When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I live in Kentucky and drove my Lexus to Florida a couple of months ago. Check engine light came on. Knock sensor bank #1 😬 I called several local mechanics and every one wanted over a thousand dollars to replace the sensor... I had lost my over drive so decided to try this. I was at a rest area when I read your post online. I used fingernail clippers to cut the wires and a lighter to strip them. 😀 I had 180 thousand miles on my Lexus at that time. I've drove to Florida and back home to Kentucky twice since then. I now have 193 thousand miles and she is still running perfect. Not only do I thank you for your wisdom but my family thanks you too. This saved me!
Forever grateful, Carole
I live in Kentucky and drove my Lexus to Florida a couple of months ago. Check engine light came on. Knock sensor bank #1 �� I called several local mechanics and every one wanted over a thousand dollars to replace the sensor... I had lost my over drive so decided to try this. I was at a rest area when I read your post online. I used fingernail clippers to cut the wires and a lighter to strip them. �� I had 180 thousand miles on my Lexus at that time. I've drove to Florida and back home to Kentucky twice since then. I now have 193 thousand miles and she is still running perfect. Not only do I thank you for your wisdom but my family thanks you too. This saved me!
Forever grateful, Carole
Welcome to Club Lexus.
It is illegal in many states to tamper with emission electronics and mechanics/shops should not perform this hack. We have it listed here for diagnosing and experimental use. It is recommended that proper fix be done which is in the DIY section. The cost of repair is high as we expect 7 hour of labor.
I live in Kentucky and drove my Lexus to Florida a couple of months ago. Check engine light came on. Knock sensor bank #1 😬. I used fingernail clippers to cut the wires and a lighter to strip them
I live in Kentucky and drove my Lexus to Florida a couple of months ago. Check engine light came on. Knock sensor bank #1 😬 I called several local mechanics and every one wanted over a thousand dollars to replace the sensor... I had lost my over drive so decided to try this. I was at a rest area when I read your post online. I used fingernail clippers to cut the wires and a lighter to strip them. 😀 I had 180 thousand miles on my Lexus at that time. I've drove to Florida and back home to Kentucky twice since then. I now have 193 thousand miles and she is still running perfect. Not only do I thank you for your wisdom but my family thanks you too. This saved me!
Forever grateful, Carole
I have a 2003 es 300 that I need to do the knock sensor hack. Problem is my ECM looks different and hope someone can verify my 2 sensor wires. I have the black and clear wires but they are located on the 2nd plug from the bottom (pic). Is this the right ones for me???
i was hesitant at first but thought what the hell I didn't want to fork out $1,000.00 to get the #2 knock sensor replaced and so I cut the black wire and spliced the end at the plastic insert piece to the clear wire... after that I had to disconnect the neg. battery terminal to reset the computer and so far 35 miles no light and overdrive works.... thanks for the post telling me how to do it!!!
Thanks again, Bobster: I did the hack repair and no light and shifting into overdrive... I have gone some 150 miles and no problem... I just didn't want to drop $1,100. Into a 15 year old Lexus after just spending $600. To Cala get both gas/flow or oxygen sensors, so I'm good to go.... NO LIGHT and she runs flawlessly!!!
I have a 2003 es 300 that I need to do the knock sensor hack. Problem is my ECM looks different and hope someone can verify my 2 sensor wires. I have the black and clear wires but they are located on the 2nd plug from the bottom (pic). Is this the right ones for me???
I seek the same answer, if anyone can help. Thanks!
Just want to chime in and say that I also have completed this ECU wiring harness shortcut in order to save the time and money of replacing the #2 knock sensor. My car threw a p0330 code and would not shift into overdrive. The problem was intermittent still and would only happen ever so often, but you know I am just not down with driving at 5k RPM on the freeway.
Things I noticed:
When removing the glove box be careful once you have removed the 4 bolts (2 screw and 2 bolts). Make sure you pry the top of the plastic piece off carefully, there are 3 clips, 1 on either side and 1 in the middle. If you car is a 200K + like mine and it sits in the sun, the plastic on the dash may be brittle. I broke one of the clips, but hey, that's why there is 2 more!
Other than that this was so easy, just be careful when removing the connector from the ECU, splice the wires, and then done!
Thanks everyone on this thread!
Please send me the instructions along with pictures.
This is for the people that don't want to pay big money to replace a bad knock sensor. I got the dreaded P0330 code saying the #2 knock sensor circuit was bad. I was driving 46 miles each way to work and had to stop and reset the light before I could there because she went in limp mode and I would lose overdrive. I just had to remove all of the same stuff to replace my leaking valve covers just a couple of months ago. I did not want to do that again. The ecu is looking for a small voltage between a set range to decide if that is normal and won't throw a code as long as it sees that voltage for each sensor. So I decided that since there are 2 sensors, and only one is bad right now, I will just feed both sensors from the good #1 bank sensor and the ecu will be happy. So i cut the wire feeding the #2 sensor and spliced it into the #1 sensor at the ECU. Anyway, it took me 15 mins and NO money to fix it. She drives as good as ever and no more CHECK ENGINE LITE. Im not telling anyone to do it, im just telling you what i did so you do what you will or won't. Don't Hate!
Many thanks to Bobster999 and cwsteini, it's a genius hacking.
I have a 97 LS400 that have knock sensor problem.
however, before I do this hack, I have another thought.
I checked ebay and it have knock sensors around $20 each. but the labor to reach the knock sensor is around $1000. (my car only worth $2000 I guess, so not really worth it. )
so I'm thinking, would it be possible to do a different hack?
If I cut the wire of the bad knock sensor at ECU, and wire it to a new one, and just put the new sensor somewhere in the engine hood. would it still be functional if not threaded into the engine? in this way it would take advantage of a new sensor and might be more durable.
I've read a lot of posts on this issue. It is amazing to me that everyone assumes that the sensor is bad and goes about trying to fix that or bypass that. I fell into that trap, I had the P0330, and ended up replacing both sensors and sub harness myself, bought quality parts for cheap online and ended up spending less than $150 for the whole job. But then the CEL came back.
After talking to a lexus mechanic and doing some research I fixed the issue by replacing my injectors and adding fuel additive to my fuel system. My car had 150k miles when this happened, and for some of you on here saying you have 200k + miles the reason your knock sensor is coming on is because your car actually IS knocking. And the ingnition timing the ECU is doing to try and correct it is not enough to fix the problem caused by injectors being clogged or excessive carbon build up in the combustion chamber.
This is an interesting opinion. I've read somewhere else that a guy applied seafoam and the check engine light went away. (but most people suggest gumout instead of seafoam)
so is there any method to tell if it's the sensor went bad or it's the real knocking? would any information from an OBDII real time feed help?
btw do you use pwr/overdrive all the time?
I'm currently have the CEL on and off, even I always stay in normal/eco mode, and run 2000 rpm on 91 gas. so I guess the odd for a bad sensor is higher?
(but people also say it's low rpm and mild driving that have most carbon build up...)
02-14-17, 06:09 PM
Don't Hate!