Knock Sensor Replacement Cost

When your engine vibrates, a sensor relays to the car’s computer how large that vibration was. If it is large enough to be considered a knock, then the knock sensor will indicate that there is an engine problem, usually by lighting up the check engine indicator.

Once that sensor fails, your car’s computer will no longer have that important information, and you’ll need to get the sensor replaced.

On average, you should pay between $280 and $350 for a knock sensor replacement. For the labor, expect to pay $220 to $280. Parts should only be about $65-$75.

Knock Sensor Replacement Cost Comparison

Your Mechanic

Work	Warranty	Price
Parts & Labour	12 months	$92-$545

 

Midas

Work	Warranty	Price
Parts & Labour	12 months	$108-$525

 

Mr. Tire

Work	Warranty	Price
Parts & Labour	12 months	$104-$499

 

NAPA

Work	Warranty	Price
Parts & Labour	24 months	$99-$610

 

Walmart

Work	Warranty	Price
Parts	Limited	$31-$260

 

Amazon

Work	Warranty	Price
Parts	Limited	$29-$224

What Is Knock Sensor Replacement?

If all the mechanic needs to do is switch out the sensor for a new one, then it won’t take long, in most cases or involve a lot of parts. However, diagnosing the problem and clearing the trouble codes from the car’s computer can be an involved process. The more technologically advanced your car is, the more involved this process will become.

Benefits of Knock Sensor Replacement

When you catch the problem with the knock sensor right away and replace this component, you prevent it from giving you bad information and ensure that you know when there is a knocking problem inside the engine. Over the long term, however, you will prevent serious engine problems. You need to be aware of anything occurring in the engine that may be small now but will lead to larger problems. You can catch it early and save yourself a lot of time, hassle and expenses later.

What Is Done during Knock Sensor Replacement?

The mechanic will diagnose the problem first, looking at the computer’s trouble codes and scanning the computer to see what is causing the issue.

Once the knock sensor is determined to be the culprit, the mechanic will simply unscrew the sensor and replace it with a new one. In some cases, there will be electric connectors that need to be taken out before the sensor can be removed, but this  not a tough replacement.

Once the new sensor is in, the mechanic will clear any trouble codes from the car’s computer and perform a bench test and perhaps a road test as well to determine how effective the replacement has been.

When to Get Knock Sensor Replacement

As soon as you realize your sensor is a malfunction, you should get it fixed. If you aren’t aware of what’s going on inside the engine, then you may not know about problems before they end up stalling your car, shutting down your engine and leaving you with a massive repair bill. You need to get this fixed as soon as you can.

You can still drive the car when the knock sensor is malfunctioning, and it’s fine to drive it to the mechanic, but you don’t want to let the problem go on unrecouped for very long.

There are some signs that the sensor is malfunctioning, and they can be different in each instance. The most common one is that the check engine light will be lit up. If the sensor is not sending signals as it should be, then it may issue a warning code to the car’s computer. In some cases, the car may not start back up until this issue is resolved and the trouble code has been cleared from the system. You can also pay attention to any sounds that are coming from the engine or any problems with how the car operates, such as stalling, stopping and starting and power surges.

How to Save Money on Knock Sensor Replacement

Switching the sensor for a new one isn’t a big deal, and most people can do that with some basic tools. However, diagnosing the problem is a different issue entirely, and you want to make sure that you know what you are doing there. So, before you decide you will save some money by doing the work yourself, you need to make sure you are not in over your head.

Another way to cut some of the cost of this repair is to source parts or compare prices among different mechanics. This can be a costly repair, especially where the labor costs are involved, so comparing how much each mechanic charges can be a good way to shave off some expense for this repair.

Sample Knock Sensor Replacement Costs

Model	Labor	Parts	Total
Ford F-Series	$207-$264	$61-$82	$268-$346
Chevrolet Silverado	$108-$138	$116-$158	$224-$296
Ford Focus	$207-$264	$61-$82	$268-$346
Toyota Camry	$270-$344	$191-$287	$461-$631
Toyota Corolla	$234-$298	$191-$287	$425-$585
Nissan Altima	$207-$264	$61-$82	$268-$346
Honda CR-V	$216-$275	$69-$236	$285-$511
Honda Civic	$45-$57	$33-$86	$78-$143
Honda Accord	$45-$57	$33-$86	$78-$143
Ford Fusion	$207-$264	$61-$82	$268-$346