Headswappers! please help me with CEL's :(:(:(

im so depressed right now....

i changed the plugs, wires, cleaned the MAF and filter, and i changed the O2 sensors.

i thought it was the o2's because i had all the symptoms. i changed them today and the car seemed to really drive better. about 6 starts and stops later, the CEL comes back on. i thought i was in the clear! had the code pulled immediatly and it was p0175 twice (rich in bank 2). i had it reset and it came back again about 3 cranks later, though didnt scan it yet.

WTF?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

i changed the sensors and im running rich in one bank?!

im totally stumped here now. my only guesses are...

-i didnt allow enough time for the EEC to reset (its resetting over night right now)
-i have a leaky injector
-maybe a defective o2 sensor
-possible exhaust leak

how can i check for a leak in the exhaust or a leaky injector?

my problem is i dont have 500 bucks for a tune, but i've heard of headswappers not getting CEL's for stuff like this.

what im going to do tommorrow is flip-flop the o2 sensors and run it a few times/scan it. if i get a CEL again, im gonna flip the 4 injectors on each side.

can anyone help me?! this is driving me crazy

flak said:

Check for an exhaust leak. you should be able to hear it easy enough but if you cant you can either jack up your car, turn it on and dont touch the exhaust but put your hand by each area where they connect and feel for air pushing out. Another way is just to take off your midpipe and look for any black residue. I had the same code but for both sensors when I did my head swap and it ended up being my midpipe leaking at the manifolds.

Click to expand...

what are my options are far as a leaking flange? just a simple exhaust gasket? or could i just tighten the bolts more?

just swapped the sensors from left to right. and checked out my exhaust flange on the side i was getting it on. the bolt in the picture has 2-3 less threads showing than the other bolt. gonna tighten that on now...maybe this is it?

c2see21 said:

well by that pic you can tell it wasn't sealing up with the manifolds the way it was. just by looking at how rusty one part is, then there is a line, then it is fairly clean. not to say that would be the complete problem, but it sure looks like the culprit at the moment

Click to expand...

yeah, i tightened up that bolt alot more, and it still had some in it but i didnt want to force it. i used a 1.5' breaker bar on it and got it snug. got about 2-3 more threads on it. then i put a hose to my ear and put it on there and think i noticed a slight hiss/wiz sound before i did it. now i dont. buti did get some good turns out of it.

i know the o2 sensors definatly were part of my problem. the car ran alot better with those in. thats why i was so shocked when my CEL came on last night.

but im confused, how can a leak cause it to think its rich? would it be the fact that gases/oxygen are getting out before it hits that sensor?

flak said:

Check for an exhaust leak. you should be able to hear it easy enough but if you cant you can either jack up your car, turn it on and dont touch the exhaust but put your hand by each area where they connect and feel for air pushing out. Another way is just to take off your midpipe and look for any black residue. I had the same code but for both sensors when I did my head swap and it ended up being my midpipe leaking at the manifolds.

Click to expand...

flak, what did ur bolts look like compared to mine in the pic?

c2see21 said:

well by that pic you can tell it wasn't sealing up with the manifolds the way it was. just by looking at how rusty one part is, then there is a line, then it is fairly clean. not to say that would be the complete problem, but it sure looks like the culprit at the moment

Click to expand...

:OT: arent u the guy who talks to my g/f (fstnfuriousgirl) about rings?