Is it normal to be on the 3rd O2 sensor replace @ <146K miles ? (seems excessive...)

[voxleo]

I just read somewhere that said normal replacement @ 140K but this will be my third time replacing the o2 sensor on my 95 civic EX cpe - well, MY first time doing it myself
(which is a big deal for me as a chick - makes feel very butch)- but its been done by the dealer once under warranty already for a CEL (@55-60k?) and I think once in a regular Major service maybe. And now just recently got another CEL ( 41-o2 heater sensor circuit) plus a barely passed emissions check last time at @ 145k and deteriorating mpg (down to @19-22 mpg but smooth running.). So either mine are crapping out sooner and sooner or perhaps the second time wasn't necessary then, but just done as scheduled or what? I Iive in Los Angeles so temps aren't extreme, and am wondering if this is normal wear for the part or should I be looking at the o2 frequent replacement as a symptom of something else ?

Also going in today are a the new radiator which had been leaking at the top seam and rusted out,as well as a new thermostat just for GP while I'm at it. (plus my stupid rear speaker grills are finally going to be replaced after some Jackass stole one of those along with my ebay stereo and speakers...stpid theif ! the stereo was blown and the speakers were sooo cheesy that had been free with the stereo which I only paid 35bucks for shipped! Way worse quality than my oems , so that didn't sting half as much as the fact that they took the grill jut cause it was in the box with the rest while I was planning to install - those are hard to come by !)

In taking off the heat sheild to get at the old o2 sensor, I did see what looks like a -hairline- crack or? running in the top center Y like in the "webbing between the fingers at the knuckle" . Will this be a problem or can I maybe just seal it with a little JB weld or liqiud nails or other epoxy putty? Its like half the width a human hair, and is barely visible, but its a couple inches long. I don't know if it even goes all the way through or not. Am I wrong thinking it won't hurt to I try to patch it with such even if it doesn't help anything?

I am hoping today's work will fix all the above problems of mileage,emissions test and cel plus the idle surge I'd been getting (which was most likely due to the radiator,yes?) Is there anything else I should consider looking to if this doesn't fix the CEL and mileage issues?

If I do a good job fixing my own car Imma put on some daisy dukes and a teeny push up top and take a picture with it that both young teenage girls and boys can pinup on the wall to admire and be inspired by-... though, maybe perhaps for different reasons!!

 

[gugiey]

well I'm just gonna deal with your o2 sensors .

there are two o2 sensors on your car . so this being the 3rd replacement is
normal . change them in pairs I'f your replacing the pre cat 02 . I'f just replacing the pre cat you can get away with just replacing one .

your idle surge can be caused by many things . when's the last time you did a tune up . like spark-plugs . wires and throttle cleaning .

 

[Billy.]

Blah blah blah...If I do a good job fixing my own car Imma put on some daisy dukes and a teeny push up top and take a picture with it that both young teenage girls and boys can pinup on the wall to admire and be inspired by-... though, maybe perhaps for different reasons!!

That's all I read.

With that said, t!its or GTFO

 

[lethal6]

J-B weld is for stuff under 500 degrees. It won't work on the manifold or exhaust. It will turn back to liquid at those temperatures.

 

[voxleo]

well I'm just gonna deal with your o2 sensors .

there are two o2 sensors on your car .

Are you certain of that? or is it documented somewhere that I can confirm this? I keep reading conflicting info on this especially on this years model, with just over half the folks saying there is only one on the 92-95 civics and 2 on the 1996 and later years. This is a 95 ex coupe Manual Transmission, and my mechanic who is pretty good from the reviews on Yelp - when I had him check the code for me that there were two also, but he may have had a brain fart for being really swamped at the time. I see people being told there are two and then corrected by someone else but I don't usually see the correction being challenged so I was going with the notion there is only one..



.

 

[voxleo]

J-B weld is for stuff under 500 degrees. It won't work on the manifold or exhaust. It will turn back to liquid at those temperatures.

Anything that WILL work? I think there are various options at the pepboys that may be for high temp use... I used mighty putty on the oil dipstick when the foam cracked off the handle and it was too hot to touch the metal and that seems to have been okay.

 

[lethal6]

Anything that WILL work? I think there are various options at the pepboys that may be for high temp use... I used mighty putty on the oil dipstick when the foam cracked off the handle and it was too hot to touch the metal and that seems to have been okay.

Welding it is the only sure fix for exhaust components. Trust me the dipstick may have felt hot to the touch but I guarantee it was no where what it would feel like if you try to touch your manifold after a run. I would bet the dipstick didn't even reach 100 degrees where as the manifold can reach something like 1500 degrees.

 

[Billy.]

Lol @ JBWeld on the exhaust. It will definitely not work.

And yes, your civic has 2 oxygen sensors. One is upstream (before) the catalytic converter and the other is downstream from the catalytic converter. The upstream sensor is used by you engine computer to calculate air/fuel ratio and has a direct affect on your fuel mileage and power output. The downstream sensor is used by the environmental system to ensure the cat converter is working properly.

 

[b16lewis]

Your car has one o2 sensor I guarantee that.

 

[TokyoSkies]

I've heard the same thing, OP. People say there are two, some say one. My 97 EX only has one 02 Sensor (post cat, to monitor 02/NOX emissions). That hariline crack could be causing the car to run rich (who knows how long it's been that way), causing it to foul out 02 sensors. Usually you'd throw a code with this, but not always. Your first step should be repairing/replacing that manifold, and see if that fixes the issue. Also,

That's all I read.

With that said, t!its or GTFO

THIS

 

[Billy.]

Your car has one o2 sensor I guarantee that.

Yep. I just realized this is an OBD1 civic. There is 1 O2 sensor.

 

[MistahJuice]

Lol I agree with the last line. Anyway just go grab a manifold from your local pick-n-pull or off cragslist. A cracked manifold can cause problems so I suggest changing it if you have the time and the cash. As for your O2 sensor you should know by now that it's not the sensor causing the problem. For that code specifically you can check to see if the heater in the O2 sensor or the wiring harness is the problem. Unplug the sensor from the wiring harness and an ohm tester you need to measure the resistance across the 2 white wires. It should measure close to or under 1 ohm. If you get no reading or high resistance the heater circuit has O2 sensor is done for and the O2 failed again, but if it reads almost a short the sensor is fine and there's a problem with your wiring harness.

 

[emerican]

^ agree

 

[voxleo]

LOL- 'kay ... If you guys can coach me through getting my baby back on her feet, then t*** 't'is!

If a weld is possible my honey can prolly do that for me. Gonna do the coolant flush now and then see where we're at... If I need to get a new one though, maybe I should leave the install of that to the pros? it looks like there's a lot of bushings and such that have to be all perfectly lined up and I'll probably lose a screw or something. Unless its not as intimidating to tackle as it looks?


Thanks for the info! Could have been cracked maybe even since the first o2 sensor went - It was pretty mashed on 3/4 of the body when I ended up pointing north on the southbound 405 one afternoon with one wheel on the dividing wall. Managed to not hit anything else, but it was a good knock - couldn't that have done it to get the fracture? Oh wait... that would've been an out of warranty service if it had been after my accident though, wouldn't it? Since it was technically a salvage after that... So the O2 sensors have been crapping out on me since she was about 3 or 4 years old then since that first one was under warranty still... hmmm...

 

[MistahJuice]

I have no idea wtf you're talking about anymore lol. Just do the test I stated above since that's free and fairly easy then if it is the O2 sensor go pick up a new manifold at pick n pull, but make sure to do the test first because you may need to pick up some new wires for the O2 sensor wiring harness plug if the test shows that your harness not the O2 sensor is the problem. There are always 5th gens at my local pick n pull so I'm assuming yours isn't too different. California loves Civics after all.

 

[Billy.]

I have no idea wtf you're talking about anymore lol...

 

[voxleo]

The sensor itself is already a done deal on the replacement anyway - a little nervous about pulling that whole part off and not being able to get it back on correctly or some such, AND out of cash atm, but we DO have a welder. They do make something that is supposed to be able to take that kind of heat though - found this at pep boys that I just may try first since the crack is so small - can't hurt it anyway I'd figure since there's no way any solids are going to get in there through the fracture line and it may seal it if there is any intake at all there. Found under "specialty repair" category


http://www.pepboys.com/product/details/9885868/970/?omniturePageName=Product+Details+Controller

It may hold for a while until I can do a proper replacement on that.

 

[voxleo]

update:

O2 sensor solved the CEL and now the dash is back to normal (though getting the old one out was a b***h - honey did it with some pure muscle force in two minute after he got home after I argued with it all day...). BUT having trouble with the coolant system flush still (so no topless pics yet...)