87 and 93 octane, and runs 16.4-16.7, even with resetting the ecu etc. it still gets 24 mpg driven lightly.

the safe mode thing is right, when the knock sensor goes bad it usually puts it in 'safe mode' that means your car is slow. lol. retards your timing a lot. i dont think it makes much of a difference below 3500 tho.

 

91 octane or higher is the best for our maxima's. I have teh 03 04 code, and my car runs horribly. My KS is new from teh dealer a few moths ago, I measure the ohms of it and I get 550k ohms more or less, I dont know what is going on.