Chevy & GMC Vans

After the stealership did a thorough diagnostic and repaired the bad chassis ground, he told me that I needed new O2 sensors.

Questions are:

1. How many?
2. Where?

TIA.

Did some research and found out that there are FOUR O2 sensors on the beast. The stealership wants $299 PER UNIT installed. I can get Bosch units at Autozone or O'Reilly's for $62.99 each.

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/catalo ... rentId=117

Cheaper for the parts I'm sure... but they still need to be installed!

Ain't that the truth! And I'm handicapped, on top of that.

Before paying the big bucks for new O2 sensors,
try adding a can of Seafoam in your gas tank
or some of the [ much more expensive ] Startron.

a couple of my Mazda Mpv 4WDs used to throw the error code for the O2 sensors and set off the check engine light. A can of Seafoam every fifth tank cleaned the sensors and stopped that code.

Good luck
LAZ 1

Which seafoam product?

Try going to the local high school and talk to the shop auto shop teacher. The sensors are simple to change maybe a student could do it just to have something to work on for a hour. A small donation to the school shop program is always nice. The obd2 system should tell you which sensor is bad. I just had to change one of mine and the code said which side it was on.

The school should be able to run a code reader on the van it just seems like bull cookies to me that magically all the sensors go at the same time. I think your getting hosed.

I don't think it would hurt to run a few cans of Sea Foam through the system, but I don't think that's going to cure the O2 sensors. After 186K miles, they're bound to be tired. I'll check out the local shop class when school is back in session. But $1200 is a bit much to charge, considering that brand new sensors go for $63 each. I certainly don't want to break off the sensors in their threads, which might just happen if some ham-handed amateur attempts to remove them.

Unplug them put a big wrench on it with the closed end on the sensor then smack the other end of the wrench with a big rubber mallet and it will crack the sensor loose. If you try to just push on the wrench it might strip or break but a swift sharp smack will crack them loose.

My local Auto Zone allowed me to rent a set of crowfoot heads specifically for removing oxygen sensors. Rent isn't exactly right as I got the full deposit back when I returned them, but it does take cash up front to get the tools.

Several different sizes came in the kit. I tried using a couple different sized wrenches but none got a good-enough grip to make it work. I ended up using a breaker bar and a torque multiplier (36" iron pipe) to break mine loose with the crowfoot.

Good luck with it!