I finally picked up an 02 max yesterday, its way down on power but yet it runs good, the ses light is on so I took it to autozone for a scan.. I got the p0327 and p0328, which is the knock sensor.. Also an Evap code came up as well. The car seems like it is wanting to pick up, but it seems like something is holding it back and it also has like a hiccup when you first open it up..I did some 0-60 runs and it was a horrible 10.2x or so each time... Ive been doing some searching on here, would the knock sensor really cause it to loose that much power? and where is it located on the engine block? and one more question, where is the best place to pick one up at? Any input will be greatly appreciated guys

try to clean the MAF
but anything not working properly can lead to performance problem

Yes, the knock sensor will retard your timing, giving you sluggish performance and decreased gas mileage. Start there, then try to solve that EVAP problem. It's very common for the EVAP solenoid to go bad on these cars.

ground the knock sensor perhaps...??

how do you ground the knock sensor? Im at work right now, but honestly, i dont even know where its located on these cars yet... and why would it be send a high and low impulse? the guy at autozone said it could just be dirty but im believing its went out

they go out pretty commonly and are pretty inexpensive to replace i would start there for sure. I am sure there are a few good write ups on here. I did it on my friends 4th gen and it was just a mater of a good 10mm key and some small hands i am assuming its the same on the 5.5's. The sensor itself is in between the front and rear bank on top of engine block below the intake runners

does anyone have any pics of where it is located? i can see the wire which i think runs to it, but im not really sure....

Is the 5th gen and the 5.5 gen knock sensor the same? I have a harness and knock sensor out of a 2001 Maxima for sale that I would let go for pretty cheap. If you are interested and if it is confirmed that it will work on a 2002, let me know!

I would suggest getting that knock sensor taken care of. With a knock sensor code the ECU pulls the ignition timing to be safe on the engine, but it isn't great for power at all. My 4th gen had a bad knock sensor when I bought it and was a bit on the slow side as well.

It couldn't hurt to clean the MAF sensor either. My recommendation is to take a q-tip and dab it in 95% or higher isopropyl alcohol and VERY gently swab the MAF sensor element.

in this thread for pics and ect... sorry i cant help

To get some idea where it's located; the arrow points to the front of vehicle:



Also, i can PM you how to bypass the KS if interested.

mmk. i just did this past saturday. i had the p0328 code without the ses light. yes the knock sensor alone can cause a 3 second difference in 0-60 or 0-100kph times. by doing some research i found that the 5th gen and 5.5 gens have different knock sensor part numbers. i haven't tested resistance on both new and old 5.5 gen ks is about 540kohm. before i did this i tested to make sure it was the ks that was bad. i went to the local computer store and bought some resistors. they did not have the correct ohm resistor so i got 3X100kohm and 2X120kohm 2WATt resistors and connected them in series. Find the plug for the ks that goes to the engine harness use and ohm meter and test for the pin that has resistance, the other will show nothing. connect the resistors connected in series to the pin with resistance and then ground the other end on the block. i used one of the holes that holds the engine cover in place. clear the code, reset the ecu go for a quick spin and see if theres a difference. i dont reccomend driving too far as you dont actually have a working knock sensor, just something that simulates the resistance of one.

first i took off the engine cover, found the plug for the knock sensor that attaches to the harness to the right of the engine and tested for signal. it was dead so i assumed the ks was done and ordered a new one. lists for about 230ish cdn from nissan. dave b said 190ish usd for it. i dont remember that size it was, either a 10 or 12mm that got the ks off, but you do need small hands if you want to get it off w/o removing the intake manifold. you do however need to remove/move aside the intake box(everything ahead of the throttle body) to get at the ks. i found that the ks harness was melted, kept the plugs/clips from the harness, rewired it with thicker gauge insullated it and put everything together. reset the ecu and it ran like a dream. i had taken the ks out of the dealer packaging and couldn't return it so i just put the new one on. so i have a 5.5gen used ks that is still good.

hope this helps

Damn, I'm jealous of the fact that you were able to get yours off! I've tried 3 different kinds of wrenches and still couldn't get the bastard off. Am very tempted to just take off my UIM and re-apply the spacer adhesive...I have a feeling I have some corosion on my KS. Any tips?

When you bought the car, how was the maintenance history? If there isn't none, aside from doing just the knock sensor/fixing the evap code, this might be a good time to a tune-up. Fresh fluids, plugs, etc. Chances is if you already had 2 issues with the car, there might have been some other things neglected.

S

Man, Goodluck.

I bought the car knowing the knock sensor was bad, the fluids, brakes, and tires where replaced may 26.. It was a one owner vehicle which was a female..I will do a full tune up as soon as I can....I was right where i though the knock sensor was located...Today Im gonna clean the Maf and see if that helps any.. Also Ive tried searching on how to reset the ecu.. but i cant find it...Is there anything else that I should know? Autozone sells the KS for 119 bucks and it even has a 2 year warranty... Is there anyway possible I can changed the KS without taking off the intake?

http://maxima.theowensfamily.com/ecu.asp
this is pretty much the same thing but includes a somewhat helpful diagram.

and to remove the knock sensor i took out everything ahead of the throttle body then disconnected a couple of the harness plugs and got in with a wrench with a flexible neck thing? it didnt take much effort to get the ks off

I cleaned the MAF and had the ecu reset at advance.....I drove the car around for around 30 minutes or so hoping it would help, but in the end.. its still as fast as your basic moped

Since we know it's nothin your ol' maf cleaner can fix. Try the knock sensor first. By any chance any any stutering in any rpm range? or is it smoothe but just doesnt pick?
Could you cats possibly be clogged? +1 on the tune up, for all you know the previous owner mighta just driven it hard and not gave a sh&t about it.
gl man, keep us updated

if the knock sensor is bad, no matter how advanced the timing is set at, it will be retarded pretty damn quick by the ecm/ecu to protect the engine from damage. give the resistor mod a try and then reset again, go for a quick spin, if its the ks thats bad the resistors should simualate a good ks and leave the timing untouched after the reset and the car should pull like a maxima should

it has the initial stall when you nail the gas, you can feel a lil stutter, just like something is holding it back...I will try and replace the KS sensor thursday.. should i replace the harness as well? what do you guys think about the sensors at autozone... they have a 2 year warranty

oh yeah, how do i perform the resistor mod, ive been looking but I cant find anything on what things i need and how to do it...

update...
this was about a million times easier than what i thought it would be, but after taking off the air intake, i found a nest of papers and leaves around the knock sensor.. come to find out that the critter had chewed the harness wire into, i rewired it and now its definately running like a champ.. its unbelievable that the ks robs so much horsepower.. id like to see someone dyno theres just to see how much h.p you lose from it.. im betting its atleast 100 or so.. but now it looks like i have a brand new knock sensor for sale.... thanks guys for all your help

Congrats on locating the problem. I have a post on the dyno threads about low power output/poor track times. I was down what amounts to probably about 20whp, and today just took the knock sensor out and did the relocate/ground and it woke the car up in a major way. My KS wasn't faulty but the relocation & grounding it to the chassis made quite a difference. I'm going to the track tomorrow to see how much it improved my times, and may get around to redynoing the car in the next few weeks as well.

You guys doing the knock sensor ground do know that it can potentially ruin your motor. Also you have to run premium gas otherwise your gonna f%ck up your motor. To me it seems stupid on saving 60-80 bucks and risking blowing your motor

Oh yes, my engine is gonna go kablooey

I use 93, so no it won't. KS is bull****. Nissan probably put it in the V just to make huge bucks when it fails (and they know it will). Running N/A it's pretty much a waste of time and money.