fault code questions!

[robcarync]

Knock sensors...i had the CEL code a while ago...but no light was lit up....just reading the code.

i havent been driving the car much cause im away at college now, but soon im going to have to do something about it.

a question...has anyone had problems with their knock sensors before? from what i understand, its a fairly uncommon problem...

how many are there....is there one, or one for each cylinder?

i can read the code, but it is not triggering the actual light....any ideas why?

the code is there, but the car drives fairly well and there isnt any engine 'knock' or pinging...is it still a problem?

has anyone actually replaced them before? i have the bentley manual....and its kind of vague. from what i understand i have to remove the upper half of the intake manifold to gain access to them. seems like its just a few bolts and hoses to clamp off if you are only removing the top half. of course i got my pops helping me on this project, who knows more about cars than me, so thats a plus. ive read on bfdc a tutorial on doing it on an m3 engine, but that would be a bit different on a 4 cylinder im sure. is it possibly to be a DIY project, or should i just take it in (~600$)

ALSO

i understand the code can be triggered by some bad gas...and i have to confess that me and my pops usually filled it up with the low or middle stuff, and not premium. could this code clear up by putting premium in it from now on, or did we screw ourselves over by being cheap the first time around?

[robcarync]

well apparently no one knows anything about knock sensors....but maybe someone can at least explain to me why its reading a code but not triggering a light?

[cali-ti]

Originally Posted by robcarync

Knock sensors...i had the CEL code a while ago...but no light was lit up....just reading the code.
i havent been driving the car much cause im away at college now, but soon im going to have to do something about it.
a question...has anyone had problems with their knock sensors before? from what i understand, its a fairly uncommon problem...
how many are there....is there one, or one for each cylinder?
i can read the code, but it is not triggering the actual light....any ideas why?
the code is there, but the car drives fairly well and there isnt any engine 'knock' or pinging...is it still a problem?
has anyone actually replaced them before? i have the bentley manual....and its kind of vague. from what i understand i have to remove the upper half of the intake manifold to gain access to them. seems like its just a few bolts and hoses to clamp off if you are only removing the top half. of course i got my pops helping me on this project, who knows more about cars than me, so thats a plus. ive read on bfdc a tutorial on doing it on an m3 engine, but that would be a bit different on a 4 cylinder im sure. is it possibly to be a DIY project, or should i just take it in (~600$)
ALSO
i understand the code can be triggered by some bad gas...and i have to confess that me and my pops usually filled it up with the low or middle stuff, and not premium. could this code clear up by putting premium in it from now on, or did we screw ourselves over by being cheap the first time around?

"bad gas" is usually obtained from the cheapest sources (vs BP/Amoco or other big companies) not from the type of gas. the lower grades actually have higher turnover and should be "fresher." you generally don't want to be there when they're getting their shipment though as it'll stir up the junk in the underground tanks. so i would definitely run some good gas for a tank and see if any more codes are set before thinking about replacing knock sensors.

i'm pretty sure some guys on the yahoo ti forum have replaced them. i would try going there and searching their archives first (which i'm told is hard to do). then post if you can't find the right posts regarding it. i don't think it was a fun job, but it was doable.

[robcarync]

alright thinks a lot...does anyone know the link to the yahoo forum?