Knock Sensor Testing?
06-14-2020 | 07:29 PM
#47
Rennlist Member
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 35,700
Likes: 503
It's extremely rare to find a knock sensor with a cracked connector that also does not have a cracked housing on the sensor and sheathing peeling away under the intake. Hell, on my own, I replaced them in '08 or so and had a cracked connector 2 years ago, took the intake off because, well, it's what I do and the housing was also cracking which explained why I had excessive knocks. If you have a cracked connector and are fine with replacing it gopher it. It is simply a bandaid that may get you down the road for a couple more years.
If don't have a hammer or sharktuner, you won't know what's going on under load anyway.
If don't have a hammer or sharktuner, you won't know what's going on under load anyway.
06-15-2020 | 09:54 AM
#48
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 1,179
Likes: 396
It's very ironic to me that one of the proponents of doing major and costly repairs to cover every conceivable situation when something small is wrong is the same person who bragged to me about how much work they had done on my car before I bought it. And every time I do anything at all on the car, from oil changes to transmission removal, or alignments or anything at all, big or small...I always find many things that are done wrong or poorly. From missing oil pan bolts to body panels out of alignment or wrong bolts used to missing parts or gaskets, shoddy wiring, you name it, I've found it.
I am in full support of a professional mechanic recommending doing major repairs in order to mitigate the risk of future break downs. As long as it is a recommendation along side other options that are also offered. And if that mechanic takes the approach that it's not worth working on someone's car unless they can turn it into an expensive job, then they should make that clear to the customer before ever accepting the keys. Make it clear that they have a minimum work order for any car that they accept. That's reasonable as long as they make it clear up front. No one should be forced to do work that they don't think is worth it. But they also should make that requirement clear up front.
I also fully support professional mechanics, and others who don't do it for a living, offering expedient but quality repairs with the understanding that just because you fix one aspect doesn't mean that you've addressed all potential future failures. Without judgment or arrogance.
We have probably all seen these approaches in our respective professions. There are those who turn mole hills into mountains. Regardless of the reasons that they state, the end result is the final bill is invariably much higher and they always end up making more money.
For anyone who's read my posts, you know I don't skimp on parts or labor. I removed my whole transmission just because of a sloppy feel in the shifter and replaced just about everything short of the transmission itself in the process. I don't err on the side of cheap and I have no problem with going overboard when it only affects me. But when it affects someone else's time and money, I always present the options with benefits and detriments as I see them and let the person who is affected by the decision make the decision. They probably know a lot more about their situation and needs than I do.
To judge someone else's work by calling it a "band aid" isn't a professional or nice approach. The whole point of this board is to share and provide a place for people of all abilities, resource levels and experiences to share openly without judgment.
I don't expect anyone to change their stance on this issue. But it sure would be nice if there was a tad more humility and mutual respect here.
I am in full support of a professional mechanic recommending doing major repairs in order to mitigate the risk of future break downs. As long as it is a recommendation along side other options that are also offered. And if that mechanic takes the approach that it's not worth working on someone's car unless they can turn it into an expensive job, then they should make that clear to the customer before ever accepting the keys. Make it clear that they have a minimum work order for any car that they accept. That's reasonable as long as they make it clear up front. No one should be forced to do work that they don't think is worth it. But they also should make that requirement clear up front.
I also fully support professional mechanics, and others who don't do it for a living, offering expedient but quality repairs with the understanding that just because you fix one aspect doesn't mean that you've addressed all potential future failures. Without judgment or arrogance.
We have probably all seen these approaches in our respective professions. There are those who turn mole hills into mountains. Regardless of the reasons that they state, the end result is the final bill is invariably much higher and they always end up making more money.
For anyone who's read my posts, you know I don't skimp on parts or labor. I removed my whole transmission just because of a sloppy feel in the shifter and replaced just about everything short of the transmission itself in the process. I don't err on the side of cheap and I have no problem with going overboard when it only affects me. But when it affects someone else's time and money, I always present the options with benefits and detriments as I see them and let the person who is affected by the decision make the decision. They probably know a lot more about their situation and needs than I do.
To judge someone else's work by calling it a "band aid" isn't a professional or nice approach. The whole point of this board is to share and provide a place for people of all abilities, resource levels and experiences to share openly without judgment.
I don't expect anyone to change their stance on this issue. But it sure would be nice if there was a tad more humility and mutual respect here.
06-15-2020 | 02:24 PM
#49
Former Vendor
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 15,230
Likes: 2,489
From: Anaheim
It's very ironic to me that one of the proponents of doing major and costly repairs to cover every conceivable situation when something small is wrong is the same person who bragged to me about how much work they had done on my car before I bought it. And every time I do anything at all on the car, from oil changes to transmission removal, or alignments or anything at all, big or small...I always find many things that are done wrong or poorly. From missing oil pan bolts to body panels out of alignment or wrong bolts used to missing parts or gaskets, shoddy wiring, you name it, I've found it.
I am in full support of a professional mechanic recommending doing major repairs in order to mitigate the risk of future break downs. As long as it is a recommendation along side other options that are also offered. And if that mechanic takes the approach that it's not worth working on someone's car unless they can turn it into an expensive job, then they should make that clear to the customer before ever accepting the keys. Make it clear that they have a minimum work order for any car that they accept. That's reasonable as long as they make it clear up front. No one should be forced to do work that they don't think is worth it. But they also should make that requirement clear up front.
I also fully support professional mechanics, and others who don't do it for a living, offering expedient but quality repairs with the understanding that just because you fix one aspect doesn't mean that you've addressed all potential future failures. Without judgment or arrogance.
We have probably all seen these approaches in our respective professions. There are those who turn mole hills into mountains. Regardless of the reasons that they state, the end result is the final bill is invariably much higher and they always end up making more money.
For anyone who's read my posts, you know I don't skimp on parts or labor. I removed my whole transmission just because of a sloppy feel in the shifter and replaced just about everything short of the transmission itself in the process. I don't err on the side of cheap and I have no problem with going overboard when it only affects me. But when it affects someone else's time and money, I always present the options with benefits and detriments as I see them and let the person who is affected by the decision make the decision. They probably know a lot more about their situation and needs than I do.
To judge someone else's work by calling it a "band aid" isn't a professional or nice approach. The whole point of this board is to share and provide a place for people of all abilities, resource levels and experiences to share openly without judgment.
I don't expect anyone to change their stance on this issue. But it sure would be nice if there was a tad more humility and mutual respect here.
I am in full support of a professional mechanic recommending doing major repairs in order to mitigate the risk of future break downs. As long as it is a recommendation along side other options that are also offered. And if that mechanic takes the approach that it's not worth working on someone's car unless they can turn it into an expensive job, then they should make that clear to the customer before ever accepting the keys. Make it clear that they have a minimum work order for any car that they accept. That's reasonable as long as they make it clear up front. No one should be forced to do work that they don't think is worth it. But they also should make that requirement clear up front.
I also fully support professional mechanics, and others who don't do it for a living, offering expedient but quality repairs with the understanding that just because you fix one aspect doesn't mean that you've addressed all potential future failures. Without judgment or arrogance.
We have probably all seen these approaches in our respective professions. There are those who turn mole hills into mountains. Regardless of the reasons that they state, the end result is the final bill is invariably much higher and they always end up making more money.
For anyone who's read my posts, you know I don't skimp on parts or labor. I removed my whole transmission just because of a sloppy feel in the shifter and replaced just about everything short of the transmission itself in the process. I don't err on the side of cheap and I have no problem with going overboard when it only affects me. But when it affects someone else's time and money, I always present the options with benefits and detriments as I see them and let the person who is affected by the decision make the decision. They probably know a lot more about their situation and needs than I do.
To judge someone else's work by calling it a "band aid" isn't a professional or nice approach. The whole point of this board is to share and provide a place for people of all abilities, resource levels and experiences to share openly without judgment.
I don't expect anyone to change their stance on this issue. But it sure would be nice if there was a tad more humility and mutual respect here.
The cost repairing an unknown old part must be carefully weighed against the cost of a brand new part, in each and every individual situation.
When people are doing repairs at home, where labor costs are not a factor, putting a new connector on an unknown old knock sensor probably makes economic sense. However, getting to that front knock sensor with the manifold installed, if you find out that the sensor doesn't function after the new connector is installed, would be.....depressing, at best.
Where we would obviously repair the MAF connector on a very expensive ( also NLA) loom, I'm not sure I've ever put a new connector on a knock sensor.
The following 2 users liked this post by GregBBRD:
Mrmerlin (06-15-2020),
pantera928 (06-15-2020)