led knock light [Merged 2-8]

[97EclipseGSX]

Has anyone done this? I've got everything ready to hook up just am a little scared about messing my ecu up. Anyone have any problems or suggestions?

Thanks
Pat

 

[jdk906s]

Originally posted by DSMRevolution
I just installed a knock led with the following parts from radio shack...


The light:
5mm blue LED 3.7 volt / 20ma / 2600mcd

The resistor:
100-Ohm resistor at 1/2 watt / 5% tolerance


When the LED turned on it almost blinded me! Is this the correct size resistor to use inline with the ECU to the LED? What would you recommend? Is it a 12 volt wire that gets tapped in the ECU or what is the voltage rating?

Thanks in advance

A 2600 MCD is like a spotlight - you don't want that blinding you all of the time. ~400 is plenty for a knock led... Use a potentiometer or a bigger resistor, 640 ohm perhaps.

By the way, I guess I should share since I've been using the knock led for the last 2 years and just now finding out how useless it is.

#1 No matter what it blinks when your near the factory red line so you can't tell if your knocking or just going fast

#2 On 2Gs it'll go crazy about 3000rpm as it tries to "feather" the boost in.

#3 If you use bad gas once, it'll just stay solid for about 50 miles after you get that gas used up.

#4 Once I got a real datalogger I found it doesn't blink on most of the knock I get.

#5 Even the people who originally wrote up the specs and instructions on the knock leds have taken down their sites since they found out it was providing so much misinformation.

I used to be a very big proponent of the mod, but once I started comparing it to my pocket logger things just didn't make sense. It just gives misinformation - you can't tell when it should be useful and when it's just going off for no reason.

 

[DSMRevolution]

Originally posted by jdk906s


A 2600 MCD is like a spotlight - you don't want that blinding you all of the time. ~400 is plenty for a knock led... Use a potentiometer or a bigger resistor, 640 ohm perhaps.

By the way, I guess I should share since I've been using the knock led for the last 2 years and just now finding out how useless it is.

#1 No matter what it blinks when your near the factory red line so you can't tell if your knocking or just going fast

#2 On 2Gs it'll go crazy about 3000rpm as it tries to "feather" the boost in.

#3 If you use bad gas once, it'll just stay solid for about 50 miles after you get that gas used up.

#4 Once I got a real datalogger I found it doesn't blink on most of the knock I get.

#5 Even the people who originally wrote up the specs and instructions on the knock leds have taken down their sites since they found out it was providing so much misinformation.

I used to be a very big proponent of the mod, but once I started comparing it to my pocket logger things just didn't make sense. It just gives misinformation - you can't tell when it should be useful and when it's just going off for no reason.

Thanks for the good information along with everyone elses post! A potentiometer is basicually a dial then correct? Thanks!

 

[jdk906s]

Yeah poteniometer is something you can dial in the resistance.

I'm not exactly sure how many ohm you need, but this one should be more than enough. $2.79 = a lot more than just a pack of resistors but it should do the job.

http://www.radioshack.com/product.a..._name=CTLG_010_003_001_000&product_id=271-211


OR you could just drop in a lower MCD blue LED from radio shack. If you drop the current to the 2600 for so long it will shorten it's life expectancy a lot. Using a 300 MCD (which is more than enough) would make more sense. Cost $2.99 (you can find them a little cheaper if you shop around)

http://www.radioshack.com/product.a..._name=CTLG_010_012_002_009&product_id=276-311

 

[brads]

Here's the 12V LED I used. If it doesnt have to be blue, this is the easiest way to go. I think they have them in a few other colors, like red and orange too.

http://www.radioshack.com/product.a..._name=CTLG_010_012_011_000&product_id=276-271

All you have to do is drill a hole, it has the mounting hardware built in, and looks good once its installed. You dont have to worry about resistors, its all built in to the LED housing. Here is a pic of my gauge pod back when I had the knock LED.

http://www.geocities.com/bradrs1999/eclipse/gauges.jpg

 

[mitsugsx95]

Like the title says, where is the knock sensor on 2gs? I was driving around a turn in second, got on it, and a cel light came on in the right of the cluster right near the gas light. Is that the knock sensor? Do 2gs have a stock knock sensor? If I was knocking, what would come on in the gauge cluster? I need some help quick since im going to the track the next day.

 

[mitsugsx95]

ok, if there is a knock led on the 2gs, where is it? I know that the oil, fuel, and coolant are on the right side of the gauge cluster, but what are the others?

 

[boostin]

Our cars do not come with a knock sensor led. You can make one, but they are pretty useless.

 

[mitsugsx95]

Then what are the other LED's on the righthand side?

 

[dave99gst]

if you dont know witch idiot light is witch -- ya prob dont have a reason to be going to the track-

 

[wibblersnatch]

This has happened to me before. It's probably your winshield wiper fluid light. It scared me until I figured out what it was. Every time I went around a turn it came on.

 

[daddyrich1227]

same here......wiper fluid, mines going nuts right now, guess i need to fill it up, it even comes on when i accelerate now.

 

[mitsugsx95]

Thanks guys.

 

[mitsugsx95]

As for dave99gst, thanks for nothin.

 

[Coldandafraid]

http://maritime.dsm.org/tech/vfaq/knockled/

a 600-ohm or greater resistor (you can also get this from any Radio Shack). Note that this resistor value is very important; if the resistor value is less than around 400 ohms, then even as the ECU tries to close the BCS to reduce boost, the BCS may not close properly.

 

[RamenPride]

i had one for about a week. took it out because it provided absolutely no useful information whatsoever.

 

[Desibabu345]

Hey guys when I bought my car the guy before apparently had some sort of alarm in it and he has a red led to the left of the steering wheel in the dash. Being smart he poked a hole through the dash and put it there. So right now theres just an led without an alarm in it (i guess he took that back). Well I want to put this led to use and I was readinga bout a knock sensor led that a lot of owners made by looking at some DIY guides. Every link that I click on is no longer working so I was hoping someone else on here has an idea as to what I can do with this led thats just sitting here? I don't have the money at this point to get an alarm system - but when i do I'd like to mount the led for that in the center console next to the a/c vents in that extra area (if you know what I mean). So to end does anyone have any ideas of what I can do with this led thats just sitting there in the dash? (its to the lower left of the steering wheel). Thanks a loT!

 

[Defiant]

The knock LED was an idea whose time has pretty much come and gone. It's why you're finding so many dead links, they just don't have any real value.
You might want to just hook up a battery and use it for a fake alarm indicator. Maybe a flasher circuit, besides.

 

[Desibabu345]

Hey I was thinking of wiring it so that when I close the door to the car it lights up - my question is whether this will drain the battery at all? It's really annoying to have it just there with no use. Any other ideas?

 

[dave99gst]

knock LED in a 2g dont really work.

 

[allwheelTSI]

also,your car,if its listed right as an NT.. dose'nt even have a knock sensor to wire it to.. the LED would'nt drain your battery even after a month of being on,they use very little power.

 

[Desibabu345]

Ok - well I don't know much about elecrical stuff, I am somewhat of a n00b as they say. Any other ideas for this light?

 

[nickrule99]

yeah, hook it up to so it turns on at 6000rpm, and tell your friends the light means the vtec is working. Ive heard from a bunch of kids that own hondas (some dont even have a vtec engine) that when the vtec kicks in, it pulls harder than a turbo. I dont have the heart to tell them is just built to ### specs, and theres really nothing that significant about it. Maybe if you tell your friends its got a vtec, they might consider to to be a fast car, but still not as fast as their civic. Excuse me while I vomit.

 

[allwheelTSI]

the only thing vtec does,is save gas.

 

[dave99gst]

i have a fuel pump cut-off switch on my car. ( works way better than any alarm ) i have a LED like that to let me know if the pump is on or off.

 

[tom1995tsi]

Has anyone done this mod? Its on the vfaq.com and i really what to know if my car is knocking or not so i can lean it out to get the hp but also keep it so the engine is safe. I dont know how reliable this would be though.