KS Are they useful?

[SardarQ]

So I blew my KS sensor on a 97 Maxima. My 97 Q - looks like the KS are going and will need to be replaced soon.

I called Nissan to get a price quote to do the KS on the maxima - the first thing the service tech told me -

"they're useless - its a BS code ... dont spend the money unless you want to"

So this got me thinking - WTF ? Why would the engineers put in such a system if it were useless?

BTW - you guys will love this - the tech said the intake has to be removed from the maxima to change out the KS sensor - looking at a lot of labor cost.

I finally ordered the senor from Joe and changed it without removing the intake from the maxima.

- So this leads me back to my original question - how useful are these sensors.

[Q45tech]

Don't assume that the most knowlegable Nissan/Infiniti technican or service manager in the UNITED STATES working at a dealership is very knowlegable about advanced technolgy of modern engines or ecu or software programming.............this is the realm of Phd in automotive engineering. or at least the MS/BSME.

The Physics and advance math and computer programming separate those who physically do repairs following written instructions vs those who design and program. Diagnostics is the killer of the old mechanic.

Statements like he made just prove their ignorance.

Nissan has for 15 years used the KS to run near the ragged edge of knock which creates the most power and greatly improves fuel economy in the cruise mode.

Failed KS will dramatically affect acceleration smoothness and performance in the fail safe mode.

What techs are so use to is triage, as owners really don't want to spend the money necessary to maintain to as new specs so mentally the techs just give up.

[elwesso]

Tech is right.. Also it seems when the KS go bad on the 97+ Q they have more driveability problems than on the eariler models...

Fortunately all nissan use the same KS....