Being here in NE AZ near the four corners, there's lots of elevation changes if you travel any distance. So, after being in Pheonix for 4 days, I didn't notice any engine knock except a few times. It was very faint at that. When climbing from Pheonix (~1100 ft elevation) all the way back up to Flagstaff (7000 ft elevation), the knock returned as loud as ever. In Kayenta, where I live, is 5700 ft (no difference from Flagstaff in terms of noise).

So, temperature wasn't a factor, either. It was 65-75ºF in Pheonix and was the same temperature when I left from Ktown.

Just throwing it out there that this might be an elevation related issue.

Late,
Trav

 

The '10 Maximas were not required to run premium fuel as were the '09's and the only difference maybe in the timing. The knock sensor does a good job of compensating for lower octane fuel but it may not be able to handle the job at high altitudes. If you are running regular fuel then throw in a tank of 93 octane stuff and see if it continues. If it stops then you may want to check with the dealer to see if there is a problem with the sensor. Good luck.