o2 Sensor issues

fudge12

fudge12

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Finally got my car back home from the shop today after the long awaited tranny rebuild. After throwing in some HID's and a new battery all is well. :D Before I left the shop I got a CEL for a faulty o2 sensor and noticed taht I have excessive exhaust coming out of the tailpipes. The shop cleared the codes and said that it is possibly because the car was sitting for a couple weeks in sun and snow, and to drive it around for a couple days and see if the CEL comes back on. Is the excessive exhaust a direct cause of the faulty sensor? Thanks!

Edit: I don't smell gas or anything of that sort from the exhaust. Just white smoke.
 
Antifreeze in the exhaust will kill an o2 sensor quickly. Double check that all the sensors got reconnected, as they probably had to disconnect them to remove the tranny. They may have started the car with one disconnected then remembered to plug it in.

By 'excessive exhaust' do you just mean white smoke? If it hasn't been run in a while and it's been cold, then the pipes will have a lot of condensation in them which will take several minutes to clear out. If it smells like antifreeze though, then something went terribly wrong.
 
Did you see white smoke or just water vapors? I find these cars produce a lot of water vapor in cooler temperatures.
 
fudge12 said:
... I got a CEL for a faulty o2 sensor ...
Click to expand...

There are no cels that absolutely say the O2 sensor is bad. Which exact code(s) did you get?
It sounds likely that your O2 sensor is good and is trying to warn you of some other problem. Why does everyone shoot the messenger?
 
Hmmm... Let's see... They had to drop your exhaust, to pull the tranny. They could have forgotten to disconnect one of the O2 sensors, and pulled the wires, or broken one of the connectors. On the other hand... They may have literally dropped your exhast, and F-ed up one of your sensors. Me being the cynical suspicious type... I'd say they were more than happy to clear the code for you, because they had done it before you came to pick up the car. The car sitting for a couple weeks, sounds like a BS excuse, unless they left the exhaust system out in the snow for the couple weeks. This could definitely mess up an O2 sensor, if the ehaust was full of water. could be why there was white smoke and excessive exhast also. Try replacing the suspect O2 sensor first, and see what happens.

---Mike---
 
Joe's said that multiple times when it comes to o2 sensors and I agree with him. Get the code read and check connections. Could swap it to the other side to see if said code follows it right?
 
There isn't any smell from the fumes as far as i can smell. No oil in coolant and vice versa. Exhaust seems to be coming out heavier on the passenger exhaust than on the drivers side exhaust. However, the passenger exhaust was just recently replaced over the summer (not too sure if that has anything to do with it.) I'll try replacing the o2 sensor with another one and see. Dunno if I should buy a generic brand and install it or use a brand name sensor. I saw a couple go for cheap that involve me splicing and joining connector wires (Something I enjoy doing :D)
 
This vehicle has 4 O2 sensors. 2 per side. One before each cat, and one after. Which side is the bad O2 sensor on??? The code will tell you that. What is the code? What part of the passenger side exhaust was replaced? After the cat, or before and including the cat? I'll take a stab in the dark, and say the problem is on the drivers side, because it's restricted, which means joegr was right, in the fact that the O2 sensor was trying to tell you there was another issue. The cat may be plugged due to excessive water. Of course, I may have that totally backwards, since this vehicle has a crossover exhaust, (if I remember correctly). Either way, joegr is probably right, and it's probably a bad cat. Again... what was the code? Don't buy a generic sensor. Buy at least a Bosch. They are about $75 OTD, and are "plug and play". But knowing what the code is, would probably help your diagnosis. Jmtiseo had a good suggestion, by swapping the sensors. This was a good process of elimination.

---Mike---
 
I'm unable to get an exact code due to the lack of a OBDII scan tool at my disposal. But my mechanic just told me "oxygen sensor" and cleared the code. Woke up this morning and sure thing, it was back again. I'll go to autozone and have them read the computer and ask for a print out of the exact code. The muffler was replaced because the original one got hooked on a parking brick when i backed into the parking space at chase's parking lot and was ripped off when I tried getting out :mad:
 
Will replace the sensor, should be easily seen once the car is jacked up right?
 
P0136 - O2 Sensor Circuit Malfunction (Bank 1 Sensor2)
P0141 - O2 Sensor Heater Circuit Malfunction (Bank 1 Sensor 2)

The issue is with the one on the passenger side, after the converter. As jmtiseo suggested, swap it with another O2 sensor, and see if the code moves/changes. If it does, the the problem is the sensor. If not, then the problem is either in the passenger side wiring, or the converter.

---Mike---
 
04_Sport_LS said:
P0136 - O2 Sensor Circuit Malfunction (Bank 1 Sensor2)
P0141 - O2 Sensor Heater Circuit Malfunction (Bank 1 Sensor 2)

The issue is with the one on the passenger side, after the converter. As jmtiseo suggested, swap it with another O2 sensor, and see if the code moves/changes. If it does, the the problem is the sensor. If not, then the problem is either in the passenger side wiring, or the converter.

---Mike---
Click to expand...

Won't be the converter (though that could still be bad). The converter won't cause it to throw a circuit code or a heater code.

Still, just replacing the sensor isn't that wise either. It could very well be a connector or wiring issue, and it is more likely to be so unless the sensor has been physically damaged.
 
fudge12 said:
...should be easily seen once the car is jacked up right?
Click to expand...

Yes, but I feel much better about crawling under a car up on ramps than one that is jacked up. At least put some jack stands under there.
 
I'll be doing the universal oxygen sensor. Just the following questions i have:

1) How many wires does the original sensor have?
2) Could any o2 sensor be used for downstream?
3) Bank 1 sensor 2 is on the passenger side of the vehicle, post cat. Correct?

Will post pictures of the project as always to help other users. Thanks!
 
1 & 2 - go to dealer, fordpartsgiant.com, or other online Ford parts dealer for anything that is electrical related, ie. sensors, cops, etc. No, in its broadest sense not any sensor can be used for downstream.
 
fudge12 said:
I'll be doing the universal oxygen sensor. Just the following questions i have:

1) How many wires does the original sensor have?
2) Could any o2 sensor be used for downstream?
3) Bank 1 sensor 2 is on the passenger side of the vehicle, post cat. Correct?

Will post pictures of the project as always to help other users. Thanks!
Click to expand...

1. four, but don't do it. Get the correct sensor, cost will be about the same.
2. Not any.
3. I answered this in post 15. Did you read it? Your right side after the cat
 
X2 on getting the factory sensor and not the Bosch crap, even if the cost is more. The universal will get the mix kinda close to what it needs to be. The end result will be a 2-5MPG loss over what the factory sensor will get. That'll add up in a huge hurry. This also assumes that the richer mix doesn't cause drivability problems or cook the cats, which will just cause more problems down the road.

Those cheap universal sensors are only for putting in a car that you are selling to clear a code, nothing more.
 
Telco said:
X2 on getting the factory sensor and not the Bosch crap, even if the cost is more. The universal will get the mix kinda close to what it needs to be. The end result will be a 2-5MPG loss over what the factory sensor will get. That'll add up in a huge hurry. This also assumes that the richer mix doesn't cause drivability problems or cook the cats, which will just cause more problems down the road.

Those cheap universal sensors are only for putting in a car that you are selling to clear a code, nothing more.
Click to expand...

I don't think Bosch products are crap. I have had good experience with them over the years, and most of their products are made in either Germany or the U.S.. The factory parts are mostly made in Mexico, or China, which are cuss words in my vocabulary. Sorry,,, whenever I buy something, I try to support my country first, and Mexico and China last.

I recently replaced all of my coils with Borg Warner, (rebadged Standard made in USA) with lifetime warranty. I replaced 2 O2 sensors with Bosch, (made in USA), and replaced the spark plugs with Bosch Iridiums, (made in Germany). I am getting 33mpg @ 55mph, (living in "the flatlands"). How long these parts hold up, is yet to be seen, but so far 20k miles and no problems.

Fudge,

I do agree with not buying a splice in/universal sensor. There is a reason they are cheaper, (besides the missing connector that doesn't cost the difference in $$$). By splicing into the wires, you are asking for corrosion problems, which will be more aggravation at a later time.

An actron CP9125 can be found on sale, as cheap as $40, sometimes, and is an asset to have in the glove box or trunk, and comes with a book and software, to tell you what the codes are. Especially handy when you drop a coil or O2 sensor, (or gas cap stops sealing). It is a very basic scanner that will give you most codes. When I dropped an original coil, I knew which injector to unplug, to prevent further damage. (while that set more codes, they were all eraseable).

---Mike---
 
You've had a different experience with Bosch than I have then. I've found mileage and drivability problems with Bosch sensors, and no problems with factory sensors. I also try to avoid foreign made junk although that's about to be impossible to do here in another year. But I don't want to politicize the board so I refuse to speak further on that.
 
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