An O2 Sensor Saga - Lesson Learned
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,517
Likes: 160
From: Lafayette Louisiana
An O2 Sensor Saga - Lesson Learned
04 CE Covertible
It all started a few months ago. I was gettin an occasional Check Engine with code P0135 HO2S Heater Performance Bank 1 Sensor 1
Car was running perfectly.
I decided to replace the Upstream sensors and went on the cheap. Ordered no name sensors from the auction site. Wire length was correct, sensors looked identical to original, connectors were correct. Installed them. Car would cold start and run good. When it would start to warm up would miss, idle very roughly and even went dead a couple of times. After warm up seemed to run ok but gas mileage was way down 24mpg down from usual 29mpg on Interstate. Would get an occasional check engine sometimes with only code P0300 Misfire. Also sometimes got code P1153 HO2S Insufficient Switching Bank 2 Sensor 1
and P1133 HO2S Insufficient Switching Bank 1 Sensor 1
Dude I ordered from agreed to send another set. I installed them. Same thing!
Finally broke down and got name brand Denso sensors. Installed them. Car runs like new. No check engine. No codes.
Lesson learned. All O2 sensors are not the same even if they look the same. Stick with the name brands!
It all started a few months ago. I was gettin an occasional Check Engine with code P0135 HO2S Heater Performance Bank 1 Sensor 1
Car was running perfectly.
I decided to replace the Upstream sensors and went on the cheap. Ordered no name sensors from the auction site. Wire length was correct, sensors looked identical to original, connectors were correct. Installed them. Car would cold start and run good. When it would start to warm up would miss, idle very roughly and even went dead a couple of times. After warm up seemed to run ok but gas mileage was way down 24mpg down from usual 29mpg on Interstate. Would get an occasional check engine sometimes with only code P0300 Misfire. Also sometimes got code P1153 HO2S Insufficient Switching Bank 2 Sensor 1
and P1133 HO2S Insufficient Switching Bank 1 Sensor 1
Dude I ordered from agreed to send another set. I installed them. Same thing!
Finally broke down and got name brand Denso sensors. Installed them. Car runs like new. No check engine. No codes.
Lesson learned. All O2 sensors are not the same even if they look the same. Stick with the name brands!
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 11,152
Likes: 890
From: South Western Ontario
GM's require the negative side of the sensor element to be connected to the case of the O2 sensor. This stops the voltage on the sensor element from floating out of the range the PCM accepts. I've seen quite a few cases lately of cheap O2 sensors missing this connection and not working.
You could ground that wire somewhere along it's path if you really wanted to make those sensors work.
You could ground that wire somewhere along it's path if you really wanted to make those sensors work.
