VermontHunter Posted January 30, 2011 Report Share Posted January 30, 2011 I went to the bank on Monday to do the daily store deposit, so when I'm done and ready to leave I put my truck in reverse and notice that my ABS and Brake lights are on with a message saying a brake sevice is needed. ( this happened last winter about this time also ) so I drive back to work and shut the truck off, then turn the key on half way and wait a few seconds, and then turn the keyy off again and then start the truck, bingo the warning lights stay off ... Yippie, so I thought .. About noon I'm ready to go home, so I get in my truck and start her up and proceed on my way, I'm sitting at a light when my truck begins to shake lightly so I look down to see my engine light is on .. ( NO freakin' way I'm thinking to myself ) so I turn around and head to the dealership, where a friend works. I get there and luckily for me it's his lunch time and he gets the go ahead to hook my truck up right then and there with no wait. The computer shows 2 codes .. One for a O2 senser, and the is a misfire .. So he tells me that the O2 senser COULD be cause by the missfire and we shoukd start there. $110.00 later with a new set of plugs, and a computer reset, I'm on my way home happieer than a clam that it only cost me a minimal amount. Next day goes with NO issues, and so do's moist of the day after that when the engine light comes back on, NO shake this time tho .. Back to the dealership, and this time a NEW Os senser on the opposite bank from the last change (bank 2 this time ) ... another $200 smackers .. So far to date no more lights ... and from what I'm told this dang truck still has 2 more for a total of 4 O2 sensors .. What the heck .. Guess, this is a great one for the extended warranty that was offered to me by the dealership from GM .. She ONLY has 48,000 on her .. OK, rant over .. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted January 30, 2011 Report Share Posted January 30, 2011 Guess, this is a great one for the extended warranty that was offered to me by the dealership from GM .. She ONLY has 48,000 on her .. OK, rant over .. lol Not covered under the original warranty Luke? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VermontHunter Posted January 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2011 Not covered under the original warranty Luke? Nope she's a 2004 ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LETMGROW Posted January 30, 2011 Report Share Posted January 30, 2011 It'd be my guess the o2 sensor was the original problem. Chances are the tech shut the MIL light off when he changed the plugs and the truck had to run a few miles for the computer to relearn and reset its monitors. When the computer checked the o2 sensor it saw something out of spec. and turned the light back on. All is not lost by changing the plugs on a 7 year old truck though. With these aluminum heads you can have a problem getting the plugs out in that period of time regardless of mileage. The tech did you a favor in the long run. The original plugs in your truck are double platinum. The list price on the plugs alone is over $13 each if he used OEM plugs. You did OK. Lynn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VermontHunter Posted January 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2011 It'd be my guess the o2 sensor was the original problem. Chances are the tech shut the MIL light off when he changed the plugs and the truck had to run a few miles for the computer to relearn and reset its monitors. When the computer checked the o2 sensor it saw something out of spec. and turned the light back on. All is not lost by changing the plugs on a 7 year old truck though. With these aluminum heads you can have a problem getting the plugs out in that period of time regardless of mileage. The tech did you a favor in the long run. The original plugs in your truck are double platinum. The list price on the plugs alone is over $13 each if he used OEM plugs. You did OK. Lynn I'm GLAD he changed the plugs Lynn, especially with this ethonol joke that seems to be plaguing everything in sight ... and YES he used ( at my request OEM plugs ) .. he did say that the light may come back on .. he just wanted to see if the missfire was the total issue .. They even waived the diagnostic because I has the work done there .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaun_300 Posted January 30, 2011 Report Share Posted January 30, 2011 Man that sucks Luke! Changed quite a few O2 sensors in the chevy trucks. Yes there are 4 in total, but the 2 that were causing you grief were the ones before the catylatic converters, the other two are behind and will not cause any driveability concerns if they screw up, they'll just turn the check engine light on. Only purpose of the post-cat O2's is to monitor the efficiency of the cats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VermontHunter Posted January 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2011 And I'm told those last two are as expensive .... which is a relief .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaun_300 Posted January 30, 2011 Report Share Posted January 30, 2011 Yes they aren't cheap. Only other thing that'll flag O2 sensor and misfire codes that are fairly common for those trucks is the intake manifold gaskets leaking, sucks air around the gaskets causing it to run lean, PCM reads the low O2 sensor readings and pours the fuel to it to make up for the extra air. Usually this will flag P0171 and P0174 too though (fuel trim lean bank 1 and 2). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LETMGROW Posted January 30, 2011 Report Share Posted January 30, 2011 When I find a bad upstream o2 sensor I recommend the customer change both unless of course one has been changed recently. In the long run it saves a return visit soon after you change one out. Generally both have the same mileage on them and have run the same gas and conditions. At least I give the option. Otherwise when the MIL comes back on soon after we have to go through the diagnostics etc. all over again. Sometimes I think time affects these sensors as much as miles driven. Lynn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VermontHunter Posted January 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2011 Usually this will flag P0171 and P0174 too though (fuel trim lean bank 1 and 2). Didn't hear anything about those 2 codes .. So far she seems to be running like a champ, and my fuel milage seems to be getting better as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redkneck Posted January 31, 2011 Report Share Posted January 31, 2011 When you change one part, the mating part gets jealous. Happened to me on a wheel bearing job the other day. :hammer2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VermontHunter Posted January 31, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2011 When you change one part, the mating part gets jealous. Happened to me on a wheel bearing job the other day. :hammer2: I think you may be on to something ... lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaun_300 Posted February 1, 2011 Report Share Posted February 1, 2011 When you change one part, the mating part gets jealous. Happened to me on a wheel bearing job the other day. :hammer2: You mean the bearing on the opposite side of the car went afterwards? See that a lot and have customers that don't understand. My explanation is they both go round and round the same amount of times as eachother, often times the other side goes very shortly after the one side is changed. My buddy's old Tiburon had this issue. We put one wheel bearing in and within a few months did the other 3. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LETMGROW Posted February 1, 2011 Report Share Posted February 1, 2011 I think you may be on to something ... lol I'll save this and show it to my next customer. Wish me luck. LOL Lynn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.