Car gave me knock sensor and spark plug or wire code

BRANDON SIMMONS

MEMBER
1999 NISSAN ALTIMA
4 CYL
FWD
AUTOMATIC
188,673 MILES

My car started to sputter and rpm would drop around 600. When I put it in drive and forth and fifth gears car would lose power. So I started driving it with overdrive off. No CEL on car gave me knock sensor and spark plug or wire code. Week later check engine light came on car still sputters. Tonight car stalled out four out of five times in the one mile it took to get home. It would sputter then die I would put it in park and it fired back up. Car gas also low but still has gas? Would changing knock sensor and spark plugs fix my problem?

Saturday, January 28th, 2017 AT 5:47 PM

3 Replies

STEVE W.

MECHANIC
14,185 POSTS

Sounds like you are having misfires. The question is, Are they being caused by a bad knock sensor that retards the timing and is causing the miss. Or do you have misfires that are causing detonation in the cylinders which are causing knock.
What are the actual codes you are getting? One test would be to unplug the knock sensor and see if the problem stops. It will set a different code but would at least show you which way to go.

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Monday, April 26th, 2021 AT 7:34 PM

BRANDON SIMMONS

MEMBER
2 POSTS

Would changing spark plugs fix problem if it isn't knock sensors? I know it can use plugs could that cause sputtering power lose and now make car shut off? The code was p0325 faulty knock sensor.

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Monday, April 26th, 2021 AT 7:34 PM

STEVE W.

MECHANIC
14,185 POSTS

Nope. Changing the plugs won't make a difference if the knock sensor is the issue. That would be like splinting your arm when you have a broken leg.

The knock sensor on that engine is VERY easy to change. Might take 5 minutes and the code would clear itself as soon as the engine is started if the sensor is the problem.
See the picture for it's location. Looks like the part is around 30 dollars.

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