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Idle Air Control Valve

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Old 08-28-2018, 12:35 PM
  #41  
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I had the throttle body cleaned as well. The car does run like new. I am the original owner and the vehicle has less than 112,000 miles on it.

Can the sub harness/pig tail be replaced without removing the UIM. That is does it connect to anything under the UIM.

I take it that a lot of people simply replace the knock sensor without replacing the sub harness/pig tail and I question how prudent that is.

Originally Posted by JvG
The car can be driven without a functioning knock sensor. It won't have as much power as it should, and will probably have lower gas mileage. No point in using premium gas either. The timing advance is dialed back from where it could be by the ecu.

The car does perform better with a working knock sensor.

You could replace the knock sensor without removing the uim at this point.

Your other injectors will leak sooner or later. You might consider scheduling a time when you can live with taking the car out of service for a while so that you can do the other tasks which Reallywildstuff just mentioned.

Which would include replacing or rebuilding the rear injectors, replacing the rear valve cover gasket, the fuel line hoses and fuel filter, the egr tube and system, the coolant hoses back there, clean the throttle body and iacv valve. All these tasks can be performed fairly easily and at the same time if the uim is off. Yes, this is a royal fluster cluck. But once done, the car will run like new and be dependable.
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Old 08-29-2018, 12:57 AM
  #42  
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Originally Posted by Bobo
I had the throttle body cleaned as well. The car does run like new. I am the original owner and the vehicle has less than 112,000 miles on it.

Can the sub harness/pig tail be replaced without removing the UIM. That is does it connect to anything under the UIM.
P
I take it that a lot of people simply replace the knock sensor without replacing the sub harness/pig tail and I question how prudent that is.
the sub harness is just a wire. Either it works or it doesnt.

I reused mine. But it was enough of a pita that I would buy the sub harness if I had to do the job again.

you will want to install the sub harness onto the sensor before installation into the tunnel.

you also want to have the bolt in the knock sensor as well. Loop a wire like some copper Romex house wire around the bolt. Hold all this together with masking tape.

You want to orient this assembly in the tunnel so that you can feel when the bolt wants to go into the hole. Do this with your index and middle finger till the threads engage. Better yet, have a child do it. They have small hands which can reach where adults cant. Keep in mind, they will bleed. So bribe then well. I'm not kidding.

once the bolt has engaged, shove the copper house wire into the tunnel till it looses contact with the bolt Remove the maskin tape.. especially if it's between the sensor and the bottom of the tunnel. The sensor needs contact with the bottom of the tunnel. This grounds the sensor.

next, we want to tighten that bolt with the socket, the and swivels etc. Tighten enough so that is firm. The last thing you want is to snap that bolt off.
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Old 08-29-2018, 08:22 AM
  #43  
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Originally Posted by Bobo
I take it that a lot of people simply replace the knock sensor without replacing the sub harness/pig tail and I question how prudent that is.
The pigtail SHOULD be replaced along with the Knock Sensor. My original KS pigtail came apart upon disassembly from original KS. I did this as JvG describes, with UIM/LIM installed.

BUT (now pay attention, cause this concerns You - and for some reason I feel like you're brushing me off): IF you have always been properly referencing (those closest to the windshield) cylinders #1 & 3 AND IF I understood you correctly to say that your mechanic has now replaced Fuel Injectors # 3 & # 5, THEN I would wager almost any sum you can imagine that Fuel Injector #1 is going to fail within the next 10k miles (right alongside #2, and #4, and #6).

When your mechanic replaces fuel injector #1 - _he_will_ have_to_take_the_UIM_off_. Replacing the Knock Sensor (alongside the LIM gaskets, and alongside the remaining fuel injectors that haven't been replaced) at that _same_time_ is _trivial_...while replacing the Knock Sensor while the UIM/LIM are installed is _exceedingly_difficult_ (without, as mentioned, a "bribed small child" - this means someone with extremely small hands, but still enough strength to un-torque the KS bolt).

The way you describe your intended order of operations you propose applying the maximum amount of your both your own labor and the mechanic's labor to fix these issues several times instead of all at once.
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Old 08-29-2018, 10:25 AM
  #44  
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Real wild stuff is saying exactly what I am, and described the problem perfectly.

Do ALL the work at once. Because the other injector will fail sooner or later, or the egr tube will clog, etc.

Might as well get it all over with.

I'd really recommend doing all this yourself. Because it's a time hole. If you have the mechanic do it all a bit at a time, over and over again, it's a money pit.
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Old 08-29-2018, 11:20 AM
  #45  
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#5 injector was replaced 35,000 kms ago. It failed after using Gumout Regane and driving the car up a very steep hill. The Gumout Regane dislodged something in the injector. I suspect if I hadn't used it the injector may be operational today. So #3 and #5 have been replaced. I was going to replace #1 at the same time, but the rebuilt injector delivered to the shop was not working correctly when bench tested and I was stuck 20 miles from home so I didn't replace it.

I am not going to try and replace the knock sensor myself because a) I have no tools, and b) as you may have surprised, I am mechanically useless.

I am a retired accountant not a backyard mechanic.

I will have the #1 injector replaced at the same time. I have determined the incremental labour is minimal.

I will also looking into replacing the gasket referenced and cleaning the EGR tube.

Thanks

While

Originally Posted by reallywildstuff
The pigtail SHOULD be replaced along with the Knock Sensor. My original KS pigtail came apart upon disassembly from original KS. I did this as JvG describes, with UIM/LIM installed.

BUT (now pay attention, cause this concerns You - and for some reason I feel like you're brushing me off): IF you have always been properly referencing (those closest to the windshield) cylinders #1 & 3 AND IF I understood you correctly to say that your mechanic has now replaced Fuel Injectors # 3 & # 5, THEN I would wager almost any sum you can imagine that Fuel Injector #1 is going to fail within the next 10k miles (right alongside #2, and #4, and #6).

When your mechanic replaces fuel injector #1 - _he_will_ have_to_take_the_UIM_off_. Replacing the Knock Sensor (alongside the LIM gaskets, and alongside the remaining fuel injectors that haven't been replaced) at that _same_time_ is _trivial_...while replacing the Knock Sensor while the UIM/LIM are installed is _exceedingly_difficult_ (without, as mentioned, a "bribed small child" - this means someone with extremely small hands, but still enough strength to un-torque the KS bolt).

The way you describe your intended order of operations you propose applying the maximum amount of your both your own labor and the mechanic's labor to fix these issues several times instead of all at once.

Last edited by Bobo; 08-29-2018 at 02:33 PM.
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Old 08-29-2018, 01:07 PM
  #46  
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I'm a retired investment advisor.

I started working on my own cars back in high school. In 1971. I had little money, but was motivated. So I learned things as I went along.

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Old 08-29-2018, 02:36 PM
  #47  
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Originally Posted by JvG
I'm a retired investment advisor.

I started working on my own cars back in high school. In 1971. I had little money, but was motivated. So I learned things as I went along.










Good for you. In junior high I couldn't even make a sanding block in woodwork or a file in metal work, so I took typing instead

I have never changed my oil in my life. I do know how to put gas in the tank, however.




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Old 08-29-2018, 02:56 PM
  #48  
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Seems that you have done well in life.

Some members do their own work. Others are here to know enough so that they are not ripped off by their mechanic.

It would be helpful if members would mention at the outset which group they are in.

Because myself and others go to a fair amount of effort to provide repair instructions detailed enough to perform an actual repair.

if we knew at the beginning that you just wanted to take the car to a mechanic, we would have provided more generic and far less detailed instructions.

Our efforts are not totally wasted however. Because this forum is searchable, someone might be able to actually follow through with these tasks.
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Old 08-29-2018, 06:13 PM
  #49  
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I'm shaking my head at this.

How are you at the age you are, with absolutely no mechanical knowledge?

I seriously doubt your knock sensor is bad. However if it makes you feel better to replace it, do so. Mine came with the harness. Also, take care of injector #1 before it goes bad. ALWAYS take care of the other cylinders in the rear bank because it is a royal pain in the **** to deal the uim.

Also worth pointing out that there is a link above for diy how tos.

Christina
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Old 08-30-2018, 10:52 AM
  #50  
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Trust me, I appreciate all the feedback I have had on my thread.

I have been frustrated by the problem with my vehicle because it it has been virtually trouble free in the almost 24 years I have owned it.

The only codes I have had before were many years ago: one for an oxygen sensor which was then replaced and another later on for an EGR control solenoid.

I had the dreaded leaky transmission seal and simply added gear oil for about 3 years until I had to replace an outer CV boot. So I then bit the bullet

and had both outer CV boots replaced and the bearings and seals replaced in the manual transmission. Despite the fact that I had 50% left on the clutch

I went with a new LUK clutch, pressure plate and bearing.

I only replaced the front brakes about 10,000 kms ago at about 168,000 kms on the vehicle and it still has the original alternator.

Originally Posted by JvG
Seems that you have done well in life.

Some members do their own work. Others are here to know enough so that they are not ripped off by their mechanic.

It would be helpful if members would mention at the outset which group they are in.

Because myself and others go to a fair amount of effort to provide repair instructions detailed enough to perform an actual repair.

if we knew at the beginning that you just wanted to take the car to a mechanic, we would have provided more generic and far less detailed instructions.

Our efforts are not totally wasted however. Because this forum is searchable, someone might be able to actually follow through with these tasks.
​​​​

Last edited by Bobo; 08-30-2018 at 12:29 PM.
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Old 08-30-2018, 10:59 AM
  #51  
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As I mentioned to JvG above I appreciate all the feedback I have received on my thread.

I am going to continue to drive the car. I also question whether the knock sensor is bad given how it drives.

It hasn't even been properly tested with an ohm meter to determine if it is open circuit or not.

If I decide to replace it at a shop, I will deal with the #1 injector, gaskets and EGR tube cleaning at that time.

I moved away from Vancouver to Vancouver Island about 6 years ago and was previously fortunate enough to get some help

from some mechanical wizards. They were three brothers who between them could do anything including rebuilding

engines. One of them was a jet aircraft mechanic for Air Canada.


Originally Posted by maxima297
I'm shaking my head at this.

How are you at the age you are, with absolutely no mechanical knowledge?

I seriously doubt your knock sensor is bad. However if it makes you feel better to replace it, do so. Mine came with the harness. Also, take care of injector #1 before it goes bad. ALWAYS take care of the other cylinders in the rear bank because it is a royal pain in the **** to deal the uim.





Also worth pointing out that there is a link above for diy how tos.

Christina

Last edited by Bobo; 08-30-2018 at 12:31 PM.
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