Knock guage

[turbogn86]

how important is a knock guage an what is it ganna tell me? :confused:

[Keller]

It will tell you if your car is knocking and count how many knocks you have had. Only severe knocks are audible in the driver compartment.

I don't really like the 'gauge' indicators myself, and wouldn't mind having just an audible 'beeper', but have neither at the moment.

[Turbo2nr]

I'd say it is the single most important guage you could have. What if you had an air leak in your turbo control system and over boosted? Your car would get crazy high knock, and may damage engine bearings, or blow a head gasket. To get the most out of your car with any type of fuel/bolt on combo of parts, you need to know how much boost you can run without seeing any knock! Also you may be one of the many who has false knock, that retards timing so much, that your car feels like a turd. Could be from exaust banging around or other noises in engine compartment. I live by the knock sensor. I use direct link, and or a scanmaster to see what the computer sees.

[turbogn86]

I was asking because every mechanic i know tells me its pointless, but i have always been told its important. thanks

[Turbo2nr]

Tell that mechanic to go #$%@#$! :madder:

[Keller]

I suppose it depends how attuned you are to maintence and how much you know about your car and how it works. I maintain my car well beyond what is reccommended. So I don't anticipate surprise failures. They do happen, however. (F*%$ing Powermaster...) I change maintenance items and oil at mere fractions at what is called for. So I'm under the hood a lot. However, I don't like the extra 'gauge' of the Casper's unit. A warning buzzer/beeper I could deal with OK. Personal thing. *shrug*

If you want some reason for a knock gauge, just look at http://www.gnttype.org/nats/97nats/nats97.html Henry Dorsey popped a head gasket due to a bad wastegate hose...on his first pass down the track. EVER! Those pictured did a pit thrash and had Henry driving back to the hotel that evening. Being a real trooper Henry was back in the lanes for another shot at a timeslip the next morning. And drove back to New Jersey that weekend.

Knock gauge, scan tool, fuel pressure gauge...knowledge/information is (horse)power! And less mess down the road.