View Poll Results: Have you ever had to replace your O2 aka Air/Fuel Sensor in your LS?
Voters: 24. You may not vote on this poll
Have any of your O2 or Air/Fuel Sensors failed?
08-12-15, 06:18 PM
#1
Racer
Thread Starter
Have any of your O2 or Air/Fuel Sensors failed?
THIS IS A YES/NO POLL. If the answer is NO, please select NO. If your answer is YES, please select YES!
I'm curious and wondering the results of this extremely scientific and highly accurate +/- .001% poll.
The question is.......
Have you ever had to replace an O2 or Air/Fuel sensor on your LS since you've owned it? (I'm not placing any mileage nor vehicle age restrictions.) Plain and simple.
Rephrased--- Because of a "check engine light", have you ever had to replace an O2 or Air/Fuel sensor on your LS?
PLEASE NOTE!----EVERYONE is invited to participate. If you've never had this experience, please select NO. If you did experience this, please select YES.
Thanks!
I'm curious and wondering the results of this extremely scientific and highly accurate +/- .001% poll.
The question is.......
Have you ever had to replace an O2 or Air/Fuel sensor on your LS since you've owned it? (I'm not placing any mileage nor vehicle age restrictions.) Plain and simple.
Rephrased--- Because of a "check engine light", have you ever had to replace an O2 or Air/Fuel sensor on your LS?
PLEASE NOTE!----EVERYONE is invited to participate. If you've never had this experience, please select NO. If you did experience this, please select YES.
Thanks!
08-12-15, 10:37 PM
#4
Lead Lap
No not yet. Though I have had to do it on other vehicles. On my pickup I replaced one with the dealer part (Bosch) and it blew a fusable link, stranding me in the middle of an intersection. The mechanic traced it to the new O2 sensor and replaced it with an NGK unit, which is still working some 10 years later. On the LS this is a relatively common problem as the miles add up. Luckily the sensors aren't too expensive if you are willing to look outside the dealer.
08-13-15, 11:14 AM
#6
Instructor
Yes - P0155 (B2S1 heater element fail) at 84000kms after 8.16 years from the in-service date. Changed it myself with a Denso 234-4630, which is the same as Lexus 89465-50130.
Changing sensors preventatively can marginally improve power, fuel economy, and emissions, but you wouldn't save enough money in gas to make that cost-effective. You can use Techstream or an oscilloscope to see if your sensors are starting to go bad, but in my opinion that's overkill and you should just wait for the CEL to be thrown. No sense throwing still-functioning-within-spec parts into the landfill.
Changing sensors preventatively can marginally improve power, fuel economy, and emissions, but you wouldn't save enough money in gas to make that cost-effective. You can use Techstream or an oscilloscope to see if your sensors are starting to go bad, but in my opinion that's overkill and you should just wait for the CEL to be thrown. No sense throwing still-functioning-within-spec parts into the landfill.
08-13-15, 12:03 PM
#7
Pole Position
While there was no MIL code when the O2 sensors were changed, the emissions were showing "yellow" (not green), so the sensors were on the verge of "red" emissions and would fail the annual state emission testing, regardless of a MIL code.
You're not considering the cost of catalytic converters in your payback equation. While pre-cat O2 (A/F) sensors may not throw a MIL code, if the engine is running rich due to old sensors that are going bad (it's just a question of when, not if), the catalytic converters are working overtime to compensate and their longevity is reduced. Cheaper and easier to replace O2 sensors than expensive and difficult DIY catalytic converters. I have 263K miles on the '01 with original catalytic converters, and I attribute their longevity to O2 sensors that are not marginal.
You're not considering the cost of catalytic converters in your payback equation. While pre-cat O2 (A/F) sensors may not throw a MIL code, if the engine is running rich due to old sensors that are going bad (it's just a question of when, not if), the catalytic converters are working overtime to compensate and their longevity is reduced. Cheaper and easier to replace O2 sensors than expensive and difficult DIY catalytic converters. I have 263K miles on the '01 with original catalytic converters, and I attribute their longevity to O2 sensors that are not marginal.
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08-13-15, 05:18 PM
#8
Racer
Thread Starter
152 'views' and only 7 votes? Either someone is clearing their cache / refreshing & revisiting the page frequently (LOL), or some of you are AFRAID to vote! Either is sad. 
08-13-15, 05:42 PM
#9
Racer
Thread Starter
While there was no MIL code when the O2 sensors were changed, the emissions were showing "yellow" (not green), so the sensors were on the verge of "red" emissions and would fail the annual state emission testing, regardless of a MIL code.
You're not considering the cost of catalytic converters in your payback equation. While pre-cat O2 (A/F) sensors may not throw a MIL code, if the engine is running rich due to old sensors that are going bad (it's just a question of when, not if), the catalytic converters are working overtime to compensate and their longevity is reduced. Cheaper and easier to replace O2 sensors than expensive and difficult DIY catalytic converters. I have 263K miles on the '01 with original catalytic converters, and I attribute their longevity to O2 sensors that are not marginal.
You're not considering the cost of catalytic converters in your payback equation. While pre-cat O2 (A/F) sensors may not throw a MIL code, if the engine is running rich due to old sensors that are going bad (it's just a question of when, not if), the catalytic converters are working overtime to compensate and their longevity is reduced. Cheaper and easier to replace O2 sensors than expensive and difficult DIY catalytic converters. I have 263K miles on the '01 with original catalytic converters, and I attribute their longevity to O2 sensors that are not marginal.
Your attentiveness, for some reason (i think bc my friend is so INATTENTIVE) made me think of my best friend who owned a 1999 4-cyl Nissan Altima. He bought it USED with 20k on the clock, so no idea the prior owner's service history/habits.
Here he is, my buddy, a grown man of 45 years old. He doesn't know how to put air in the tires, let alone change one, barely knew how to fill washer fluid. Took Altima for oil changes MAYBE 1x a year, and at that, it was WHEN I jokingly ASKED him when was the last time you changed the oil in this P.O.S.!?!? He'd say "I know. I know. I need to get it done. I'll do it soon. Maybe last year?" He was a salesguy and drove probably 15-20k/year. When he took it to jiffylube or firestone or sears he would NEVER accept the more expensive (synthetic nor syn-blend oil) quite simply, because it was more expensive, and he is a cheapskate! He can rep 10x of 245lbs on the benchpress at the gym tho!
He eventually traded it in with over 220k+ miles on it for a dealer/demo 2013 Altima. Problems he had with his 99 were a couple flat tires (which I had to go and rescue/help/change for him), 1 alternator and maybe 1 battery. THATS IT.
Never did he get a CEL, never did he replace the O2 sensors for longevity of his cat (lol), and if he could substitute urine instead of gas in the tank with a 10% chance it would blow up his car, HE'D DO IT. That's how cheap, inattentive, careless, and basically mechanically un-inclined he was. But gosh-darn if his cat didn't last 220K + miles, without replacing his O2 sensor. LOL
Last edited by LS430inDE.; 08-13-15 at 05:51 PM.
08-13-15, 06:22 PM
#10
Mine at 108k failed recently for front driver side. Hell to get to, so got part in Amazon for $60 and mechanic fixed for $80. Better than dealer $400. Worse part, Lexus has it fail in conjunction with turning Traction control off. So, for something that has very little to do with anything, they turn off a safety feature.
08-13-15, 06:32 PM
#11
Not sure why a O2 sensor would turn the VSC off. It does not make much sense to me. Mine failed kind of early.
Preventive maintenance can save money DE. Also, the way O2 sensors act is not necessarily black and white. Working good or not working at all. They can give false readings which causes pinging and less then ideal power and mileage. If they cause the car to run rich this can damage the cats. I'm totally with Tom in replacemeing them at 130k and 15 years old. These sensors are vital when it comes to efficiency. This is also why I replaced my engine temperature sensor. It can also degrade and give bad readings to the ecu.
Preventive maintenance can save money DE. Also, the way O2 sensors act is not necessarily black and white. Working good or not working at all. They can give false readings which causes pinging and less then ideal power and mileage. If they cause the car to run rich this can damage the cats. I'm totally with Tom in replacemeing them at 130k and 15 years old. These sensors are vital when it comes to efficiency. This is also why I replaced my engine temperature sensor. It can also degrade and give bad readings to the ecu.
08-13-15, 06:42 PM
#12
Racer
Thread Starter
08-14-15, 06:50 AM
#14
Pole Position
Tom, I'm not sure whether to comment on your replacing the sensors as being excessively obsessive (beyond obsessive) or merely intensely incredibly attentive. I think both are appropriate. But no offense intended, honestly. We all have some obsessive items relating to each of us, me included!
Your attentiveness, for some reason (i think bc my friend is so INATTENTIVE) made me think of my best friend who owned a 1999 4-cyl Nissan Altima. He bought it USED with 20k on the clock, so no idea the prior owner's service history/habits.
Here he is, my buddy, a grown man of 45 years old. He doesn't know how to put air in the tires, let alone change one, barely knew how to fill washer fluid. Took Altima for oil changes MAYBE 1x a year, and at that, it was WHEN I jokingly ASKED him when was the last time you changed the oil in this P.O.S.!?!? He'd say "I know. I know. I need to get it done. I'll do it soon. Maybe last year?" He was a salesguy and drove probably 15-20k/year. When he took it to jiffylube or firestone or sears he would NEVER accept the more expensive (synthetic nor syn-blend oil) quite simply, because it was more expensive, and he is a cheapskate! He can rep 10x of 245lbs on the benchpress at the gym tho!
He eventually traded it in with over 220k+ miles on it for a dealer/demo 2013 Altima. Problems he had with his 99 were a couple flat tires (which I had to go and rescue/help/change for him), 1 alternator and maybe 1 battery. THATS IT.
Never did he get a CEL, never did he replace the O2 sensors for longevity of his cat (lol), and if he could substitute urine instead of gas in the tank with a 10% chance it would blow up his car, HE'D DO IT. That's how cheap, inattentive, careless, and basically mechanically un-inclined he was. But gosh-darn if his cat didn't last 220K + miles, without replacing his O2 sensor. LOL
Your attentiveness, for some reason (i think bc my friend is so INATTENTIVE) made me think of my best friend who owned a 1999 4-cyl Nissan Altima. He bought it USED with 20k on the clock, so no idea the prior owner's service history/habits.
Here he is, my buddy, a grown man of 45 years old. He doesn't know how to put air in the tires, let alone change one, barely knew how to fill washer fluid. Took Altima for oil changes MAYBE 1x a year, and at that, it was WHEN I jokingly ASKED him when was the last time you changed the oil in this P.O.S.!?!? He'd say "I know. I know. I need to get it done. I'll do it soon. Maybe last year?" He was a salesguy and drove probably 15-20k/year. When he took it to jiffylube or firestone or sears he would NEVER accept the more expensive (synthetic nor syn-blend oil) quite simply, because it was more expensive, and he is a cheapskate! He can rep 10x of 245lbs on the benchpress at the gym tho!
He eventually traded it in with over 220k+ miles on it for a dealer/demo 2013 Altima. Problems he had with his 99 were a couple flat tires (which I had to go and rescue/help/change for him), 1 alternator and maybe 1 battery. THATS IT.
Never did he get a CEL, never did he replace the O2 sensors for longevity of his cat (lol), and if he could substitute urine instead of gas in the tank with a 10% chance it would blow up his car, HE'D DO IT. That's how cheap, inattentive, careless, and basically mechanically un-inclined he was. But gosh-darn if his cat didn't last 220K + miles, without replacing his O2 sensor. LOL
I also change spark plugs BEFORE the engine misfires and a CEL. I also change my tires BEFORE they get to the wear bars.
08-14-15, 09:21 AM
#15
Pole Position
