M56X knock sensors

[SnowNYC1]

Hey what's up guys,
So recently one of my knock sensors started to fail and I need to get them replaced.
I was wondering if anyone knew of a good brand for the replacement sensors ( I really don't want to pay $200 a sensor that the stealership is charging for)
I was looking for denso sensors, but I can't find any for the M56.
Any ideas?

[Ilya]

I'm not sure of the brands but where is the knock sensor on this car? Is that the little 'pinging' or 'tink tink tink' I hear sometimes when I give throttle?

What's the OEM part number? Advance Auto has one and it's $265...and we need two. Holy crap that's expensive!

EDIT: NVM, found it: 22060-1HC0A. That's the first time I've EVER seen an aftermarket part cost more than the OEM part lol.

[Ilya]

RockAuto lists the following:

RAMCO RAKS1020 {#220607S000, 22060AU010} for $46.79.
STANDARD MOTOR PRODUCTS KS409 {#220601HC0A} Intermotor for $176.79.

I can't imagine a knock sensor (based on my knowledge of them from my Nissan Maxima days) to be that technologically advanced so I'm wondering if the cheapy $47 one will be fine.

[walt1227]

I'm not sure of the brands but where is the knock sensor on this car? Is that the little 'pinging' or 'tink tink tink' I hear sometimes when I give throttle?

What's the OEM part number? Advance Auto has one and it's $265...and we need two. Holy crap that's expensive!

EDIT: NVM, found it: 22060-1HC0A. That's the first time I've EVER seen an aftermarket part cost more than the OEM part lol.

IIya now you got me wondering if that is what I be hearing when I get on mine. It is ticking noise that happens with the more throttle you give it. The motor is quiet so it is not the lifters like I hear on my neighbors Mustang. I thought it was my flex pipes from the custom exhaust I have on my car with a possible leak but Vic said I would see smoot somewhere if it was a leak since these cars do smoot up pretty good in the tailpipes. Where are those knock sensors located? I may change them and see if that makes it go away. It did not start doing it until sometime last year during the summer.

[SnowNYC1]

Unfortunately because it's a Infiniti they make our lives harder the knock sensors are located on the top of the block, you have to take of the entire intake manifold. Oh and the gaskets for the manifold are NOT reusable. So those gotta be changed too! $5 a pop from Infiniti. And we need 8..

[Ilya]

I'm not sure of the brands but where is the knock sensor on this car? Is that the little 'pinging' or 'tink tink tink' I hear sometimes when I give throttle?

What's the OEM part number? Advance Auto has one and it's $265...and we need two. Holy crap that's expensive!

EDIT: NVM, found it: 22060-1HC0A. That's the first time I've EVER seen an aftermarket part cost more than the OEM part lol.

IIya now you got me wondering if that is what I be hearing when I get on mine. It is ticking noise that happens with the more throttle you give it. The motor is quiet so it is not the lifters like I hear on my neighbors Mustang. I thought it was my flex pipes from the custom exhaust I have on my car with a possible leak but Vic said I would see smoot somewhere if it was a leak since these cars do smoot up pretty good in the tailpipes. Where are those knock sensors located? I may change them and see if that makes it go away. It did not start doing it until sometime last year during the summer.

Yeah, I hear my ticking usually when I'm giving partial throttle on a road that creates more load...like a hill or something. Not always...but I've been hearing it for probably a year or two. It's not constant, just happens sometimes. I've tried all sorts of different gas and it doesn't seem to matter. I've tried Mobil 93, Sunoco 93, Cumberland Farms 93...all of those are 10% ethanol. Lately I've switched to Stewart's gas which is 91, but non-ethanol so 100% gasoline. Still happens.

Unfortunately because it's a Infiniti they make our lives harder the knock sensors are located on the top of the block, you have to take of the entire intake manifold. Oh and the gaskets for the manifold are NOT reusable. So those gotta be changed too! $5 a pop from Infiniti. And we need 8..

Yeah, I found that in the FSM when I went looking. That's beyond stupid. That's almost as stupid as making the front catalytic converters part of the manifolds. F'in idiots man. My 1999 Maxima had the knock sensor on the outside of the block, easily accessed. 10 minute job, if that. Replacing the catalytic converter on that Maxima was a 30 minute job. Here you have to pull the motor and pay thousands. Headlight bulb swap? Maxima...5 minutes. Infiniti? 1hr job...gotta lift the car, remove wheel, remove wheel liner plastics, etc. Ballast swap? Gotta drop the bumper.

This is easily a $1k job at the dealer. $500 for the sensors, $400 for labor and $100 in misc parts. I swear they design these cars like this on purpose to keep their dealership mechanics in business. It's getting harder and harder to work on your own car.

If you do do this, PLEASE DO A HOW TO!!!!!! lol

[Malbec 56 Beast]

Rockauto is one of the best auto parts places out there. They usually give multiple options and good prices.

If the price seems high hey the part number and do a Google security.

Andy

[Larz]

I think Infiniti designers have three ideas in mind when they build our cars:
1) Let's see a fat american with large hands get anywhere NEAR this bolt !
2) Hmmmm .... where can we hide this so it takes a week just to get to it after it fails
3) Lets not even think about anyone else's problem. Let's just stick it in here and who cares if they have to get to it after they buy the car?

[EdBwoy]

Typically, knock sensors don't tick or make any audible noise... They pick up the pinging from the combustion chamber and report it to the ECM to try and correct it by advancing/retarding timing.

Hence the location. For all my Nissan vehicles with a V engine [maxima, qx4, q45, m45, m56], among other makes/models the knock sensor has been in the valley under the intake. I hate having to replace one of them, but it is a sensible place to have them read directly from the cylinders and away from false readings from the accessories and external vibrations located in more convenient and accessible places of the engine (I.e. the outside of the engine)

What are the codes you were getting, if I may ask?
If I were in your shoes, I'd buy an OEM part and replace it. It sucks, but again it's not something most of us have to address in the lifetime of the vehicle. What would double suck is if you spent the time and money/labor and have to redo it if the sensor doesn't agree with the car.
If It were more accessible, I might chance it with a different sensor, but in this case the job is too expensive to be cheap.

[walt1227]

Well Eddie you just saved me from spending the money and doing it. I will go with my original thought on the noise I am hearing from my M56. The OP on the other hand may have knock sensor issues, I hope not though. I am painting my Brake calipers this weekend so I will check the bolts on my flanges where I had my secondary cats removed. I think it may be a small leak coming from there as when I first had my exhaust done it did not have that little ticking sound. I think I am going to wrap my exhaust in header tape this weekend as well since I notice when I drive through heavy rain and it hits the exhaust it causes the car to bottom out because it cools down the exhaust and throws the timing off until it can recalculate for the sudden drop in temps. Never had that issue when I had the stock exhaust with the heat shield on. Vic (armybrat) told me a while ago to wrap it cause he did his but never had time to get to it.

[EdBwoy]

Walt, bet!

And again, with the OP I wouldn't make moves until I confirmed the diagnosis by codes etc...

I reread your symptoms and an exhaust leak seems like a good place to start and at least check. Do you know if they cut off and reused the OEM flanges with the new pipe or they used something else? That determines what they did for the gasket, and hopefully they did use gaskets.
Then check that the "A" or "V" brace that goes from the flanges to the transmission was reinstalled.

I wouldn't expect rain to affect your exhaust at all since the monitored system (primary cat + o2 sensors) is still unchanged, but let us know if the problem stops after your new changes.

[SnowNYC1]

Just got out of work,
Code wise what i'm getting is a P0332.
P0332 OBD-II Trouble Code: Knock Sensor 2 Circuit Low Input (Bank 2)
so im guessing the knock sensors are about to be on their way out.

[Ilya]

Just got out of work,
Code wise what i'm getting is a P0332.
P0332 OBD-II Trouble Code: Knock Sensor 2 Circuit Low Input (Bank 2)
so im guessing the knock sensors are about to be on their way out.

Unlucky. I'd be curious how much a Nissan dealer would charge to work on this (I had them do my spark plugs) vs an Infiniti dealer. Same ASE techs and largely the same products motor wise.