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Nissan Sentra oxygen sensor problem

chunyuchen33chunyuchen33 Member Posts: 5
edited October 2014 in Nissan
Hi everyone thanks for helping me out. I have sentra 2002 SE-R, when the check engine ligtht came up few days ago. I took it into dealer for checking, they said it's my bank 1 oxygen sensor and ISC throttle chamber problems. I woulder if anyone have the same problem before? and if anyone knows what cause those problems. Also if there is a way of clean them.
I want to take them in, but after reading some forms about other owners took in to fix other similiar problems but still have the light came up few months later. So, I also wounder if it's worth to take in.
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Comments

  • lgoldinlgoldin Member Posts: 90
    There are 2 oxygen sensors in the bank 1. First one is important and if not fixed can cause major problems since it controls air-gasoline mix to the engine. It is located in the engine compartment.
    If it is bank 1 sensor 2 then it is not critical at all. The only thing it does is the exhaust check for information purpose.
    Double check with dealer which sensor it is. There are number of devices on a market (OBD II readers) which can read the code and reset it if needed.
  • chunyuchen33chunyuchen33 Member Posts: 5
    it's HO2 sensor 1, bank 1. Is this one you are referred to?
    and what about ISC throttle chamber? is this important, too?
    thanks :)
  • lgoldinlgoldin Member Posts: 90
    Yes, sensor 1 is important one. You better get it looked at quickly.
    I think that these 2 problems are linked. Probably bad sensor (best case) fools computer and it says that idles are too high or low. Does you car run normally? What are RPM at idle?
  • chunyuchen33chunyuchen33 Member Posts: 5
    :) I already have them look at, those were the two problems. The normal RPM during the beginning of cold engin is about 1500 RPM, but after the engin heat up, the RPM will back below 1000 RPM, like about 600 to 700 RPM. And my car run normally. so, is the RPM in the normal area or too high or low?
  • lgoldinlgoldin Member Posts: 90
    RPM looks in a good range. Try to replace sensor. You can do it yourself. It is very well accessible. You'll need special key. The sensor itself runs about $100. The key about $15. But you'll need to see if the problem is fixed and therefore you either need OBD reader or you'll have to pay dealer again to connect the reader and tell you what they see. :mad:
  • fishfacefishface Member Posts: 4
    I have a 2001 Nissan Sentra SE,and had service engine light on for a few months,and took it to Nissan who told me Oxygen sensor ,Bank 1 Sensor 1 was bad ,so I purchased one from Auto Zone and installed it ,had light cut off but it came back on 2nd time I drove it,so I took it back,and Nissan told me it was still showing the same code ,so I took the sensor back out,and had AutoZone replace it as defective,then I installed with same result,now I have taken to independent repair shop who seems to think it may be ECM Board which had to be purchased thru Dealership ,yet dealership hasn't told me this needs to be replaced,and truth is ,I don't know what to do at this point in time,and car inspection is out now,and can't be inspected with service engine light on,can anybody help me with this situation ?
  • tetleyteatetleytea Member Posts: 1
    Any update with the 20O1 sensor problem? I'm having pretty much exactly the same problem with my 2002 Sentra SE, and after visiting 3 dealerships I'm inclined to agree with the second dealership's opinion: it's the ECM.

    The thing is, there was that recall on the ECM foam casing which you've probably already had performed, and the reason for the recall was, some acidic material in the foam casing could eat away at the ECM. Since we were never notified of the recall, it did not occur until the ECM was encased for 4 years. Quite likely, it's not until the ECM starts crapping out that people finally bring the car in to be serviced. They replace the foam and it's already too late.

    One sad thing is, the ECM costs a good $500. I (and your mechanic) hate to spend $500 just on a hunch. What's more, I happen to be in the semiconductor business, and I know those microcontrollers don't cost anywhere near $500 to manufacture. Nissan is making quite a profit off of those parts. If they had notified us of the recall, it could have been done on time and we would not need new ECM's.
  • tquintquin Member Posts: 3
    I know I'm a little late on this conversation but I have a question. When the ECM Board fails, does that cause the sensors to fail? I have my car at a dealership as we speak and I just spent $570 to fix the 02 sensor and have the system flushed...but now they are telling me it's the ECM Board that has failed (which will cost another $740 to fix) and that fails it causes the sensors to go out. Being a woman makes it that much harder to tell if a dealership is being honest or not.
  • fishfacefishface Member Posts: 4
    Dealership kept telling me sensor was bad,so I purchased exact bosch sensor from local parts house and replaced it,then I took it back because light was still on,they again told me sensor was bad ,except the other upper sensor,so again I replaced it with correct sensor from parts house with same result,so this time I told dealership to keep my car until fixed,and they called me next day and said it was my emmissions computer at which time they told me that I had an 80,000 mile warranty on emmissons ,so it was covered under warranty since I had 78,000 miles on car.My question for you is this,first of all ,whats your mileage on your car ? If under 80,000 miles which is what I was told the emission warranty is,demand that they replace under warranty,if over 80k ,then I would ask them to show you which sensor is out ,there are 4 oxygen sensors on the sentra 1.8 engine,2 upper and 2 lower,it will more than likely be one or both of the upper sensors which you can purchase at Autozone for about 115.00 ea.,make sure you ask for the one with the factory plug on it,and ask the guy at autozone if he can take it off for you ,he may or he may not be willing to do this for you, if not they rent the special tool to remove it with,it takes about 5 minutes to remove and replace right on the front of the engine,ask the autozone sales person to point the sensor out to you on the very front of the engine ,and if he won't take it off and put the new one on ,then ask a male friend or family member to unscrew it with the tool from autozone (screws on and off just like a spark plug ,only it has wires coming out of it with plug on other end).If after replacing and driving about 50 miles your check engine light is still on ,take back to dealership and tell them that sensors have been replaced and light is still on and demand that they check it again.You have to drive the 50 miles or so before computer will reset and turn the light off.Hopefully ,you are not over 80k miles on your car and dealership will cover under emission warranty,if not you and a male friend (it takes a little strength to get the sensor to break free)can do the replacement and save you probably 400.00 or so that the dealership would charge in labor to replace 2 upper sensors.I am really sorry that the dealerships try to take advantage of anybody that it can(especially women),and also they have an ongoing problem with their computer and their sensors as well,though they will not admit it.Good luck,I hope this helps you,let me know how it turns out. Andy F.
  • tquintquin Member Posts: 3
    Thanks Andy F. for the input. I had the bad 02 sensor replaced already so I know that's not the problem anymore but my car has 110,000 miles on it so I guess I'm going to have to just pay for the ECM Board to be replaced. The good thing is that I got the dealership to give me the ECM board at their cost and they aren't going to charge me labor to install it. It will still cost me $500 but at least they gave me a break on the labor since I do have so many miles on my car. Thanks again! :)
  • kdeniokdenio Member Posts: 1
    My side mirrors (plastic) on my 2001 Sentra look awful. (Cappuccino color) Other wise the car has been a gem mechanically, a few miles under 100,000. After a good wax, the spotchy mirrors stand our like a sore thumb. Were the Nissan engineers smokin' crack when they put these on? Can these be re-furbished of sorts? I've checked E-bay and a few other sites for replacements - none. Any ideas or feedback?
  • bobnissanbobnissan Member Posts: 1
    I certainly agree because I have this same problem.
    Nissan dealer replaced the bad foam after I found out about the recall: 5 years after the purchase of the new vehicle.
    Let's make Nissan pay for that: Nissan is required by federal law to inform every Nissan Owner about any recalls during normal service. If dealership forgets about it Nissan may pay heavy fines imposed by National Highway Safety Administration.
  • chunyuchen33chunyuchen33 Member Posts: 5
    YES, they should. But will they say they know that? no. They said it's not on the computer.
    and how are we going to make Nissan pay for that? any ideas? :confuse:
  • rattled1rattled1 Member Posts: 1
    recently mt service engine soon light came on i had the codes checkedby my mechanic p0171 and p0174 . after replacing both sensors, he turned mt light off . a couple days later it came back on. now when im driving my car my stereo lights start flashing and my battery dicharges . ill let it sit fr a few hours and it will start up and run fine fr a few days . then it will cut out again .my question is can a bad ecm cause this problem. it seem to happen m0ore on hot days. 2000 nissan sentra owner 81000 thousand miles
  • txn_egl_scttxn_egl_sct Member Posts: 20
    As simple as most 02 sensors are to change I typically recommend that people just spend the $10(US) on the socket wrench adapter for them.

    All you typically need is:
    1) A large socket wrench (1/2" drive)
    2) An extension 10-12" for socket wrench
    3) anti-sieze for the threads on the sensor. (Only apply to the threads. The sensor will not like this of it gets on the sensor end itself.)

    FISHFACE said: If under 80,000 miles which is what I was told the emission warranty is,demand that they replace under warranty,if over 80k ,then I would ask them to show you which sensor is out ,there are 4 oxygen sensors on the sentra 1.8 engine,2 upper and 2 lower,it will more than likely be one or both of the upper sensors which you can purchase at Autozone for about 115.00 ea.,make sure you ask for the one with the factory plug on it,and ask the guy at autozone if he can take it off for you ,he may or he may not be willing to do this for you, if not they rent the special tool to remove it with,it takes about 5 minutes to remove and replace right on the front of the engine,ask the autozone sales person to point the sensor out to you on the very front of the engine ,and if he won't take it off and put the new one on ,then ask a male friend or family member to unscrew it with the tool from autozone (screws on and off just like a spark plug ,only it has wires coming out of it with plug on other end).
  • auff1auff1 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2002 Sentra which has a reoccurring error code P057 translates to Bank 2 Sensor 2 Heater element low. This was first diagnosed at around 40,000 miles. I replaced the O2 sensor and cleared the code seamed to be fixed. After about a month error code came back. So I replaced the O2 Sensor again. Again it lasted for about a month before the error code came back. At this point knowing that this would not affect performance I decided to forgo replacing it again. Now at 115,000 Miles I needed to get the emissions inspection done and returned to the dealer to have the error code checked out. They informed me that the cat and O2 Sensor needed to replace. So I decided to let them do it costing me over $1,300. Got the emissions inspection done 3 days later and that evening the error code reappeared. Returned to the dealer and now they tell me the ECM is defective. Which I suspected all along. So here I am good for 2 years on the inspection and still have the error code. Not sure what I will do in 2 years maybe trade it in or spend more money to replace the ECM. Any body know of a cheap ECM for a 2002 Sentra GXE 1.8L?
  • spikeruhlspikeruhl Member Posts: 1
    Car seems to run rough but only sometimes. After car is run for longer than 15 or 20 minutes seems to be fine. I've already replaced both oxygen sensors,car has 120,000 miles on it . Does anyone have an idea to what else might be wrong.After replacing both oxygen sensors seemed to be OK for approx. 2 weeks.Any help would be greatly appreciated......Thanks
  • eontheneteonthenet Member Posts: 2
    Hi. I just recently purchased a "01" nissan sentra and it recently started actin up as in hesitating to stall. Eventually it got a lil worse and so on. My "check engine soon" light is on and itll stall as im at a red light or in "park" idling. if i quick throw it in "N" it wont hesitate to stall. I purchased an OBD decoder to clear the warnin signal. but this did not fix the problem. I did read the codes and only one come up sayng "O2 circuit sensors - bank 2 sensor 2- no activity". I take this that the sensor in that location is no good and not reading with the cars ECM. I plan to replace this sensor myself and save me some bux and headache from a mechaninc tryin to swindle me possibly. My question is.... Where are these O2 sensors the decoder is talking about? Where is Bank 1 & 2 - Sensor 1 & 2. To me it sounds like 4 sensors all together... 2 rows (banks). I found a location behind the radiator, in front of the engine by the dip stick with 4 what looks like spark plugs but i think they are sensors. 2 on top (right to left) 2 below them (right to left) are these the 2 banks and if so... does 1 & 2 run left to right, eg. sensor 1 (left) sensor 2 (right) ... bank 1 (top row) bank 2 (bottom row). Please help?
  • chunyuchen33chunyuchen33 Member Posts: 5
    hey, save all those problem first, if you have the machine to check, see if one of ur cylender has mis fire going on. I had that problem after I had a big rebuild engin. and it was having the same problem like you said, and guess what thsoe dealer want to do? they want to reserve my engin and charge me again, but after I took to my friend's shop, then he found out is one of the cylender has mis fire problem, and when he check the spark plug, the head was bend. After he bend it back, the problem was gone.. So, have ur guy check if one of ur spark pulg has bended. that will need an experienced guy to see, because just by half inch, the engin can still stall.
    That, my friend, save me another thousand dollar there.
    good luck
  • eontheneteonthenet Member Posts: 2
    thanks for the info. After reading up Alot was saying to check hoses for cracks or loose conections and probe plugs to see if any current would be flowin through, I discovered a hose connecting from throttle to engine where the clamp was in the wrong position and not keeping it secure. so i moved it up to where it should be and now it doesnt slide any more. I noticed that the car hesitates but doesnt stall. The "check engine soon came back on after clearing it . Im going to check for more simple lil things like that but Im thinking the sensor still needs to be replaced. Im still unsure of its location, at least not 100% that is, just an idea. still need a hint to where its/theyre located (see my original messege). Thanks for that tip. that will also be checked out if all else fails before i go to spend 100s maybe thousands on the lil stinker, hehe
  • webphil93webphil93 Member Posts: 1
    I have similar O2 sensor issues, replacing them again, but after ecm change they will last about 80,000.
    Here is a company I used http://www.ecudirect.com
    You send them your ECM and they repair or replace the faulty parts and send it back to you or you can just buy a new one. I had mine repaired and they did a great job. Great prices and decent helpful staff. Give them a call and good luck
  • furneyfarmfurneyfarm Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2002 Nissan Pathfinder and am having problems with the check engine light coming on. I just had the 02 sensor replaced and the light went off for a couple of days, then came back on. The mechanic said that a nissan mechanic would have to go in and re-set the computer to make the check engine light stay off. My brother has a 2001 Nisan Pathfinder that has the exact same problem and my sister has a 2002 Nissan pick up truck that has the same problem.

    The mechanic said that the manufacturer should have done a re-call on these models because they were aware of the problem. Now I have to pay someone else to go in a re-set a computer on my car.

    Is anyone else with a Nissan Pathfinder having this type of problem? :mad:
  • 920sycamore920sycamore Member Posts: 1
    i sounds like a wireharness problem. theres definetely a wire cut some where and because of the car moving it short circuits.
  • chulo1chulo1 Member Posts: 1
    Check engine light on, had it checked by service center. Was told the catalytic was bad. Had it replaced. Light was cleared but came on again. I bought an OBD ll tester. I got a P0430 code. "Catalyst efficiency below threshold (Bank 2). the vehicle has 4 sensors 2 top and 2 bottom. Bank 2, I am assuming, are the 2 located on the bottom. Can anyone help me to determine which sensor is the culprit? I need all the help I can get. Thanks

    Chulo1
  • gurumaagurumaa Member Posts: 1
    MY car diagnosis shows that I need to change my oxygen sensor bank 2 sensor 2. Please let me know where it is located. thanks
  • corkscrewcorkscrew Member Posts: 254
    There are 2 oxygen sensors. One is located on the exhaust manifold or down pipe and the other is on the outlet of the cat. Change the one on the cat first.
    Regards,
    Corkscrew
  • njbiglernjbigler Member Posts: 2
    Hi everyone I just changed my 02 sensor on m car and it is running fine. It doesnt idle heavy but now i lost alot of gas milege. I went from 33 miles to gallon to like 16. Can anyone tell me what happened. I headr that you have to break a sensor in but I have no clue.
    Any ideas I could really use the help. Thank you.
  • corkscrewcorkscrew Member Posts: 254
    It sounds like your sensor may be in open loop.Open loop means that the engine is running on a fixed rich mixture. This usually happens when the sensor is not hot enough to do its job..(600 degrees)
    1 Check for damage to the new sensor, be sure connections are clean and tight when replacing with an oem sensor
    2 Using a "universal" sensor instead of an original equipment sensor where you had to cut and splice the wires. (they may be spliced wrong)
    3 Check coolant temperature sensor as the computer considers coolant temp when deciding whether or not to go into closed loop
    4 Oxygen sensors have to "breathe" so don't use grease on the connections
    Regards,
    Corkscrew
  • njbiglernjbigler Member Posts: 2
    Hi thank you for the help. the instructions said that the only wire that is important is the heater wire. it is the wite wire, but there were 2 o them. on the grouping the only color on the car was black to match up. there was a black and red wire to.

    My question is do I use both the solid black for one withe and then the black and red for the other. or do I put both wite wires on the solid black?

    also what should I do about the check engen light. it is still on I restet it by taking the battery cable off but it just turns back on later? Does it have to be cleared by a computer?

    Yhank you for the help.
  • huck76huck76 Member Posts: 2
    How do I tell wich model of O2 Sensors that I have?

    There are
    DTC PO132 HO2S1,
    DTC PO133 HO2S1,
    DTC PO134 HO2S1, and
    DTC PO138 HO2S1.

    Can I tell with the Car Serial or VIN if I cant take one of the sensors off?

    Thanks in advance for help. :confuse:
  • corkscrewcorkscrew Member Posts: 254
    First, your replacement sensor should have the same number of wires as the harness. Two white wires are for the heater,if it is a Bosch sensor. The black wire is for the signal and grey is ground. Refer to a vehicle wiring diagram to be sure the wires are connected correctly.
    After the wires are connected correctly you will be able to reset the check engine light
  • corkscrewcorkscrew Member Posts: 254
    Most public libraries have auto repair reference centers.EBSCOhost is an online reference center. You will find your wiring diagram there.
    Corkscrew
  • schollyscholly Member Posts: 6
    My check engine light came on yesterday morning and i took it to Autozone to check what might be the cause and what was written on the notice for probable cause was aaAF senson lean shift detected and some causes were aa1- Failed AF sensor, aa2 - Vacuum leak in engine and aa3 - Fuel injector or pressure regulator fault, i took the car to my mechanic who recommended changing the sensors at a steep price, my question: Is it necessary to check the sensors or should i drive it to the dealer and have them reset it. Thanks
  • fishfacefishface Member Posts: 4
    You can rent the tool required to remove the oxygen sensor yourself ,then they give you your rental tool money back when you return the tool,, but of course you have to buy the oxygen sensor from them , and get them to reset your service engine light after you install the new sensor . The trick is to determine which oxygen sensor is bad , you might want to ask Autozone which one they sell the most , I had ended up replacing 2 sensors to get mine fixed , but it was still much less expensive than dealership wanted to do the job. It seems to me that the sensor is something that Nissan has had a problem with on these cars , should be a warranty due to so many times this is happening in the Sentras....Hope this helps you .....
  • schollyscholly Member Posts: 6
    Thank you, i got online and checked out the price for the A/F Sensor 1 and it's about $265 and including labor i am looking at spending nothing less than $400 so renting Autozone tools and installing the sensor myself ultimately came up to the same amount which means i might be better off getting a mechanic to install the sensors but if there is a cheaper way to go, i'm interested. Once again thanks. :confuse:
  • romeskinnerromeskinner Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2003 Sentra SE-R and am having this exact same problem... I have looked every where on the internet and talked to multiple mechanics, and you seem to be the first person who is having a similar problem. I noticed you posted over 2 years ago. Did you ever find a solution? If you could help me out, I would be very grateful! Thanks in advance!
  • fishfacefishface Member Posts: 4
    After replacing all of the Oxygen sensors , the Nissan dealership replaced a computer board and that fixed mey problem . But my earlier visit to dealership said it was oxygen sensor and I replaced each oxygen sensor myself ,and after all that headache , I take it back to them because light is still on , and they tell me that it is a (Emission) computer board that they replaced under warranty . They told me the emission warranty was longer than the std warranty and that I still had 2K emmission warranty left at that time , even though the normal warranty had expired . Hope this helps.
  • schollyscholly Member Posts: 6
    Actually the light went off a few weeks ago all by itself, i was told it will come back on but the car drives fine, no problem and the light do not come on anymore so i guess it must have been air in the fuel tank that i suspected when i bought gas a few days before the light came on. i don't think i have anymore warranty on the vehicle but i will check just to make sure. Thanks
  • schollyscholly Member Posts: 6
    The light went off on its own so i didn't even have to do anything, i am guessing it was air in the gas tank because that happened before but i am still taking the car for a complete tune up next week. I wish i could help you.
  • jysnsbbyjysnsbby Member Posts: 1
    why would i get a dtc code for all 4 o2 sensors after changing out the tranny in a 2001 nissan sentra gxe
  • mustangjim1mustangjim1 Member Posts: 1
    Interesting question.... Dealer just replaced my CVT trans in my Murano 2 weeks ago now I am getting 1 O2 Sensor is bad... Anyone else had this problem. Are O2 sensors under the Emissions warrantee?
  • margaret26margaret26 Member Posts: 2
    When the Check Engine Light turns on, it indicates that the engine management computer has detected a malfunctioning fuel or emission component or a system failure. But the most common cause of a "check engine" warning is the oxygen sensor. It can be due to the gradual deterioration of the sensor resulting to the reduction in engine performance. Aside from a failed sensor, other probable reasons the warning light is on are:
    faulty spark plugs and wires
    clogged fuel injectors
    emission problems
    short or open circuit in electrical wiring
    Better check these other probable causes to be sure.
    If the dealer says that the problem lies in the bank 1 oxygen sensor, then have the oxygen sensor in front of the catalytic converter checked. This is mostly due to faulty functioning of the sensor and should be replaced immediately to avoid causing further damage to the catalytic converter.
  • margaret26margaret26 Member Posts: 2
    "When the Check Engine Light turns on, it indicates that the engine management computer has detected a malfunctioning fuel or emission component or a system failure. But the most common cause of a ""check engine"" warning is the oxygen sensor. It can be due to the gradual deterioration of the sensor resulting to the reduction in engine performance. Aside from a failed sensor, other probable reasons the warning light is on are:
    faulty spark plugs and wires
    clogged fuel injectors
    emission problems
    short or open circuit in electrical wiring
    Better check these other probable causes to be sure.
    If the dealer says that the problem lies in the bank 1 oxygen sensor, then have the oxygen sensor in front of the catalytic converter checked. This is mostly due to faulty functioning of the sensor and should be replaced immediately to avoid causing further damage to the catalytic converter."
  • schollyscholly Member Posts: 6
    Thanks for the responses but the light turned off on it's own. This always happens when I buy gas and the gas tank was not properly shut thereby letting in air. My mechanic checked it out and told me what to do the next time I get gas.
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