DTC Code - P0153

skizot722

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Hey Guys, I'm getting a P0153 again on my '02 LS V8. The CEL came on about 2 years ago when the car only had 18k miles on it. I cleared it at that time, and it hasn't come back, until now. The car now has almost 24k (still not much at all), and the damn code is back. The printout from Advance Auto Parts reads:

P0153
02 Circuit slow response (Bank 2, Sensor 1)

This is the driver's side, pre-cat, correct? Any ideas why I'd be getting this code when the car's got so few miles? After it threw the code this evening, I did notice the car idling a little rougher than usual - probably right at 600 RPM. Gas mileage does suck, but I figured it was due to the winter blend.

Should I just go ahead and replace this O2 sensor and be done with it? I just wanted to get some second opinions / extra info. because I think it's odd that I'd have a bad O2 sensor with 24k miles on the car.
 
Cars need to be driven. Sometimes hard. "Blowing out the carbon" is sometimes a useful thing.

24K miles on a 6 year old car is not enough. You probably drive short miles like 5-10 minutes and then shut down. This doesn't really allow the engine and systems to get up to operating temperature. So you can get sludge in the oil, deposits in the engine and on smog sensors etc. Just because the water temp guage reads normal doesn't mean the engine and sensors are up to proper temperature.

On short trips the engine runs rich which will cause deposits on the O2 sensors and the cats. You need to drive at least 20 minutes at freeway speed to get things up to temp.

My guess is you have deposits on the O2 sensors due to inadequate temperatures.

Maybe you can "burn" them off with a nice couple hour freeway drive, with a few good hard blasts at full throttle. Other sites I have visited talk about using a propane torch on the O2 sensor to clean off the part, of course the sensor has to be out of the car to do this. The least risky approach is to just replace the sensor and drive longer trips at least once a month or more.

Good Luck,

Jim Henderson
 
Yeah. I bought it in 2006 with 17,500 miles on it, and I've put on almost 7,000 over the past 2 years. I know, not much driving. I posted a question a while back, that no one responded to, about driving the car in overdrive (D5) around town. My gas mileage sucks big time, so I started driving the car in overdrive around town again. Lo and behold 3 weeks later the CEL comes on with the P0153 code. That's how I drove the car when I first got it until the I got the P0153 code. Shortly after the first time the code was thrown, I started driving it in drive (D4).

I find it odd though that it's the exact same sensor again. You suggested I just replace it and then try to get some highway driving in at least once a month. Is it okay to keep driving it in overdrive around town if I do that? I was barely getting 15 MPG in town with it in drive (D4), so I figured I'd try to get an extra MPG or two out of it by driving it in overdrive (D5). My owner's manual does say to put it in overdrive (D5) for the best fuel economy.

And yeah, my trips are usually short 6 mile, one-way, city driving and with it being as cold as it's been, you're right, the car doesn't have any time to warm up before I shut it back down. I do drive my LS like a grandma; I don't go around racing everyone because that's not why I bought my LS. I bought it for the luxury and slick looks, but the the little bit of power it has is nice. I have a low 12-second Chevelle if I want to feel power. :D
 

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