Question for tuners here - What knock sensors do you use to tune FI setups? Is the oem ones of any use? Is it worth spending the $$$ for an aftermarket sensor, i.,e the likes of HKS Knock monitor etc...?

 

I've used the stock knock sensor with no problem on my drag 3 hatch

if you got the money go a ahead and waste it. I know I can't LOL

 

What exactly did you use to monitor the knock level with the oem knock sensor?

 

I've heard great stuff about J&S.

 

AFAIK the J&S will retard/advance automatically when it detects knock. I just want a device to monitor the knock level as I tune the car and not have it advance/retard for me. I'm not planning on hardwiring it but only in aid of tuning my car.

 

http://www.jandssafeguard.com/knockfinder.html

 

that looks more like somthing a dyno tuner should own not the car owner.....looks expensive

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by MachAF &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">http://www.jandssafeguard.com/knockfinder.html</TD></TR></TABLE>

LOL! If I have a money tree that grows like weeds do then hell yeah!

I'm talking from the DIY'ers point ....

 

Doug at Hondata recommended to us at the seminar to wire a set of headphones or a speaker of some sort to the OEM knock sensor and just use that to listen for knock. Not that expensive and he said it works pretty well.

 

mic+clamp+amp+headphones+ear=Knock sensor that can detect quicker than J&S dyno tested.

 

This is the one that I made:


You can see the thread here:https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=818671

 

nice setup ibiza

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by devnull &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">nice setup ibiza </TD></TR></TABLE>

Thanks!! I thought I was being pretty original with it, but I have read about a few others who have done the same thing.

It seems to work pretty good, although I recommend using a 9v battery to power the pre-amp circuit, because you can pick up ground loop interference by using your car battery for power (like I did ) which will make it difficult to distinguish knock sounds. (I hope that makes sense!! )

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by DC2R714 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Doug at Hondata recommended to us at the seminar to wire a set of headphones or a speaker of some sort to the OEM knock sensor and just use that to listen for knock. Not that expensive and he said it works pretty well.</TD></TR></TABLE>

What...just hook the two speaker wires up to the knock sensor wires?

 

No, you need to have some sort of preamp circuit, utilizing a knock sensor in place of the microphone if you're going to input the signal into a radio of some sort, or use a small amplifier or headphone amp circuit if you're going to power a speaker or headphones

When I get home, I'll try to post some schematics.

 

If you are running the AEM system you can define what is raw knock and actual knock. Raw knock is just noise, actual knock is the threshold at which the knock frequency starts. Once you have define the threshold for the knock sensor you can accurately tune with the knock sensor output voltage, and set up the software to make timing and fueling changes as you define. The stock knock sensor is not lacking in any way/shape/form, its just that the stock ecu has to threshold (to sensitive) and cannot process raw knock and actual knock (distinquish between them).

I have been using a knocklink knock sensor unit to tune OEM ecu set-ups. Its a LED system that illuminates when knock starts. Its trial and error to know when there is raw knock and actual knock, but it does a good job for what it is.


Modified by boosted hybrid at 9:02 PM 6/7/2004