P0330 Knock Sensor and SC - Last Ditch Effort

[Co4Fun]

Well fellow shelter-at-homers...I thought I'd throw out a plea for any and all thoughts on my recurring P0330 Knock Sensor code. Especially if you have fought this on a SC'd rig.

My rig is a 99 with 140k and an SC that was put on at 98k. I've had it for about 30k miles and zero issues UNTIL...

It started throwing code(s) on a road trip last fall. It was BOTH P0325 and P0330...so both banks. After reading everything out there on it, both myself and one of the best Toy mech's in Denver guessed the harness. Finally pulled the trigger. Had him go in and do the harness, both sensors and change the SC oil at the same time. We also went ahead and did one step cooler plugs, wires, and coils. It ran awesome...for about 20 miles and then P0330. Oh ya, and the old OEM harness looked good, not too brittle at all so the surgery was likely not even needed.

Mech took it back and scoped it etc. Said zero evidence of an actual knock. I took it back. I got a scan gauge. Nothing abnormal at all on any of that info and it allows me to clear the code which is good because it's throwing it every 10 miles or so.

I'm $2k in and about ready to drive it off a cliff I'm so sick of this.

OPTIONS:

ONE: Mech's thought is to take the SC off and drive it around without it to see if that solves it or isolates it to the SC. Thoughts? He things this is a better route than throwing larger injectors or other SC related things at it. He says he's had hundreds of these without those upgrades without this issue.

TWO: He is swearing that it is not knocking so maybe I jump it from the other bank sensor and just leave it. Thoughts?

THREE: He is willing to go in and warranty the knock sensors (and YES, they are OEM...guaranteed.) but of course we have the issue of labor since he's saying there's no proof it's the sensor. Thoughts?

So, I'm stuck. I'm thinking of trying Option 1. If it solves it, maybe I'll sell off the SC and then maybe the truck too. I'm about at that point. Love my 1st Gen but kind of fed up with anything newer than 1989. Just hate all the ODB and stuff. Simple is what I like. If it's knocking I don't even want to know lol.

But thank you all for any thoughts on this at all. Stay safe, stay healthy.

 

[lockedlex]

How about put on a regular Alt belt to drive the alternator from the crankshaft, but keep the S/C installed. You'll just then be driving w/o boost. Car will revert to pretty much stock HP.

Clear codes, drive it for 50 miles and see if the code comes back?

Also, any change, it's bad gas? Maybe switch gas stations?

 

[Co4Fun]

Thx

Great suggestion on just bypassing the SC and trying that. Good call!

As for gas...IDK it's been doing this for about 5 fill up's, close to 1000k both before and after my 2k investment in the new sensors and harness. Also, I'm a Shell guy...91 Shell 90% of the time. That's supposed to be Top Tier gas but I'm a desperate man so I'm in with the experiment. I'll try Conoco or something next. I'll prob stick with 91 with the SC but I have run 87 and 89 a little when on trips depending on what the station has. Can't imagine 91 shouldn't be best. I was thinking of trying octane booster too just to rule out that it's a misfire issue of some sort.

Just watched Timmy T's ECU replacement. Seems like a long shot too but IDK. I'm throwing things at it now.

 

[lockedlex]

Yeah, Figured it'd be a lot less work up front for ya. You could even just DIY. Would take 15 min to pull out and swap it.

I would only ever run 91, Chevron. Anything less and it's going to ping. Though on a side note, as I as understand it with S/C, if you're in higher elevations, pings are less of an issue with the stock pulley, not sure how high Golden is though, lol.

Shell good too. I guess over 1k miles, unless their 91 tank has an issue (like water leaking into it), you'd be over a bad tank of gas. I would say going to another, preferably newer station for a few tanks as a test.

 

[Co4Fun]

Ya it pings even now and again as it is but it's not too bad. Golden is not that high but I take it up higher a lot. It has stock pulley on it.

I'm leaning toward ECU swap for $150 from junk yard. Way back I was doing some wiring and arc'd the battery on accident. IDK, seems like a long shot but it wasn't long after this that the codes started so I guess it's a shot in the dark.

 

[lockedlex]

Oh, hmmm. In that case, a replacement ECU might not be a bad idea either.