hi guys bought a knock link from a member here well awaiting the item but its the 1 with the lights on to check knock whilst driving. anyways do i remove my old knock sensor becasue that will cause the light to come on wont it? also if i meant to fix to somewhere on engine where do people bolt it.can they send pics please or anythin just so i know what to expect. cheers people

 

Leave your old knock sensor alone. Your ECU relies on that to retard timing, fuelling and boost should your engine experience knock.

Your new knock detector sensor should be bolted stand alone to the engine block somewhere near the OEM knock sensor or somwhere over a cylinder where there is an M8bolt available for use.

Failing that bolt it to the inlet manifold, there are plenty of M8 bolt points on or around that area. Knock noise is generated at a frequency of around 5Khz-6Khz so regardless of all other engine noise generated knock is very specific and if working properly your knock detector will only light up all or most of the LEDS on knock detection.

 

ok thanks mate thats really helpful. at first i though it was replacement but then your car wont run properly without orignal sensor. i will look for somewhere to bolt. cheers mate

 

The "usual" location for these is an M8 threaded boss at the top left hand side of the bellhousing, under the intercooler.

If your car doesn't have aircon, you can also use a boss on top of cylinder number 2, which is a better location, although the thread is M10 fine so you will need to make (or find someone to make) an adapter stud.

 

mine has air con mate but wanting to remove it. where u say top left hand side is that looking over the engine from the front of car. i will try there as that prob best. is it easy access once intercooler removed?

 

It's good to be resonably spot on about where you place the knock sensor and if it's meant to be a permanent installation then splitpin is absolutely correct on what he'ssuggested but in all honesty it could go on the inlet manifold which is dead easy to do if you cannot find a good place straight away.

When i have my det cans hooked up to customers cars and because it's a lot less fudging about i bolt the sensor to the inlet manifold because it's dead easy to take it off again when finished. I can still hear det even over the sound of moving components and air passing various points in the manifold i.e. throttle body, injectors, pistons etc etc... Det is very distinctive so if i can hear it over all the other noise your det detector will do too.

 

yea mate im wanting the best place to sense the det in my car an also i dont want my uk chocolate engine turnin to hot fudge. anybody got any pics

 

You don't need pics, look under the intercooler on the left hand side (as you sit in the car, so on the right as you look under the bonnet).

Look for the joint between the block and the gearbox just in front of where the starter motor is. At the top corner of the block you will see a line of three or four small holes. Follow these in and you'll see a larger round bolt boss. That's where you put your sensor.


It's easy to get to if you take the intercooler off, but provided you're reasonably dextrous you can get to it without, just finding your way past the wires and pipes that are above it.

 

hi mate. i no where the original knock sensor is but that one has to stay as far as i know but can the aftermarket knock link be bolted there too? ive not got it yet so i dont know if the bolt is even longer so the 2 of them can be bolted in 1. if not then is manifold next bet?

 

Fixing one sensor on top of the other isn't desirable, no, even if you have a bolt long enough to go through both of them.

No if you have aircon the one mentioned earlier on top of the block is the best option. If you know where the standard sensor location is you will have no problem at all finding that one.

The manifold is considerably less than ideal because while, as Scoobiewrx points out, ears can tell the difference between knock and other noises, your KnockLink is a simple filtered audio amplifier and thus nowhere near as good at telling the difference. The closer you can get it to the cylinders the better.

 

ok cheers for the info mate. funny enough the knock link arrived today an just opened before an i not chancing puttin 1 on top of the other. i will have intercooler off tomorra an check where is best under there. i here fords put theres in the manifold or on top but as u say the clloser to the cylinders the better

 

This thread has been useful to someone who has little idea of which way round to hold a screwdriver (i.e. me).

Where can the lead from the sensor go from the engine compartment to get to the reader unit in the cabin ? I was thinking of putting it underneath the radio in the spare DIN unit space, or by the ashtray.

 

You have several rubber boots in the bulkhead/firewall behind the engine. Favourite is the big one on the right hand side that has a large wiring loom trunk going through it.

Your choices are tuck it under the lip at the edge of the boot where it seals onto the bulkhead or make a tiny hole with a pin and thread it through the body of the rubber boot, or thread it through where the trunk goes through the boot. You have options and other booted areas to use but keep it away from the turbo.