So I've decided to post this thread after reading lots of things about the PHH and the knock sensor. The problem was that I could not find the knock sensor #2 easily in spite of so many threads about this side of the engine. So here we go... How to replace or repair a no.2 knock sensor.
The good news is that you will not need sophisticated tools to do the task. Here is the list:
--- 27mm socket
--- lots of extensions for the 27mm wrench
--- soldering iron or epoxy glue, depending on your strategy.
--- basic tools to lift your truck and take the wheel off.
1. Put your truck in P and apply the handbrake for added security. It is also good to chock one or two wheels just to be on the safe side. You definitely don't want to hold a 6000lb truck with your neck, do you?
2. Before lifting the truck, loosen the wheel nuts
3. Put a jack under the USDS and lift the truck
4. Remove the wheel and for security place the truck on jack stands. You will have a view similar to the one below. Direct yourself towards the upper right part of the area.
5. If you have mudflaps over there, you will notice that they are secured by some sort of plastic tabs/screws. Pry them off with a flat screwdriver or by hand if you know how to do it without tearing the rubber. The tabs are located where the green arrows are (there is one more above not seen in the photo). The red arrow represents where you should look to find the knock sensor.
And now let's zoom a little bit further...
The sensor is in the absolute center of the frame, on the engine block. Mine had no cable attached to it because the socket was broken.
A closeup of the sensor. I couldn't get a better shot. Being a photographer I only have big and bulky SLRs which are way harder to put in small spaces as compared to point ans shoots.
And now the glorious part.... Removal.
6. You will need a lot of extensions to do the task with ease. In my case removing the sensor took me 3 minutes. Look at the photo below.
* element 1: 27mm socket and a short extension. Put it on the sensor from the wheel side of the truck.
* element 2: long extension. No more bending under the truck, as element 1 will be visible from the engine bay. Put element 2. You can direct it under your brake booster and under your steering column. Easy.
* element 3: another extension. You definitely want to have the end of the wrench in a place where you can apply leverage. The extension #3 will let you put a wrench to the right of the brake booster for easy operation.
* element 4: a ratchet wrench or any other. The extensions give you easy access with the wrench. Put it on.
* element 5: any deep socket and extension work as a lever. I always prefer to use a larger lever than to apply force. I have more control over my actions and when a screw lets go I do not end up falling or bumping my hands against sharp objects in the engine bay. If you also want to work safely, use leverage.
Once the sensor is loose, just turn the extensions by hand and remove them in reverse order. Make sure the sensor does not pop off somewhere and gets lost.
7. At this point you can replace the sensor if you have too much $$$ or you can try to repair the old one. In my case I went with the repair. My sensor had the plastic socket broken and also the metal tab broken. All I could do was to solder a wire as an extension and solder the broken tab to the other end of the wire.
Here ew go...
I inserted the tab to the socket and have no problems with the sensor. I had to bend the tab a little bit so that it sits in the socket well. There is no retention mechanism so there's a risk of disconnecting but the probability is low. If you have more time, you can apply epoxy glue to the sensor top and to the tab/socket part. The glue will make sure that the cables stay connected.
Please note that if you have big hands, you will spend 30 minutes trying to connect the cable to the socket. You will be cursing like hell from under your truck so make sure there are no kids around. I have really small, feminine hands and was cursing like hell already.
Of course you can solder a plug if you have one. This would be the best solution. But anyway, here are some pics and tips that will make the sensor operation a lot easier.
The good news is that you will not need sophisticated tools to do the task. Here is the list:
--- 27mm socket
--- lots of extensions for the 27mm wrench
--- soldering iron or epoxy glue, depending on your strategy.
--- basic tools to lift your truck and take the wheel off.
1. Put your truck in P and apply the handbrake for added security. It is also good to chock one or two wheels just to be on the safe side. You definitely don't want to hold a 6000lb truck with your neck, do you?
2. Before lifting the truck, loosen the wheel nuts
3. Put a jack under the USDS and lift the truck
4. Remove the wheel and for security place the truck on jack stands. You will have a view similar to the one below. Direct yourself towards the upper right part of the area.
5. If you have mudflaps over there, you will notice that they are secured by some sort of plastic tabs/screws. Pry them off with a flat screwdriver or by hand if you know how to do it without tearing the rubber. The tabs are located where the green arrows are (there is one more above not seen in the photo). The red arrow represents where you should look to find the knock sensor.
And now let's zoom a little bit further...
The sensor is in the absolute center of the frame, on the engine block. Mine had no cable attached to it because the socket was broken.
A closeup of the sensor. I couldn't get a better shot. Being a photographer I only have big and bulky SLRs which are way harder to put in small spaces as compared to point ans shoots.
And now the glorious part.... Removal.
6. You will need a lot of extensions to do the task with ease. In my case removing the sensor took me 3 minutes. Look at the photo below.
* element 1: 27mm socket and a short extension. Put it on the sensor from the wheel side of the truck.
* element 2: long extension. No more bending under the truck, as element 1 will be visible from the engine bay. Put element 2. You can direct it under your brake booster and under your steering column. Easy.
* element 3: another extension. You definitely want to have the end of the wrench in a place where you can apply leverage. The extension #3 will let you put a wrench to the right of the brake booster for easy operation.
* element 4: a ratchet wrench or any other. The extensions give you easy access with the wrench. Put it on.
* element 5: any deep socket and extension work as a lever. I always prefer to use a larger lever than to apply force. I have more control over my actions and when a screw lets go I do not end up falling or bumping my hands against sharp objects in the engine bay. If you also want to work safely, use leverage.
Once the sensor is loose, just turn the extensions by hand and remove them in reverse order. Make sure the sensor does not pop off somewhere and gets lost.
7. At this point you can replace the sensor if you have too much $$$ or you can try to repair the old one. In my case I went with the repair. My sensor had the plastic socket broken and also the metal tab broken. All I could do was to solder a wire as an extension and solder the broken tab to the other end of the wire.
Here ew go...
I inserted the tab to the socket and have no problems with the sensor. I had to bend the tab a little bit so that it sits in the socket well. There is no retention mechanism so there's a risk of disconnecting but the probability is low. If you have more time, you can apply epoxy glue to the sensor top and to the tab/socket part. The glue will make sure that the cables stay connected.
Please note that if you have big hands, you will spend 30 minutes trying to connect the cable to the socket. You will be cursing like hell from under your truck so make sure there are no kids around. I have really small, feminine hands and was cursing like hell already.
Of course you can solder a plug if you have one. This would be the best solution. But anyway, here are some pics and tips that will make the sensor operation a lot easier.