Pesky CEL's

[SimonC_Here]

1) Anyone know how long the leads are on the post-cat sensor?  I ask because the lead on the pre-cat sensor that I purchased is about 2-3 inches longer than the stock one it replaced: it's about 30cm from the top of the sensor to the base of the plug.  Maybe I could use this one?

Nah, too short,the one after the main cat is about twice as long.

2) Am I right to assume that replacement of the post-cat sensor involves removing the bumper?  Seems pretty much impossible to get to the plug/socket area though maybe things will look different if I jack up the car.

You can get to it, it's just a little fiddly. I didn't even bother to jack the car up.

Simon

[aaronjb]

I've now spoken to Mr T again.  He claims the original code was a P0130, which means Bank 1, Sensor 1 (the one I replaced).

Well, P0130 is "P0130 O2 Sensor Circuit Malfunction (Bank 1 Sensor 1)" - that means it's not the heater circuit.  In fact it's a very generic code that means basically anything could be wrong that there isn't a specific code for.

Could easily be a wiring fault between the sensor & ECU, rather than the sensor itself..

2) Am I right to assume that replacement of the post-cat sensor involves removing the bumper?  Seems pretty much impossible to get to the plug/socket area though maybe things will look different if I jack up the car.

Nope - remove the passenger side rear light (two screws, be careful of the little plastic peg on the bottom left hand corner of the light - pull the light out toward the center of the car if possible).

You can then remove the three cable clips easily - one is under the rear light, one is at the bottom (look upward from under the car) and the other is on the inner side of the rear crash bar - you can reach down through the light hole and prise it out.

Goes back in more easily than it came out, thankfully - just dangle it down through the hole and clip the cables in.

[Ernie Ball]

OK, thanks to all your help, I've got the O2 sensor wired up and back in the car.  So far, so good.

Quick question about crimp connectors: I just twisted the two ends of wire together, got the sleeve over them and squished them with the vise-grip.  Is there anything else I need to do (like point a blowdryer at the plastic housing)?