knock sensor problem

[carbene]

Hello,

After moving to California from Illinois with my 1996 4-cylinder Jetta GL, I have begun to have all kinds of problems with my knock sensor. The car is running fine and has passed CA emissions. I never had major problems with it before.

It started right after the first time I gassed up in CA. Now, the check engine light goes on every two or three weeks either while on the highway or climbing a hill. It is always the knock sensor. The mechanic I went to has a) cleaned the throttle body, b) replaced the sensor, c) replaced some "cracked" airlines.

Now they are telling me it is the gas I use, but I always use the middle grade of Mobil gas. I even tried running a few tanks of 91 octane without any solution. I no longer trust this person since they keep giving me costly repairs and never fixing this problem. Any suggestions?

Thanks

[boschmann]

Make sure they torqued he sensor to 15 lb/ft, which is critical. Too loose or too tight will cause problems. If that doesn't fix the code then there are several wiring harness checks that require a multimeter that I can give you.