P0133

[Monkhouse]

So, after fixing a hesitation problem, (knock sensor, plugs, and wires) I noticed my car didn't have as much power as it used to. I just figured it was normal since the car is getting older. Then I got this error. The guy at autozone was fairly informative. He said, since I had head gasket issues earlier this year, maybe I could get away with cleaning the O2 sensor instead of buying a new one right away.

I figured it was worth a shot, so I got out my ramps, drove the car on them, got underneath it, and could not budge the sensor at all. I was basically doing pullups on the wrench with no luck at all.

I know what everyone's first reaction will be, and I'm going to use some WD40 tonight, I didn't have any at home yesterday.

What I'm wondering, though, is what if I can't get that thing loose? I'm not a little guy, I had most of my weight on it, (260) and achieved nothing. How much does this cost to have a garage do it?

[Huffer]

Use a bit of PB blaster and some heat... it'll break free eventually, you might need to work it back and forth a bit.

A "crows foot" offset socket might help, along with a big breaker bar.
Alternatively you could use a big impact wrench (friend of mine has a 650lb/ft gun that makes quick work of everything).

[LegacyRob]

is there anyway you could try to loosen it while the exhaust is hot? Just to get it loose then let it cool down to take it out.

[Monkhouse]

is there anyway you could try to loosen it while the exhaust is hot? Just to get it loose then let it cool down to take it out.

I thought about that, but I can't see a way to get to it from the bottom without touching the exhaust. As soon as I get a day without rain I'm gonna put a heat gun on it. And possibly use some co2 on the bolt to freeze it. Those, along with some wd40 should do it.

[Monkhouse]

Got it. A little heat and wd40 did the trick. Took it out, cleaned it, put it back in, no more error. Problem solved... I think. It still seems like it doesn't have the power that it did before. I guess I'm just gonna wait for the next learning experience to present itself.

[Huffer]

Prepare to buy a new O2 sensor...

[LegacyRob]

Wonder is resetting the ECU would make a difference since you cleaned it?

[Monkhouse]

Prepare to buy a new O2 sensor...

I figured I only bought a little time with it, and I'm ok with that. I'm in the middle of a debt reduction plan that has my bank account spread pretty thin for a while.


Wonder is resetting the ECU would make a difference since you cleaned it?

I hadn't thought of that, I'll try it tonight. I just disconnect the battery and pump the brakes, correct?

[Wiscon_Mark]

I'd leave it disconnected for a little while. Maybe 15 minutes to be safe.