How hard is it to get up under there and reach up to loosen up the oxygen sensor Andrei ? That appears to be a tight fit .


Great write up man .

 

Plenty of space, if you can lean over the engine bay enough. Nice thing is, you don't need to lift the car off the ground to do it. A long extension goes a long way in making this an easy job. 1/2" drive of course.

I got lazy and used my impact wrench to get the old one off since it was on there pretty tight. It wasn't difficult to fit an impact wrench in that engine bay.

 

Used to be an extended emissions warranty, something like 80,000 miles with no time limit. Not up to date on this, but is this emissions warranty still in effect?

The function of the second O2 sensor is basically to follow the primary O2 sensor, in effect a copycat sensor primarily to test if the catalytic converter is operating properly. But they usually plug up with many other engine malfunctions, not a darn thing to do with engine control. In my worthless opinion, another not very worthwhile component to go wrong.

Actually easier to remove this thing when the exhaust system is red hot, and since its a POS anyway, just cut off the cable and use a conventional deep six point impact socket. But will need that special O2 socket to put the new one on.

Man, they sure skyrocketed the price of these things when they added a ten cent piece of nichrome wire to them to very slightly decrease the warm up time. Practically a bad joke when already dealing with 1,400*F exhaust temperatures. Did things only pull a couple of watts.

O2 sensors and catalytic converters are completely worthless anyway until the engine reaches operating temperature and this is particularly bad in congested city traffic. They (EPA) tried to get us to use electric heat to speed up the warm up time, but was totally impractical, would need an alternator larger than the engine to do this. Would be far cheaper to spray gas into the cat, but the DOT said no to this. So now we have winter gas with extremely poor fuel economy.

We were slow to get it up here, but this changed around 10-15 years ago, again I didn't write this down. But sure got struck with it now and putting a lot more pollution in the air on our highway trips, plus costing us an extra fortune in fuel.

Miles remaining is a bad reminder of this, couple of month ago as low as 430, last fill up back to 580, but hoping for 650 with the same kind of driving. Must taper this crap gradually. But wasn't use to be this way, didn't make any difference if it was summer or winter, same good fuel mileage. Hoping Robby joints this post, he also was around the block a couple of times.

 

1st great write up. I use a long impact extension socket after I cut the wire off the new one. This is what I use just in case no one has that tool. It has worked every time with PB blaster & a little heat. To put this back on I use a 6 point wrench. If you are not using the old sensor of course. Thanks

PS I just looked at NickD post do just like he said

 

The problem with using a 6 point wrench to get the new one on is that you won't be using the correct torque spec. Without going into a discussion on torque specs, it's simply the "right way" to do things. Since you're saving money doing it yourself anyway, might as well get the right tool for the job.

 

I really wish you would write a bad write-up just once lol

 

I got a code p0136, is that the same sensor? And i have 1.8 engine.
Thank you

 

Hello. I got the code p0136 for my 2011 Chevy Cruze. Is that the same o2 sensor?
Thank you

 

Code P0136 is caused by an O2 Sensor Circuit Low Voltage (Bank 1, Sensor 2). It's essentially the same as code p0137, but its the second O2 sensor. So, I would this post applies. The second sensor is usually further away from the engine down the exhaust system, but still close to the engine.

The essential understanding of O2 sensors is Upstream and Downstream. Sensor 2 is Downstream, after the converter. See basic pictorial attached.

 

Thanks it is the same, sensor one is in front of the engine. I have replaced it but thanks

 

Just did this tonight. Going through the top with a long extension was easy. Hopefully it will fix my P0420 code.

 

Did it


did it fix ur P0420 code I’m getting the same code cars a little sluggish to?

 

Did this with a 3/8"DR 24" breakerbar, extension, and O2 socket, back in October, and tried to do it again, yesterday, both times from under the car, on a lift. Went from below both times. In October, had the Cruze up on a lift to replace the Downstream O2 Sensor and to chase/find an oil leak, took two of us to break the sensor loose. Yesterday, we couldn't budge it, so since I has taking the lower Catalytic Converter out anyways (replaced it), we tried again on the floor, it was easy. WTH?!!!! Yes, I was turning it the correct direction, cause my daughter thought that I was turning in the wrong way. I even put antisieze on the threads, when I installed it in OCT and again yesterday, when I reinstalled it into the new Lower CC.