2 wire knock sensors?

346fc3s

New Member
Aug 20, 2010
11
0
0
Benbrook, TX
My car is throwing a code for knock sensors and after looking around a little I found that neither one of mine are plugged in, possibly because the plug doesn't fit. I just got the car and have very little idea of what's been done to it so I don't know if it's a stock harness or not. My wiring diagram shows a single white wire going to the sensor but I have two 2 pin connectors with red and red/black wires hanging in the general area of the sensors. I haven't seen a two wire knock sensor before and the sensors on the block are only single wire so what's going on here? I can cut and splice but I don't even know if these are the correct plugs since they don't fit. I have been looking around for pictures of knock sensor wiring but all the ones I've been able to find are just single wire. Any help is appreciated.
 

Supraflymk3

Supraman
Dec 17, 2005
272
0
0
37
Neenah, Wisconsin, United States
those two pin wires hanging down are probably for your vsv's. your knock sensor plugs like you said should be single wire and they are a green plug. you can tell which one is the knock sensor plugs by looking at the wire going to it. They're about a 16 gauge clear wire with copper strands running through it. Hope that helps you out.
 

Drake69

Enjoyin' mah ride...
Aug 24, 2009
648
0
16
54
Richmond, Virginia, United States
Drake69 said:
Sorry to resurrect my old Code 52 rod knock thread, but this is important. After much searching, I found a VERY IMPORTANT pic of an engine bay that outlines EXACTLY where the rod knock sensors are and had to bring it to the forefront and post it here for everybody to see.

attachment.php


As you can see the sensors are under the intake manifold, so you have to get to them from below, NOT ABOVE. In addition, the 86.5 to 88 years don't have to remove the starter to get to the rear sensor, but the later models you do. Between this and Shaeff's cables he sells, this makes bypassing the old cabling that much easier.

I couldn't believe how many abandoned threads I found about the problem, with some people recommending just running without the sensors hooked up, selling Shaeff's kits without even trying to put them on, etc. BTW, not running the sensors causes the limp mode in the ECU to engage, which riches out your fuel mixture and seriously degrades engine performance to prohibit "further engine trouble" (the problem is in the sensor or the cable, NOT the engine!!!!).

Still need to find a local soldering guru (my friend can't help me on this for awhile), and FYI, soldering these cables into the ECU and not crimping/twisting them is a MUST. Shouldn't take me long tho.

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jdub said:
I'm pretty sure Shaeff still sells a premade KS replacement harness...it would be worth a PM to him.

If Shaeff is still making these, GET THEM. This will easily bypass the knock sensor issue by directly wiring the sensors to your computer. I did this and it got the car out of limp mode and running MUCH better, also clears out that blasted code!
 

346fc3s

New Member
Aug 20, 2010
11
0
0
Benbrook, TX
Thanks for the replies guys, I just got home from Canada but I'll look around and see if I can dig the wiring out tomorrow morning. If I still have the problem the car came with two new knock sensors so I can stick those on and if I still have a problem after that then I'll track down the Shaeff cables. I can't wait to get this thing smogged and actually legal so I can have fun driving it.