Hello all,

I wanted to share my experience replacing the knock sensor on my AP1, as it might save someone else a lot of hassle.

My knock sensor failed after a track day, so I turned to DIY Guys on YouTube to work out how to change it. I've done loads of maintenance and repair work following his videos and he's absolutely brilliant. He was recommending changing the sensor from underneath the car, but after spending over two hours working blind from below, I simply couldn't manage it. There just wasn't enough space for both hands—I was struggling to locate the broken knock sensor whilst simultaneously holding a socket and extension from underneath.

I went back to YouTube to see if there was an alternative approach. I found a video where someone suggested doing it from above by moving a few hoses from their holders and getting an extension underneath the intake manifold. I unclipped a few hoses and, to my surprise, there was a line of sight with a flex between the knock sensor and the side of the battery. I was able to undo the knock sensor in less than 30 minutes including unclipping all the hoses. It took another 5 minutes to fit the new sensor and another 5 to clip all the hoses back in place.

So if you're facing this job, I'd highly recommend trying from above first.