Last Updated: 01/29/2022 @ 11:15 am

Community Member Credit: asand1 / maxima_se007

Important Note: This should really be used as a temporary solution. The proper fix is to replace either the knock sensor itself or the harness which is known to go bad. Most people do both at the same time.

Resistor: 470K

Order Link: https://www.radioshack.com/products/radioshack-470k-ohm-1-2w-5-carbon-film-resistor-pk-5?variant=20332249541

Instructions

1. Disconnect the knock sensor at the easily accessible connector. (you can find this by looking at the knock sensor and following the wire and wire loom towards the engine bay.)
2. Buy a package of 5 one megohm resistors at radio shack for $0.99. (Part #: 271-1134)
3. Take 2 of the resistors out and put them next to each other (side by side) and twist one wire on each resistor onto the one next to it from the other resistor. You now have a 500k resistor. (you can buy a 470k resistor, but i felt this would give truer results to knock sensor specs seeing as how a good knock sensor is between 500k-600k ohms.) DO NOT twist only one side, creating a 2000k ohm resistor (by going —(***)-x-(***)— (imagine the —(***)— is a resistor and x is a twist) that is the wrong way, just imagine you have to make one resistor unit out of two. If this is confusing, just get a 470k resistor.
4. Insert one twisted wire (single wire if using 470k) into one receptacle of the connector in the engine bay (not the one leading to knock sensor) and the other twisted wire (single if using 470k) into the other receptacle on the same connector. You are eliminating ANY use of the knock sensor or the wire connected to it.
5. Use electrical tape to keep it secure and to avoid any short-circuiting.
6.  Enjoy some extra power (if your knock sensor was bad), but look out for knocking which can be potentially harmful to the engine if excessive.
7.  I would recommend you check your codes before doing this to find out if your ks is in fact bad. I would also use this as only a TEMPORARY solution until a new ks is purchased and installed. Use the highest octane you can get too, because it will help in the prevention of knocking.

Installation Photos

Stock Sub-Harness

Notice the KS Sensor attached at the right. You will want to use the end at the left. Strip off the electrical tape and wire loom. Then strip the tape from all the connections. Clip the black wire where it is crimped to the shielding. Pull the shielding from the clear wire. Strip the black wire about 1/4″. I used a 16Ga butt connector cut in half, and solder to connect to the 470k resistor. Now clip the other end of the resistor and the clear wire even. Strip about 1/4″ from clear wire and solder using the other half of the 16Ga butt connector.

It should look like this now.

Now use shrink tubing to protect. I folded the end over and added another short piece of tubing.

Now put the sub-harness connector back on its bracket and plug the engine harness plug back in.