I just had an exasperating time with Auto Parts Warehouse. They had been selling XKR knock sensors for an attractive price (about $25) which will work in the XJ8, it was claimed in various earlier threads (see thread by DavidN 11-21-2010). Anyway, I tried to buy a couple online yesterday. Order went in OK. Except that today I got an email that they were out of stock. Gave a toll-free number to call.... After being on hold for a half hour, I connected with some call center guy (who turned out to be in the Philippines) that "out of stock" meant order cancelled, not backordered. And he had no clue about alternatives....

Sorry for venting, but lousy customer service really gets my blood pressure up! You would think that the ordering page would be linked to a stocklist, so I wouldn't have had to waste a day. Arrgghhh!

Anyway, has anyone bought knock sensors lately, for XJ8 or XKR, for what they would consider a reasonable price? And from where? Thx.

 

The stock knock sensor is apparently a "donut" that fits down over a stud and is held on with a nut.

However, some of the online sources show a different style of knock sensor, one which is a hex-headed sensor with a threaded male portion at the bottom. That is, it would appear to screw into the head to replace the stud that the first type mounts over.

Does anyone know if this second type will work, and if the stud is easily removeable to be replaced?

Or is this an error on the part of some of the auto parts sources? The connector seems to be the same.

 

Hi Boomer
I went to Auto Parts Warehouse website and did a knock sensor search for 2001 Jaguar XJ8.

Looks like they only have one part listed that has the harness with the donut on one end and the harness connector on the other end.

OES Genuine Knock Sensor 1998-2003 Jaguar XJ8 Fits: Engine Side - Retained with stud and nut. Part #W0133-1657696

They 2 other parts that they say are a direct fit, but one is just a threaded sensor and the other one has a harness connector on one end and a threaded sensor on the other end.

Obviously the other 2 parts are not a direct fit.

I talked with one of the salesman at Auto Parts Warehouse. I was trying to get instructions on how to install the other 2 parts since the part you need has to go over the existing stud.

He was no help at all, other than saying something like the part would have to be spliced. I do not know how you could splice the one with just a threaded sensor. Also the other one (harness with threaded sensor) does not make sense either because the part of it you need (sensor) is threaded.

Here is a PDF file that gives the various part numbers and pictures of these knock sensors (includes Jagbits OE mfg part# and description):

2001 XJ8 knock sensor part info.pdf

Jim Lombardi

 

Jim -
I wonder if the guy you talked to was, like mine, in the Philippines. Anyway, I am really down on these folks and hope to find some other company that has some semblance of service and customer agents more fluent in the English language.... APW has seriously flunked the "first impressions count" test, in my book.

I still will would like to find out if the stud (that the standard type of knock sensor fits over) comes out so that a threaded type sensor can go in. I doubt that the stud is a feature directly cast into the cylinder head.

 

Hi Boomer
I just looked at the Knock Sensor illustration in the JEPC -Jaguar Electronic Part Catalog.

Looks like that stud does come out. The knock sensor stud is part# NRA1268AA.

Here is a PDF showing the parts on the JEPC page:

2001 XJ8. knock sensor stud.pdf

Jim Lombardi