cheapsk8

my '98 es has three o2 sensors,
the one by the firewall (of all places!) needs replaced. My car JUST ran out of basic warranty in august, so instead of paying the dealership $385 for the sensor(yep), they agreed to pay 50% of the cost (wasn't that nice...) bringing my total to about $230+labor. The cheapest aftermarket one i found was around $95, my guess is that my car wasn't the only one that used this sensor, probably a lot of toyota's did if not all of them. Got any suggestions where to buy???

c

VVT-i

I recommend to use the Toyota O2 sensor to preventing you from pay the labor twice. If the aftermarket sensor fail then you have to pay both part and labor twice.
I also recommend Steve Ganz(SuprTRD on CL) for the best price of the O2 sensor(and everything else). Look in Classified forum under approved vendors and PM SupraTRD for the quote.

Kimbill

My "Check Engine" light went on a couple weeks ago. A few folks on this website suggested having Auto Zone check it out, which I did. They plugged an instrument in under the steering column, and reported the O2 sensor was bad. No charge for the test. A Toyota / Lexus replacemenrt was $140, while a generic unit made by Bosch was $70. Auto Zone, and a mechanic-customer at the counter, said there are two O2 sensors -- one in each exhaust manifold. The one sensor is looking right at you when you raise the hood. Looks like a spark plug. The other sensor they tell me is against the firewall -- I can't even see the thing, let along get a wrench on it.

So, I bought one generic, and hope it is the visible one (for help, I put the operation on my wife's prayer chain). If the front one is not it, then I'll put the old one back in, and try to locate an independent machinic to put in the new sensor against the firewall (the independent machanic standing next to me at the counter said he'd put it in). To avaoid looking like the guy that takes spark plugs to a garage, I'll offer him $30 for the money he lost on the part sale plus his hourly rate -- that should be fair for him, while I've probably saved a ton compared to the prices you were quoted by Lexus.

Nothing was said about a third sensor(?)


Kimbill

DevilDog

I thought the 1998 ES300 used Air Fuel Ratio Sensors, not O2 Sensors. I would not reply on the diagnoses of an auto parts guy. There are several codes for AF or O2 sensors. What code was it?

VVT-i?

cheapsk8

The third sensor is located on the exhaust by the catalytic converter

-C

cheapsk8

Not sure, my mechanic is out of town at the moment. I do know that he had to use generic OBD-II because he didn't have an import card to pinpoint, but the scanner said it was running too long in open loop. The value for that sensor wasn't registering either. Doesn't the coolant temp sensor regulate open/closed loop after engine is warm?

-C

DevilDog

The ONLY way to properly diagnose your problem is to start with the trouble code. What specific codes was it?