Intermittant Cel P0161

[Damo]

Just a quick question please lads -

Have an intermittant CEL and only fault code that ever shows is P0161 which is: "H02S Heater Performance Bank 2 Sensor 2"

About to purchase a new Denso 02 sensor: http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/raframecat...;a=YH14-2344603

The thing is, often the CEL will often be off when starting the car and only come on after a minute or so, sometimes it won't come on at all for a few hundred miles, other times it just stays on when (and after) starting. Just wondering if this is normal - ie. is this common behaviour of a failing 02 sensor or could there be something else wrong.

Wanted to check before ordering the sensor as I would have thought if the sensor had failed I would have a constant CEL.

Screenshot of OBD reading:

Thanks a million for any help,

Damo.

[Damo]

Just a quick question please lads -

Have an intermittant CEL and only fault code that ever shows is P0161 which is: "H02S Heater Performance Bank 2 Sensor 2"

About to purchase a new Denso 02 sensor: http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/raframecat...;a=YH14-2344603

The thing is, often the CEL will often be off when starting the car and only come on after a minute or so, sometimes it won't come on at all for a few hundred miles, other times it just stays on when (and after) starting. Just wondering if this is normal - ie. is this common behaviour of a failing 02 sensor or could there be something else wrong.

Wanted to check before ordering the sensor as I would have thought if the sensor had failed I would have a constant CEL.

Screenshot of ODB reading:

Thanks a million for any help,

Damo.

Just to add - Only strange engine behaviour I notice is that if I blip the throttle in N or P she hesitates, or coughs, before reving. Drives absolutely perfectly though, even taking off hard from stop.

Fuel consumption seems fine too - OBC showing 34.4 MPG today over 40 mile journey today on average roads (passing through towns, etc) with lights on and air con off.

Not sure if relevant....

[Einstein]

Sounds quite normal... and looks like the sensor is only just failing..

should all be sorted with the new sensor..

John

[Damo]

Sounds quite normal... and looks like the sensor is only just failing..

should all be sorted with the new sensor..

John

fantastic - that's good news!

thanks a million John.

[EB_1920]

Yeah, a new sensor should fix the problem. If you haven't already done so, check out Frugal Mechanic to see if you can find a lower price. It's a shopping comparison website for auto parts. Comes in very handy with my SC400 :)

http://frugalmechanic.com/auto-part/19423-...3-oxygen-sensor

[Damo]

Yeah, a new sensor should fix the problem. If you haven't already done so, check out Frugal Mechanic to see if you can find a lower price. It's a shopping comparison website for auto parts. Comes in very handy with my SC400 :)

http://frugalmechanic.com/auto-part/19423-...3-oxygen-sensor

Just to update - Fitted the new 02 sensor today... The hard way

Ordered the oem Denso 02 sensor from Rock Auto in the States Tuesday eveing and it arrived Friday morning - cost about 100 euro delivered.

Was considering just joining the wires under the car but as have no way of raising the car enough to get underneath comfortably decided I'd do it the hard way and get under the carpet and plug her in!

Trick is to remove the centre console fully, then it's very easy to pull away the carpet and get at the connector and the gromet where the cable goes through the floor of the car.

Nightmare removing the old 02 sensor - it would turn a little bit and then get stuck fast, threads were in sh1te by the time it came out

Turns out this particular 02 sensor had been replaced previously - could see the wires had been joined underneath - car only has 98k miles on it, is it normal to have gone through 2 (of the same) 02 sensors at this mileage?

Anyway, fitted new 02 sensor and tightened it as far as it would go, reset CEL, everything fine except 3 miles later mad smell of BBQ - stopped, could see leak/smoke around sensor and tried to tighten it again (turned a few more times now when hot) and all okay so far and CEL staying off - fingers crossed :winky:

If anyone is going tackling this job and would like step by step instructions just let me know - took me about 4 hours today but if I had to do it again tomorrow I could probably finish it in 40 minutes :-)

[Einstein]

Hopefully, that will have cured the CEL problem...

As I said, your old one was probably just on it's way out, so you may not notice much improvement in driving, other than maybe a slight increase in MPG..

John

[Damo]

Hopefully, that will have cured the CEL problem...

As I said, your old one was probably just on it's way out, so you may not notice much improvement in driving, other than maybe a slight increase in MPG..

John

Just to update - 1k miles today since changing o2 sensor and haven't seen CEL since

Thanks lads, esp. Einstein!