Having some repairs done at the dealer and I mentioned to them that I also have a knock sensor code. They tell me it's not worth fixing because the knock sensor doesn't do crap and you don't really need it. Is this true or is this a must fix. He also says that it won't cause you to fail inspection because it doesn't throw a CEL.

 

It doesn't throw CEL so you won't fail inspection. The car can ping/knock when it starts to go bad. I'm not sure what year you have, but if you have an 02-03 and have small hands, you can replace it yourself with some patience. I have long skinny supermodel hands and after some swearing, I was able to replace it. It did take me about 20-25 minutes for the swap. You need to remove the intake box. The hardest part was putting the bolt back in place.

 

03 and my hands are on the small side. Is there any damage that I can cause by not replacing it.

 

It's true that the knock sensor code will not cause the check engine light to come on. Is/was the check engine light on that you found out about the knock sensor?

As far as passing inspection goes, I don't know. Laws are different for each area. If they only go by the check engine light being on or off, you may be all right. But if they hook up a scanner, you probably will have a problem.

But do you need the knock sensor? Lots of arguments about this. The knock sensor is kind of a safety device. It senses if the engine is knocking or pinging. If the engine is, then something is wrong. A car person would know this happening without a sensor telling them. But the majority people are clueless on stuff like this.

But the engine has it and if it is causing a code, it can be detrimental to the car's performance. If the engine is knocking or pinging, the sensor causes the ECU to retard the timing. That will reduce power output and gas mileage.

I would get it fixed.

 

Knock sensor valley is much more forgiving on 02-08's vs 95-01. On my 95, the KS was the most noticeable "mod" I had ever done, so much more power.

 

That is not accurate, knock sensor is part of the engine management control, yes it does throw a code. It is a pain in the butt to replace it since it is buried under the intake manifold sitting on top between the cylinder bank. So dealer prolly said that because it is labor intensive, where they have to remove the intake, throttle body in order to get to the knock sensor. I have done this once, it is a pain.

 

It doesn't trigger the the CEL. It will give you a code when you plug in a scanner, but it won't set off the CEL. Car passed inspection and all is right with the world. I plan on replacing it myself.

 

On the 02-03, you only need to remove the air box. The intake and throttle body can stay on the car if you don't have softball mitts for hands.

 

And the IM comes off far easier than the 95-01. Mine is off in 5 minutes. If you're going to be meticulous, use a torque wrench and apply the appropriate torque since that plays a big role in it's function.

Ghost code.