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o2 sensor headache

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Old 03-05-2012, 08:24 PM
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Hey guys! I've been searching for about 30 minutes and couldn't find anything or anyone having the same issue as me... I may just be retarded and not know how to use the "search" if someone knows a post already...

Anyway, I had my "Service Engine Soon" light come on last Thursday in which I took it to Pepboys to have them run a decoder for it, came back with an o2 sensor failure. I then took it to a buddy's shop to have them run a diagnostics and find the exact problem and which sensor is bad.

They came back with the bank 1 o2 sensor, so I went ahead and replaced it. The light went off after resetting it but came back on about 5 miles down the road. Went ahead and reset it again, and it stayed off for about 20 miles then came back on. Both times it's coming back with the same exact code...

Does anyone have any suggestions? Do these new senors take awhile to be broken in and read correctly? Someone in another posted listed that you needed at least 50 miles on the senor, and once you reach that magic mark the light will cut off... anyone know if this is true? I'm leaning more towards that the wiring for the senor is going bad. Any help would be great! Thank you guys!
Old 03-05-2012, 08:28 PM
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Also, it has Pacesetter Longtube Headers to high flow cats then a exhaust cutout (( Opened when on the track )) any help or suggestions would be great! Thank you in advance!
Old 03-05-2012, 08:40 PM
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did you run o2 extensions with the headers? or did you do the splice method that came with the pacesetters?
Old 03-05-2012, 08:46 PM
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Originally Posted by Burken01
did you run o2 extensions with the headers? or did you do the splice method that came with the pacesetters?
To tell you the truth, I'm honestly not sure. I bought this car used and didn't even think to check. I'm guessing he more then likely did the splice, think that maybe the connection came loose or water got into it? Where would someone normally splice into the wiring for the splice method that came with the pacesetters? Thanks in advance man
Old 03-05-2012, 08:52 PM
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crawl under the car and at the end of the headers where they connect to your y pipe youll see a o2 sensor screwed into the end of the header merge, at the end of the wire for the o2 sensor youll see either a connector plug type (o2 extension) or youll see black tubing that looks really cheap (kinda like a drinking straw material with no ribs on it)

my buddy tried the splice method and was throwing SES lights



heres what o2 extensions look like
Old 03-05-2012, 09:01 PM
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You can do the splice method and it will work well if You use 2 or 3 pieces of heat shrink tubing and wire wrap and tape ..........etc
Old 03-05-2012, 09:05 PM
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Alright sweet! Thank you man for the awesome write up and pictures! Helped a lot! I'm gonna check first thing tomorrow when I get home from work! I'll let ya know what I find tomorrow! Thank you again!
Old 03-05-2012, 09:16 PM
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yes the splice method does work fine, but you have new o2 sensors? right?

so it could just be wiring problem, should be an easy fix..
Old 03-05-2012, 09:28 PM
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Correct, I just swapped out the bank 1 sensor which keeps throwing the code. The previous owner installed the whole exhaust system (( Headers, cats, cutout, etc )) around June of last year I believe. The "SES" light just came on Thursday so I'm hoping it's just that the previous owner did the splice method and it just has a bad connection right now and I just gotta fix it. But in again, with my luck it's probably the whole wiring harness going bad or something! I'll keep ya'll posted on my discoveries tomorrow!
Old 03-05-2012, 09:38 PM
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no problem, good luck..
Old 03-06-2012, 05:37 PM
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Hey everyone! So the o2 sensor is spliced, I went ahead and remade the connection so it's fresh but the "SES" is still on. I'm gonna go ahead and buy an actual extension to see if that'll fix it and just get yet another o2 sensor.

After calling a few shops and asking for opinions I got information that the Camaro using the bank 1 o2 sensor as a main "rich/lean" detector and that I may have a bad fuel injector or something along those lines... has anyone heard of this or is the shop just throwing ideas at me?
Old 03-06-2012, 05:48 PM
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Throwing ideas...that's why I purchased corvette O2's. It eliminates a factor
Old 03-06-2012, 06:36 PM
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What is the code? Is it for sensor 1 or 2? As sensor 1 is pre cat & sensor 2 is post cat.

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Old 03-06-2012, 07:06 PM
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I wish I had 1/2 the money people blindly throw at parts without doing any real trouble shooting or diagnosis. All these questions and you don't even say what the actual code # is.
Old 03-07-2012, 12:00 PM
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Originally Posted by 2xLS1
I wish I had 1/2 the money people blindly throw at parts without doing any real trouble shooting or diagnosis. All these questions and you don't even say what the actual code # is.
I'm sure you can get a hold of $25. So far the only part I've "blindly" thrown money at is an AC Delco o2 sensor which was 50 bucks at the local O'Reilly auto parts store.

I forget the specific code but it's the code for the Bank 1 o2 sensor 1 ((Pre-cat)) on the driver side ((They used GM's codes for the decoder. )) It's currently at my friend's shop and they're gonna take a look at it and see what they can find, I'm truely clueless. I replaced the o2 sensor and it fixed it for about 40 miles but came back on. If they can't find anything that may be causing it I'm going to invest in some o2 sensor extensions and see if that'll fix it. Thanks everyone for the help!

Thanks again for everyone's input, I'm going to get the specific code from the shop and post that on here; found this (( http://www.nology.com/OBD2FaultCodes.htm )) so I'm hoping that is going to be helpful, I didn't even think to check the code myself, I just trusted the shop telling me that it was the correct code.

Last edited by SHKNBKE; 03-07-2012 at 12:11 PM.



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