Picture this: you’re sitting at a stop light on a hot day, getting ready to merge onto the highway. As you pull out and step on the gas, you hear an awful noise that sounds like shaking a bunch of marbles in a can.
The car hesitates, stumbles, then proceeds to accelerate slower than normal. What just happened? You’ve probably just experienced engine knock, and what could have caused it may be a knock sensor malfunction.
Keep reading to understand what engine knock is, the common signs associated with a bad knock sensor, and how much it will cost to fix it.
What is Engine Knock?
Engine knock, pre-ignition, and pre-detonation are all names for explosions in the combustion chamber that happen when they’re not supposed to.
A combustion engine requires a carefully balanced mix of air and fuel. This air fuel mixture must be ignited at precisely the right moment. That moment is usually just before the cylinder reaches top dead center (TDC) on the compression stroke.
Virtually every engine knocks to some extent. There are countless variables in the environment that can’t always be controlled for, such as carbon buildup, fuel quality, and quick changes in the position of the throttle plate such as stabbing the gas.
Engine knock is usually only harmful when it happens at high loads, such as when you’re at full throttle. Cruising knock happens while driving at a constant speed. Cruising knock is very common and much less concerning.
An engine knock sensor is designed to detect these unplanned explosions and send a voltage signal to the ECU or powertrain control module. From there, the module will delay the ignition’s timing and prevent engine detonation.
Retarding (delaying) the ignition timing means the spark plugs fire a bit later than they used to. The piston will be a little higher in the cylinder and the combustion event will not make as much power on the combustion stroke.
Lowering the power output by retarding the ignition timing will decrease cylinder pressures, making the combustion event safer for the engine. The main downside is that your car will be slower until the ignition timing returns to normal.
This will help prevent damage to the engine as it goes through the pre-ignition process. If your knock sensor were to malfunction or go bad in your vehicle, there would be some noticeable symptoms that would present themselves.
Low Speed Pre-Ignition
On newer vehicles that have both direct injection and a turbocharger, there is an increased probability to experience pre-ignition when the driver requests a lot of torque at a low low engine speed.
Automotive engineers aren’t quite sure why this phenomenon occurs, but it is thought to be caused by the higher cylinder pressures typically seen on direct injected turbocharged motors with a relatively high compression ratio.
Supposedly there are engine oils that can mitigate this phenomenon, but nothing can prevent it entirely. If you drive a manual transmission vehicle that is both direct injected and turbocharged, consider downshifting before you floor it. Automatic transmissions will likely handle this for you.
Where is a Knock Sensor Located?
Your vehicle’s knock sensor will most likely be found on the engine block, either on the intake manifold or cylinder head. In most cases, it will be located on the left side of the engine block, immediately underneath the intake manifold.
A vehicle specific service manual, such as one by Haynes or an OEM one, can be used to confirm its location.
What Causes Engine Knock?
Engine knock can be caused by a number of factors, especially when unfavorable conditions are combined.
1) High Intake Temperatures
Ever notice how your car is slower when it’s hot outside? Not only does heat make the intake air less dense, it will also increase the probability of knock.
On hot days, the temperature of the combustion gases will be higher. This increases the risk of combustion before the cylinder is ready to ignite the mixture.
To combat this, most engines will retard ignition timing in hot temperatures to make combustion safer.
2) Poor Quality Fuel
Ever put a lower octane fuel in your gas tank than what the manufacturer called for? An octane rating is the fuel’s resistance to detonation via compression. A higher octane rating has a higher resistance to compression ignition.
Using the wrong fuel will likely cause engine knock. Note that some vehicles are designed to run multiple octanes. In these situations, the engine will adjust accordingly.
3) Carbon Buildup
As a vehicle ages, carbon deposits build up on the valves, cylinder walls, and pistons. These carbon deposits can create hot spots that ignite fuel unevenly.
There are ways to mitigate or remove carbon buildup. Some examples are walnut blasting the valves, Seafoam treatment, or running a catch can. A catch can and an air oil separator (AOS) are two devices that clean the oily air mixture that is ventilated from the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) system.
See Also: Best Fuel Injector Cleaners
4) Bad ECU Calibration
Sometimes an ECU is programmed to run the engine too lean or with very advanced ignition timing. A lean air fuel ratio maximizes fuel economy.
Advanced timing burns the mixture earlier in the combustion cycle, which maximizes power. Both of these situations can cause engine knock when taken to an extreme.
ECUs often run on the leaner side from the factory for emissions purposes. This is usually fine, but occasionally a manufacturer will take it too far.
When this happens, the manufacturer will issue a recall or technical service bulletin (TSB) to flash the ECU. The updated engine management software is designed to give the engine a safer calibration.
Top 5 Bad Knock Sensor Symptoms
Here are some of the most common signs of a faulty knock sensor that you should look out for.
1) Check Engine Warning Light
One of the first symptoms you might notice is the Check Engine warning light illuminating on your dashboard. You should take this early warning sign seriously and have your vehicle inspected before the problem gets worse.
Of course, there are many reasons why an engine warning light could turn on and a bad knock sensor is one of them. Regardless of the reason, you shouldn’t take the chance of ignoring it for too long or it could have devastating effects on your engine.
Possible knock sensor related trouble codes include: P0325, P0326, P0327, P0328, P0329, P0330, P0331, P0332, P0333, and P0334.
2) Loud Sounds
When the knock sensor starts to malfunction, you will hear loud noises coming from the engine that almost resembles thumping sounds. The longer you go without fixing this problem, the louder those sounds are going to get.
The reason this noise occurs is due to the ignition of the air and fuel mixture inside of the cylinder. Normally, the mixture would reach the combustion point instead. Therefore, sounds like this should motivate you to take your vehicle to the mechanic promptly.
3) Bad Fuel Mileage
If you notice that you’re getting fewer miles per gallon than you normally do, then a bad knock sensor could be contributing to that. Again, there are many reasons for why you might get bad fuel mileage.
But if you notice any of these other symptoms in conjunction with bad fuel mileage, then that’s even more reason to believe it is because of a bad knock sensor.
4) Poor Acceleration
When you step on the gas pedal to accelerate your vehicle and it doesn’t accelerate fast, then a bad knock sensor is probably preventing the acceleration from being effective. You can be sure of this if you already have the previous three symptoms occurring.
5) Poor Engine Performance
The worst symptoms from a bad knock sensor will occur when internal engine components become damaged. If you’ve let this problem escalate without replacing a faulty knock sensor, then your vehicle will begin to increasingly drag and jerk around.
There may even be a burning smell coming from the engine and getting into the cabin of your vehicle. Any further use of the vehicle in this condition could result in the entire engine being destroyed.
Then, you’re looking at many thousands of dollars to replace your entire engine. Don’t wait for that to happen. It is much cheaper to just replace the knock sensor.
Knock Sensor Replacement Cost
We recommend Parts Geek for the best prices and selection.
The good news is that it won’t cost you an arm and a leg to replace a bad knock sensor. If you have a standard economy vehicle, you can expect to pay anywhere from $200 to $500 for replacing your knock sensor.
The parts cost will be anywhere from $65 to $200, while the labor costs will be anywhere from $150 to $400.
In most cases, the parts costs and labor costs will be about the same. If you can find a good deal on the labor from an independent mechanic, then maybe you can lower your overall costs considerably.
What Causes a Knock Sensor to Fail?
Knock sensors are designed to last the lifetime of a car but like any other electrical component in your car, they can fail before then. There are three main reasons for that.
- Corrosion and wear can be a big troublemaker for your knock sensor. Over time, the sensor threads or wiring connectors may corrode or wear out, resulting in a bad connection or inaccurate readings. If you live near the ocean or areas that use road salt in winter, you’ll likely need to replace your knock sensor at some point.
- Other environmental factors can also impact your knock sensor. If the sensor is exposed to extreme temperatures or contaminants like oil, dirt, or water, it may get damaged or become less effective in detecting engine knock.
- Faulty wiring or electrical issues within your vehicle’s electrical system can also cause the knock sensor to fail. This may happen due to broken or frayed wires or a damaged voltage regulator that causes voltage spikes.
Is It OK to Continue Driving?
Driving with a bad knock sensor is not advisable, as it can lead to more serious issues with your vehicle. When your knock sensor is having problems, you may notice one or more of the symptoms listed above. Ignoring these symptoms and continuing to drive could cause further damage to your engine.
If you simply ignore a faulty knock sensor, pre-ignition and detonation can cause serious engine damage, leading to costly repairs. On top of that, driving with a bad knock sensor for an extended period of time can cause damage to other engine components, such as the catalytic converter and oxygen sensors.
How to Test a Knock Sensor
So, you suspect that your knock sensor might be giving you some trouble. While a diagnostic trouble code that’s directly related to the knock sensor is often a telltale sign, you can go a step further before shelling out money for a replacement. Testing a knock sensor isn’t too tricky, and you can do it with a simple multimeter.
- First off, grab your multimeter and set it to the ohm setting.
- Locate the knock sensor in your vehicle – it’s typically found on the engine block.
- Disconnect the electrical connector.
- Place the multimeter’s probes on the knock sensor’s terminals. A working knock sensor should give a resistance reading within its specification, which varies from one vehicle to another. Check your repair manual or search online for your vehicle’s specific resistance value.
- If the reading is not within the specified range, chances are your knock sensor is bad, and it’s time to replace it. However, before jumping to conclusions, you’ll also want to check the wiring and connections leading to the knock sensor. Damaged wiring or corroded terminals can also cause issues, so inspect them and clean as necessary.
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The serpentine belt broke in my 2001 Toyota Tundra LX. A friend replaced it but the sounds still continues? I had lost the power steering and the battery light went on. Both of these thing are now fixed.
I have a 2016 Hyundai Santa Fe sport and my check engine light came on and thru the code p1326 which is the knocking sensor but can that cause my car to stall out in one day I have not had any problems with my car until today
Yes, I experienced that until I used the right knock sensor. Before that, my gearbox wouldn’t change to the last gear
I have a 2001 nissian Altima the check engine soon light would come on in the winter months and off during the summer months for a couple of years. This year it came on in the winter and never went off. The code said it was the P0325 knock/combustion Vibration Sensor. Is that the Sam as a Knock Sensor. My car runs otherwise pretty good except for a few vibrations. I have 188,000 miles. Please help
Yes, that is a knock sensor. Best to get it fixed, because a knock sensor can help save the engine if you end up with poor quality fuel or some other condition that causes fuel to combust before it’s supposed to.
Check out this article if you want to learn more about engine knock. https://oards.com/car-engine-knocking-noise/
my husband has a 2001 honda civic and hes havin trouble with the engine losing power on hot days.when it gets hot the car will go no faster than 20 miles per hour he took it to auto zone and on the computer the only code that showed was the knock sensor.will it cause the engine to lose power
Yes, if the car is knocking the ECU will pull timing which can drastically reduce power.
Our vehicle was stuttering so we took it to a mechanic and he said we needed a new motor. Luckily we had a warranty. When we got the vehicle back, it was doing the exact same thing. Our warranty had run out but the new (used) engine was under warranty so we took the vehicle back in about 5 months later. Now the mechanic says the knock sensor is bad and our transmission is failing. My question is wouldn’t you change the knock sensor when you put a new (used) motor in the vehicle? and why wasn’t the knock sensor coding when we took the car in originally since it is doing the exact thing it was prior to putting the new motor in it?
Yes I would expect the knock sensor to have been replaced when you got a new engine. Do you know which (if any) parts were reused with the engine replacement?
2002 4.8 silverado, replaced knock sensors, wiring, gaskets, still knock sensor code returns
no sound or weak or miss fire. How do I clear code?
A lot of code readers will allow you to clear the code, but the code will return as long as the issue persists.
It sounds like you may need to do a more thorough electrical diagnosis of the vehicle. While you’re in there, check to make sure your grounds are clean and tight.
Toyota hilux, can bad knock sensor make engine light not to show and start at the same time, please i need your help. I already check all the related fuse and not broken
I have an 03 chevy silverado that started to have low oil pressure and then started not really knocking but tapping.Are these typical knock sensor problem indicators ?
No, oil pressure and the knock sensor should be unrelated. Low oil pressure is one of those big issues that should be addressed as soon as possible, though.
I have a 98 toyota avalon xls and I’m in Texas. Just after this horrible weather hit, I noticed a loud knocking in my engine. I’d had the bad gas mileage and the check engine light for a few weeks, so I bought the knock sensor to replace it as thats what the code said it was. Then, literally a few minutes before writing this, I was taking my girlfriend to get some snacks at the gas station when the knock became really bad, and the engine just died. No warning, no lights, nothing. I got the car started, but had a sudden loss of power and it won’t go above 30 unless I get into 3rd (its an automatic).
I’m not sure. You’ll have to do some diagnosis on your end to figure out what went wrong. Might want to do a compression or leak down test to give you a starting point. Was the code just for the knock sensor?
Hi! So glad I stumbled upon this…Great job you doing!
I got my 2005 Rx 330 last year…I have had several issues that has been tackled but the before I give a timeline, here’s the current issue, a check engine light and VSC, last I scanned it showed a code I can’t remember but was something like Knock Sensor Circuit High Input on bank 1 and another code that says Knock Sensor Circuit Low Input on bank 1.
My electrician had previously changed the knock sensor the previous day (i didn’t bother checking the code then) so when the check engine light returned, I went back and these were the error. He took off the sensors and said one of the new ones he fixed is bad so he brought another one, read it and fixed both again but the check engine light returned after a few miles. What could be the issue?
Now here’s a timeline of my fix:
When I got the car, after sometime, I realised the car was struggling to accelerate or delays in changing gears due to this. Also, the car heats up alot and I was told it was cos the catalyst was blocked…ran a scan and it was catalyst issue, I took off both catalyst giving issues (the one under and the middle one) then I added spacers to all the oxygen sensors.
My car felt good again and check engine left, but after sometime, it returned back, and before I could get to my mechanic, my car stopped on the road and I realised it overheated..how come? I was shocked..started it again and managed to drive to a safe place, it turned off again and I waited for it to cool, a mechanic came and assisted in putting water the right way after over 30mins of cool down. The fan was good, I top up water like 2-3 days ago so I was shocked.
When I got to my electrician, scanned again and it says no coolant, we topped up coolant and error was cleared….after some time, the light returned again and i realised car was beginning to delay a bit before accelerating. In between all these, I also noticed my AC would stop cooling and after turning it off for sometime, it begins to cool again. (This has also happened before removing catalyst).
I went to scan again and this time was when the knock sensor errors came up. So we’ve changed knock sensors and the check engine is back again.
Another thing I noticed again was before I removed catalyst, I had noticed my engine oil dropped low beyond both guages on the dip stick (this lasted for about 3000miles) so I felt that was fare and serviced the car with Mobil 1 5w-30…(previously oil used was normal Mobil oil by ignorant Mechanics). Now less than a month after I serviced (just around 1000miles), I checked my dip stick today and the oil is just by the second gauge as if half of my oil had dried up.
I am wondering if all these are connected and what could be the problem?
NB: I checked under the car and around the engine and filter, there’s no oil leakage. I also turned my car on, left it steaming for around 30mins and revved it, little to no smoke came off the exhaust that looked colourless (not sure about that but its as if no smoke came out the exhaust.
Please read carefully and help me understand whats wrong and what could be the fix. Thanks!
Hey Douglas, it sounds like you may have a few unrelated issues with your vehicle. The leaking oil and coolant makes me wonder if you have a failed head gasket from overheating the first time. I would consider a leak down test to see if that is the case.
The knock sensor issues do sound electrical in nature, possibly a bad ground or short in the wiring harness. Perhaps the engine is knocking from burning oil and coolant. I am not really sure, that is just speculation. Good luck on your search.
Can a knock sensor react to a bad spark plug or coil pack?
My 8 cylinder Chevy Silverado seems to run fine but it has the KS code.
I can’t hear an engine miss but it might be there. I don’t want to pull the intake manifold to change these unless I have to.
I wouldn’t call it a “reaction”, but if a spark plug or coil pack caused some pre-detonation, this could potentially be picked up by the knock sensor.
Hi, I have a 2015 Subaru WRX, and for a good while now randomly while driving I will lose power. I will be cruising and suddenly revs will drop completely and I will have no power for a couple of seconds. Other than that, car runs perfect. Just yesterday, got an engine light which I read to be a faulty knock sensor. Do you think these two things could be related?
Could be related, not sure. Do you have any mods? If so, are you running a tune that supports them?
Make sure you’re filling up with premium fuel. These cars pull a lot of timing (and lose power) when you use a lower octane.
I newly replaced my knock sensor, and when I scanned it using OBDll it says check engine particular in the knock sensor.. I dont have any idea please help
It could be an electrical issue such as a bad ground or weak connection somewhere. Check the wiring leading to the knock sensor to see if anything may have rubbed the insulation away. Check all grounds to make sure they are clean and tight.
I have a Mini Cooper 2006 with 67k miles on it. Recently I got a engine light on and when connected to device to read the codes I got “knock sensor 1 circuit range” code. What does it mean? The light disappeared the next day. I don’t see any difference in driving.
It means the ECU detected that the voltage on the knock sensor’s circuit was either too high or too low, i.e. out of the expected range. This may be a wiring issue, a problem with the knock sensor, or a bad ground.
I had my 2008 Kia Sportage Ex brought to 2 separate mechanics,.
1 said my engine assembly needing replacing due to an unhealthy engine,
(codes 0P303 and 0P0305 as well as 0P0300,.(random multi misfiring),.
we changed the coil pack. Still no change,thats when we were told bad engine due to low
compressions especially on 3 and 5 cylinders.
We were going to replace the engine when the other mechanic decided to
check and change the knock sensors. He said since the Kia was running fairly well,
he didn’t believe it needed another engine.
He said it was ideal after he replaced the knock sensors,changed the plugs and wires.
1 hr after I paid him $360.00,.the check engine came on as I was trying to be sure
in fact the engine was not at best when in park running nor at stop signs,etc.
Tomorrow we will return to the mechanic but meanwhile did he do anything useful?
He did not provide the updated compressions. Or any proof,info.in paper form,
(will retrieve that tomorrow as well due to mus-communication,saying he gave receipt to
my son in law prior to my picking the car up. (seemed odd).
So using our own OBD2 reader,it displays the same.,#3 and 5 and multi censors,(active).
And check engine light on.,along with more shaky idling,and brief misfires while driving.
It does drive great,however on the flip side,its still not running right,and the cel is on,.
what could it be,do I need an engine,did this guy pointlessly do work vs.changing engine,
there was no knocking sound.,ect,as I read what bad knock senor symptoms are,
1 does look flailed,melted and spent,*.,(2 of them he replaced,giving us the old).
I think its air / vac.leak somewhere. Yet the OBD reader says #3 and 5,multi and recently a torque converter clutch,P0741.
He( the mechanic) seemed oblivious to that when I showed him the photo I took of that read out on my cell from the obd reader.
Any advice?
Changing the knock sensor, plugs, and wires will not affect compression. What were the compression numbers?
Can a bad knock sensor be the culprit in causing code p0300&p0332 bank 2 sensor / also everything is good in vac leaks spark plugs coils injectors , And also can it cause transmission problems as delay gears or run sluggish
Could be. You’ll have to do some testing to know for sure.
Hello there!
My 2015 GMC Canyon sle has 52000 mi. I am using regular unleaded gasoline. When truck is in lower speed, it makes knocking noise. As I drive above 40 mi per hour, the noise stops. On the freeway I can here that noise too, but not as loud. Do you think changing the knock sensor can help eliminate that nagging noise?
Thank you
Mars
Does the knocking noise change with RPM? I’m not sure what is causing the noise so I can’t say if changing the knock sensor will help. I don’t think it will help to change the knock sensor unless your truck is throwing a code for it, though.
Can a bad knock sensor make a gearbox not to change
No, I don’t think so.
Hello, my 95 corolla has 297967 miles and it has been pinging and knocking when I accelerate. The pinging and knocking is not to loud but it is noticable in hot or cold weather and this happens intermittently. No check light on but I have noticed my fuel economy is not good my car still has good power. Could it still be a bad knock sencor
It’s possible. Check to see if you have any check engine lights (they may be stored even if the light is not illuminated). If you do have a bad knock sensor, you’ll want to get that replaced soon because engine knock could shorten the life of the engine considerably.