HoratioTheJeep
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Texas
I wanted to report back on a fixed O2 sensor problem. My original description of the problem--& all the great help I received--can be found on this thread: http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=66704&page=1&pp=15
Special thanks to 5-90 for help in testing the wiring. And special thanks to XJ4PLAY for translating 5-90's wiring explanation from 1997 wiring into 1996 wiring.
The good news: I was right all along, (sort of) that it was a problem with the wiring and not a problem with the sensors.
The not-so-great news: I actually wound up taking it to a dealership.
Why I took it to the dealership: Well, when I tested the wiring, I found that all the wires had good continuity, including the grounds. I couldn't tell what was wrong, & I couldn't get any other mechanics to take a hard look at the wiring.
So... the dealership was strangely good to me: They ran a ($90.00) diagnostic, & decided they agreed with me, that the sensors were fine, but something was buggy about the wiring. They said they'd take the $90 off any further work, once they found out what was wrong. They actually listened to me when I told them what testing I had done, and what symptoms I had recorded. Three days later they call & say the wires were all fine, but the eyelets (the little terminals that are soldered onto the ends of the wires) were bad.
That is why, when I tested the wires, they all seemed fine. I don't think I touched the eyelets with the test leads when I was testing. The eyelets/terminals were apparently broken part-way off, so that the O2 sensors were getting partial power but not full power--which explains why they sort of worked and sort of didn't. The mechanic said he uses a high-power headlight bulb to test these things, & that the bulb would light when he grounded it on the bolt (passenger side on engine block, near the heater control valve, above & behind the oil pressure sender), but that the bulb would not light when he touched the eyelets that were attached to the bolt.
The mechanic cleaned and re-soldered the eyelets, & everything seems to be fine, now.
The dealership's service manager discounted the $90.00 diagnostic fee & waived the $25.00 shop fee (for soldering, new harness tubing, etc.), so all I was left with was the three hours of labor it took for the mechanic to pinpoint the problem. The bill came to $269.00. I don't begrudge them the money, although I wish it hadn't taken them nearly 4 days to fix it. It is a shame I missed the problem, but now I know to be more thorough.
Thanks, everyone, for the help.
Special thanks to 5-90 for help in testing the wiring. And special thanks to XJ4PLAY for translating 5-90's wiring explanation from 1997 wiring into 1996 wiring.
The good news: I was right all along, (sort of) that it was a problem with the wiring and not a problem with the sensors.
The not-so-great news: I actually wound up taking it to a dealership.
Why I took it to the dealership: Well, when I tested the wiring, I found that all the wires had good continuity, including the grounds. I couldn't tell what was wrong, & I couldn't get any other mechanics to take a hard look at the wiring.
So... the dealership was strangely good to me: They ran a ($90.00) diagnostic, & decided they agreed with me, that the sensors were fine, but something was buggy about the wiring. They said they'd take the $90 off any further work, once they found out what was wrong. They actually listened to me when I told them what testing I had done, and what symptoms I had recorded. Three days later they call & say the wires were all fine, but the eyelets (the little terminals that are soldered onto the ends of the wires) were bad.
That is why, when I tested the wires, they all seemed fine. I don't think I touched the eyelets with the test leads when I was testing. The eyelets/terminals were apparently broken part-way off, so that the O2 sensors were getting partial power but not full power--which explains why they sort of worked and sort of didn't. The mechanic said he uses a high-power headlight bulb to test these things, & that the bulb would light when he grounded it on the bolt (passenger side on engine block, near the heater control valve, above & behind the oil pressure sender), but that the bulb would not light when he touched the eyelets that were attached to the bolt.
The mechanic cleaned and re-soldered the eyelets, & everything seems to be fine, now.
The dealership's service manager discounted the $90.00 diagnostic fee & waived the $25.00 shop fee (for soldering, new harness tubing, etc.), so all I was left with was the three hours of labor it took for the mechanic to pinpoint the problem. The bill came to $269.00. I don't begrudge them the money, although I wish it hadn't taken them nearly 4 days to fix it. It is a shame I missed the problem, but now I know to be more thorough.
Thanks, everyone, for the help.