ive got a AU. just wanna know what the knock sensor does and what the the crank angle sensor is? if these sensors are playing up, can they cause ur car to perform badly? just here to learn coz im not mechanically minded so any help would be great.

A knock sensor is used to assess the level of spark advance in the timing... too much spark advance and the engine will knock... the knock sensor "listens" to the harmonics of the engine to sense for detonation (pinging, knocking). It then retards the timing (spark advance) in order to eliminate detonation... detonation kills engines.

Crank angle sensor provides a signal to EEC-V so EEC knows at what stage each piston is for any given revolution. EEC uses this information to time the opening of the fuel injectors and also for timing the spark of the coil.

A bit on pinging/knocking/detonation:

http://www.type2.com/library/engineg/ping.htm

thanks heaps for that link.

I didnt think the newer Falcons had a knock sensor. The only Falcon I recall having one was the XF ULP EFI model.

I cant find anything in my various EA-EL manuals about one :S

EF and EL 6 cylinder definately did.

Unsure on AU 6 cyl or pre-EF.

None of the V8s had them.

If EF-EL had them then the AU more than likely would. I still cant find anything in the EF/L Haynes manual about it nor can I spot it on the engine :S

EF and up has a knock sensor. Its tapped into the block under the inlet manifold between cylinder 4 and 5 i think.. Its on the back half of the block.

But previous to that, the last Ford to have them was the ULP EFI XF.

Thanks arm, I always wondered what that little plug was