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Villager/Quest Knock Sensor

75 messages,  Last post on Oct 25, 2009 at 6:23 PM

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#47 of 75 Knock Sensor? by ckent724 Mar 16, 2008 (12:38 pm)
I have a 1996 Mercury Villager, and I thought I had a knock sensor issue, but now I am not certain. I have three codes present, P0136 Downstream O2 sensor or circuit fault, P0325 Knock sensor and or circuit fault, and P0400 EGR insufficient flow detected. I have pulled the knock sensor sub-harness and have checked volts at the connection. I have 3.28 constant and when I hammer on the intake the volts don't change at all. not even .01. I have checked the EGR by putting my fingers on the diaphram and moving the throttle up over 2000rpm and I cannot for the life of me feel any movement. I pulled the upper vacuum hose on the EGR and checked for any vacuum and I cannot feel a thing. I haven't voyaged down to the O2 but I am wondering if it is possible that my Knock sensor is the issue and has caused my other problems. I have had this light on for a while now and the times I have had it read and cleared (for NYS inspections) that was the only code present. The last time I had it read was about 6 months ago and it was the Knock and EGR codes. Today when I read it I had all three. Any suggestionsthat someone may have would be great!!!! I have the ability to change the Knock sensor myself and I can get it from a Parts store up here for like 115$ but the labor involved is the main reason why I am hesitating. Thanks to anyone that can give me an Idea. Oh I have NO driveability problems whatsoever!!!!!! Replies to this message: efitzgerald (Mar 17, 2008 7:43 am) graham66 (Mar 17, 2008 10:45 am) ckent724 (Mar 21, 2008 4:50 am)
#48 of 75 Re: Knock Sensor? [ckent724] by efitzgerald Mar 17, 2008 (7:43 am)
Replying to: ckent724 (Mar 16, 2008 12:38 pm) Before you do that may i suggest checking your distributor. I spent the money changing my knock sensor, as well as 3, thousand dollars for other things too. My 98 vehicle was bucking and sputtering when warm , ford changed my knock sensor and made no differance. I towed it to the nissan dealer, did a diagnostic and took off the distributor and cleaned off the photo sensor on it, works great now and no codes. hope this helps.
#49 of 75 Re: Knock Sensor? [ckent724] by graham66 Mar 17, 2008 (10:45 am)
Replying to: ckent724 (Mar 16, 2008 12:38 pm) How does the Van run when cold and then hot..... I had some problems that would only effect the perfomance when the van was up to running temperature. I had no codes being set on the computer.. My problem ended up being the distributor. I got a rebuilt one from Ebay, a company out in california for $100. I had replied to other forums that detailed all of the trouble shooting I did in hopes of saving someone else some money... Let me know, and I can repost the entire thing. Replies to this message: ckent724 (Mar 21, 2008 4:50 am)
#50 of 75 Re: Knock Sensor? [graham66] by ckent724 Mar 21, 2008 (4:50 am)
Replying to: graham66 (Mar 17, 2008 10:45 am) The van runs very well, no driveability issues, when its cold or hot. I think I may have found my problem though. I talked to a friend of mine who recently started working at a Lin/Merc dealer and he passed the issue on to some of the guys in the shop and one tech send 90% percent of the time it is the BPT hose. It will in the beginning throw a Knock code due to backpressure in the emission system, Then as the hose corrodes more the Egr code will come on, then after a period of time of running rich it will post the O2 code. He usually doesn't see the O2 code though. Apparantly what happens is that hose goes from the EGR to the EGR BPT (Backpressure Transducer Control) It will begin to leak causing it to run rich, then causing it to detonate, the Knock sensor reads the detonation and flips the CEL. After complete breakdown of the hose the EGR BPT cannot perform and it will cause the EGR to not function. The BPT hose is a small 90 degree 1/4inch vacuum hose (On my 96). It connects on the bottom of the EGR BPT then connects to a 1/4 inch steel line. That steel line maybe 6 inches long then connects the the EGR. I picked up that hose at a parts store in the "HELP" section. Replaced my old hose (Which was rotted out and not even connected to the EGR BPT ) cleared my codes and to date 90 miles later, no CEL! It has also stopped running rich!!! As for the knock sensor, It is measuring 3.00 volts. When I tap on the intake it will jump up to 3.20 or more. I almost think that the knock sensor was at its maximum range that is why I wouldn't see any flucuation previously. I couldn't even see the hose at all until this guy told me where to look. Once I felt around under the EGR BPT i felt that it had corroded off. Thank God!!!!!! Hopefully this is it.... and it only cost me 3$!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank You for replying I really appreciate your time and input!!!!!!!!!!
#51 of 75 thanks by graham66 Mar 24, 2008 (3:47 am)
Hey this is good information. I think it is worth time time to check this hose just as a preventative maintenance.
#52 of 75 1995 Villager Knock Sensor/TPS Sensor by mccallisterfam Apr 02, 2008 (1:43 pm)
I am posting this in case it could help someone else. We have a '95 Villager with 153K miles. It has been running very well. We had to get it inspected for our (new) state registration. My husband powerwashed under the hood. Yes, he got it very clean, and we passed. But the next day, the check engine light started coming on. It only came on when I came to a stop or slowed down (let off the accelerator, downshifting) or, as time progressed, climbed a hill. Our first guess was that something was still wet from the washing. Everyone told us to just drive it, that it would dry off with time and use. At first, it seemed as if it was improving. But in a matter of 3 or 4 days, it had progressively gotten worse. It idled evenly (wasn't missing), started up just fine, and shut off fine too. But once I started driving it, all bets were off. At the height of the trouble, once it was in gear, as I drove down the road, it basically would jump forward over and over as I limped down the road. It would shift very badly, if at all. This came across as the tachometer racing upwards when I gave it gas. Then it would jump or slam into the next gear. I could manage by VERY SLOWLY giving it gas, but it still would either not shift at all or balk and then jump forward repeatedly. When my husband was driving behind us as we (FINALLY!) drove it to our mechanic, he said as it shot forward, smoke would come out of the tailpipe. I couldn't get it up over 45 mph without even greater shaking and balking. Our mechanic went over every part. We ruled out cap, wires, plugs (no missing), distributor photosensor, EGR, BPT, etc. He ran the codes on it and first got a knock sensor reading. He kept getting that error code. We began to research that sensor malfunction and were not happy with what we found. We knew that since it would be expensive to replace what might not turn out to be the solution, we had to keep looking. This might be the end of our family van. But as it turned out, the knock sensor wasn't malfunctioning, it was screaming that there was another problem. One thing our mechanic did was check the computer for shorts. In doing this, he unplugged it. When he hooked it up again, he ran codes again. THIS time, the TPS sensor problem code appeared. Exasperated, I contacted Nissan. I needed to know what we were dealing with. A very experienced tech said that the knock sensor itself will not cause the check engine light to come on. He said that all our symptoms could be explained by the malfunction of our TPS sensor, including the weird fact that when the engine was warm and in Park, it would idle low (normal) and then idle higher (like a cold carburetor from the old vehicles we used to own) for no reason. It never did that before all this. Evidently, the TPS allows the engine and transmission to talk with each other and the computer. He very patiently explained everything, and it all made sense. When the TPS code first came up, our mechanic unhooked the lead to the TPS and drove it, trying to rule it out (like he had done with the other parts in question). When it STILL didn't run right, he thought it wasn't the answer. But our handy dandy Nissan tech said it was and to replace the entire wiring harness and sensor. We went ahead and had our mechanic put in a new TPS ($45 at parts store) and our mechanic discovered that there are actually TWO leads from that sensor. Since he had only disconnected one, that was why the problem didn't disappear when he thought he had completely disconnected it. So now our van actually runs better than it did even before my husband washed the engine (we now know how to do it better). Looking back, I can tell that this sensor, which somehow tragically failed when it was washed, wasn't working up to par for at least the past 6 months. It shifts SO smoothly now. It shifted OK before but had an annoying bump as it went from 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 3rd. Now, it's smooth all around. We didn't need to replace the wiring harness, but would if it gives us more trouble down the road. I wonder how many people have their transmission serviced or replaced when they only need a new sensor. Hope this helps.
#53 of 75 95 Mecury Villiger bucks by bobh3625 May 05, 2008 (9:07 pm)
Have a 95 van with 160 k and when it gets warm it bucks and downshifts into third gear and the engine of course revs up. Had it in and they got it to do it and a knock sensor code came up. He said it would be like 160 for the part and like 5.5 hours to replace....and than he said he could not be sure that is what it is so after reading here I am not sure niether where would be a good place to start could i disconnect these sensor to test them any suggestion at alll HELP Replies to this message: graham66 (May 06, 2008 3:29 am) efitzgerald (May 06, 2008 4:47 am)
#54 of 75 Re: 95 Mecury Villiger bucks [bobh3625] by graham66 May 06, 2008 (3:29 am)
Replying to: bobh3625 (May 05, 2008 9:07 pm) Your problem definetly sounds like the Throttle position sensor, I have done a lot of reading about problems on these vans and that seems to be the problem that the TPS solves. I think the part is about $45 at most parts stores, and it is only 2 , 8 mm screws that hold it on, make sure you line up the flat part on the shaft, I read where someone else goofed that part up and had to do it a second time. There is an idle adjustment before you fully tighten it up,and you may need to back probe the wires with a volt meter, I am having some problem when my van engine compartment gets hot and I may be replacing mine, just because the part is fairly cheap and I guess it can cause many drivability problems if it is gong bad. I had a similar problem last year but mine was losing power after warm and the timing was getting all screwed up, that was the distributor. I have read that you can clean the optics, but mine was not dirty. I found a rebuilt on Ebay for  $105 Right now I have some intermittent problem where my van get warm, and shuts off, When I try and restart the check engine light is on,,,,,,, Let it set over night the check engine light is gone.. and the van runs fine again. Last night i ran it in the driveway for 2 hours and it did not quit...... I need to do this several more times to see if the problem comes back, this van it not on the road and needs a full brake job, and I am hesitating doing the brakes until I solve this quitting problem. this will be a third a car for my kid to drive, and I have to make sure it does not just shut off while he is driving it.... If I can 't figure it out in the next couple weeks, I will be junking it........hate to do that because when its running it runs very well. Definetly read forum 52 with the header of 1995 Villager Knock Sensor/TPS Sensor this describes a very similar problem that you have...... TPS solved it.
#55 of 75 Re: 95 Mecury Villiger bucks [bobh3625] by efitzgerald May 06, 2008 (4:47 am)
Replying to: bobh3625 (May 05, 2008 9:07 pm) I agree with Graham. Do not change your knock sensor! That is just a symptom rather than the problem. I spent about a grand changing my sensor, made no differance!! I spend about 2 thousand changing parts trying to fix the same problem your describing. I finally took it to a competant tech at the (Nissan dealer) who found it to be a distributor problem. Do not take your vehicle to a Ford Dealer! they dont or may not understand the problem your experiencing. I agree with graham, change your throttle sensor first,if your still having your problem, pay a good nissan dealer a diagonistic on your engine. It may cost $100, but its cheaper than playing - ( change the sensor game) . I just recently starting to have the similar problem with my van, bought a second hand distributor form the local wreckers and the van runs fine now. hope this helps.
#56 of 75 okay by bobh3625 May 16, 2008 (8:58 pm)
had a mechanic change the TPS Van ran good for one week and than started doing the same thing.....racing engine, downshifting etc....so not good today the check engine light came on and stayed on than a while later after shutting van off the light was off so what would be the next step here ty bob Replies to this message: efitzgerald (May 20, 2008 4:48 am)

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