P0325 CEL Knock Sensor connector repair (1 Viewer)

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NLXTACY

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This will only be useful to like 4 people on this forum but....

About a week and a half ago I threw a P0325 code. Knock sensor according to Beno's code thread:
https://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-tech/104399-cel-codes-list-1997-fzj.html

I couldn't really do anything with it and the truck seemed to be completely unaffected by whatever the knock sensor controlled so we kept driving it. I looked up in search to see what I could find about it and only one thread came up discussing removing the sensor:
https://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-tech/103492-p0325-cel-code.html

So before doing anything I purchased a 27mm socket and prepared for surgery last night. Well it turns out I didn't need it at all. Its very difficult to see from the engine bay but the knock sensor #1 is under the intake just behind the power steering reservoir, screwed into the block. By running my hand under the intake I could feel there were 4 connectors. All of them connected to its appropriate wire...except for the knock sensor. The wire was completely cut off right at the connector. Doh!

Now this wire/connector is available from CDan for about $10 and the part number is: 82219-35010

But this doesn't help me at 1am in my garage and now on a Thursday. I need immediate gratification dammit!

I started by removing the engine dipstick from the intake. I removed the charcoal canister hose and the wires to the coil so that I would have enough space to get my hands in. You need the use of both hands to repair this.

Once I took off the connector I was now ready for surgery. So with dental pick in hand I started poking and prodding trying to see what I could do to take this apart and repair it.

There is a white "lock" in the front of the plug. I used the pick to pull that up and then off. This releases the metal connector from inside the connector. Then you need to slide a small screwdriver into the top of the connector (where the white lock was) and then you can slide the remaining wire, rubber plug and metal connector.
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Once you have it apart you can then see the offending part. The crimped wire is severed right at the edge of the connector. The type of connector it is means that I would have to reuse the same one. I did not want to risk prying apart the crimps to remove the old wire because it almost guarantees breakage. So I instead cut the old wire off as close as I could.
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I then grabbed a small length of 18AWG wire and fed it through the rubber weather plug and stripped about .25" of the wire. You want the edge of the wire coating to be at the edge of the plug as you can see in the picture.

I then utilized my crappy solder skillz to attach the new wire to the old connector.
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I then just reversed the order and slid the new wire and plug through the plastic connector. I trimmed the pigtail to about 4 inches and added a shrinkable butt connector. This part was now done.
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All that was left was stripping the remaining wire that is still exposed on the truck and then attaching the other side of the butt connector. There is just no easy way of doing this. This was the hardest part of the whole process and just took me a few tries to finally get the butt connector to crimp right with the limited space you have to work with. But once you get it... :D

Turned on the truck, used the ScanGauge II to clear the code. Went for a drive and CEL is gone. Ah life is good again.

Total cost $0.00
:beer::beer:
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Very nice indeed, much cleaner than the mess I made two weeks ago fixing my rear knock sensor.

Congratulations.
 
your fix was what was ailing my 95'...after reading your post i went and checked my sensor and sure as S*** the wire was broken off at the connector!

After cursing for several min. to get the connector out, my needle nose got it out and i repaired the connector just like you did...THANKS!!! my rig has so much more power now!? and No more CEL ....THANKS THANKS THANKS!! you the man!
 
Hehehe, glad to see it helped!

Now if it helps just two more people then I will hit my original quota of four :D
 
so my connector was all messed up and cracked would it be ok to just solder a good quality regular connector on? Or does it need to be this specific one? thanks
 
so my connector was all messed up and cracked would it be ok to just solder a good quality regular connector on? Or does it need to be this specific one? thanks

Absolutely no reason to use the TOYOTA connector other than its OEM and its watertight.
 
Didn't see that one. But uh...my way is sooooooo much easier :flipoff2:

You were lucky to still have the knock sensor intact. It sucks when the head gets broken right off, say during a HG project :doh:

Nice job dude.
 
Count me as one of the four the original post would help! This post was instrumental in clearing my P0325 issue. As of this morning no more CEL!

I tried to take apart and solder the way shown in the photos, but my connector was very brittle and didn't survive intact. I rigged a poor solder job and the CEL cleared for 1/2 mile and then returned. Got on the phone to CDan and he set me straight with the pigtail (part no: 82219-35010). It indeed took a couple of attempts to properly crimp in that small space.

This forum is the best. Now, hopefully, I can return to my baselining projects.
 
In two years I've helped three people, I'm approaching WIN status :flipoff2:

Glad to hear you issue is taken care of
 
I tried all of this and then some and It was alost cause for me
I ended up have to buy a Knock sensor at $165:doh:
 
I know this is bringing up an old thread but all I have to say is thanks. you saved my A$$ I didn't want to go to the junkyard and cut one off... you also got to your original quota. just took 4 years. haha
 
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I have two new knock sensors (ouch!!) and recently just got #2 knock sensor code. I've repaired that pigtail before but I'll check it again. I got P171 at the same time so they are prolly related!
 
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