O2 sensors

**plumpkibbles** · 01-30-2009, 01:46 PM

hey guys, it's been a loooooooooong time since i've been on and around the forums.. anyway, i've got a pretty stupid question about my O2 sensors. i've been noticing that when i go up hills (not even a steep incline) my car will sputter and shake. BTW, i have a 2000 automatic camaro. i would think if it senses that it needs to go to a lower gear it would.. but it doesn't. it's funny when i let it do what it does cause my friends get a big kick out of how my exhaust sounds when it happens lol so, i hooked my OBDII scanner up and sure enough, i get codes for all three sensors going bad. it has 90k miles on it and i'm pretty sure they haven't been replaced. i also was reading something about my model of camaro having a defective cat?? GM reported that the cat on the 2000 camaros were bad in some way and they don't charge for a new one. but.. which do i go with? free cat; or new sensors?.. and is there a difference in the up and downstream sensors? or are all three of them the same? any input would be awesome. i've been dealing with this problem for months and haven't had the money to do anything with it so it's just been sitting.

**suede** · 01-30-2009, 03:17 PM

Originally Posted by plumpkibbles

hey guys, it's been a loooooooooong time since i've been on and around the forums.. anyway, i've got a pretty stupid question about my O2 sensors. i've been noticing that when i go up hills (not even a steep incline) my car will sputter and shake. BTW, i have a 2000 automatic camaro. i would think if it senses that it needs to go to a lower gear it would.. but it doesn't. it's funny when i let it do what it does cause my friends get a big kick out of how my exhaust sounds when it happens lol so, i hooked my OBDII scanner up and sure enough, i get codes for all three sensors going bad. it has 90k miles on it and i'm pretty sure they haven't been replaced. i also was reading something about my model of camaro having a defective cat?? GM reported that the cat on the 2000 camaros were bad in some way and they don't charge for a new one. but.. which do i go with? free cat; or new sensors?.. and is there a difference in the up and downstream sensors? or are all three of them the same? any input would be awesome. i've been dealing with this problem for months and haven't had the money to do anything with it so it's just been sitting.

i would see what you gotta do to get your free cats, and they should clean up your sensors while they are at it... then if that doesnt work, replace your front 2 and see if that helps

**Too Fast** · 01-30-2009, 04:01 PM

Sounds like you have 3 unrelated problems.
Number one, sputtering and shaking going up a hill, all kinds of things come to my mind like bad spark plugs, wires, dirty MAF, low fuel pressure, just to name 4 off the top of my head.
Number two, codes for bad O2 sensors is just that, bad O2 sensors. If the sensors are totally skewed it *may* cause your uphill driveability issue. You say you have codes for "all three sensors", is your car a V6? V8s have four sensors....
Number three, if GM will give you a warranty on your catalytic convertor(s) you better act quickly. Normally these will set a code for "catalyst efficiency" and only then does GM give you new one(s).
And yes, I do believe the part numbers are different for upstream and downstream O2 sensor(s).
There's some input for you! Good luck.

**plumpkibbles** · 01-31-2009, 08:01 PM

yeah it's a V6 and the spark plugs/wires have been replaced this past summer with platinum plugs. as far as the MAF and the pressure i don't know. i don't have the equip. to check the pressure and i didn't think to check the MAF.. but monday i'm calling my local chevy shop and telling them about the cat deal and see if they will replace it. i don't know if i'll be able to get it done here or have to take it somewhere else to get it done. my area is really bad about stuff like that.. i know it's not the plugs/wires because it was doing it long before i changed the plugs and wires. i'll check the MAF first thing tomorrow. thanks for the input! i've asked about the same problem before and no one got back to it so i just put it off for a while. but i'll check everything and hook my code reader up to see if anything else kicks out. i'll keep you guys posted

**JoshieDoom** · 02-01-2009, 04:04 PM

Clean the MAF, gets the cats done at the shop, change the 02s, change your fuel filter and PCV valve. Then see what happens

**One_Bad_TA** · 02-01-2009, 05:32 PM

Originally Posted by Too Fast

Sounds like you have 3 unrelated problems.
Number one, sputtering and shaking going up a hill, all kinds of things come to my mind like bad spark plugs, wires, dirty MAF, low fuel pressure, just to name 4 off the top of my head.
Number two, codes for bad O2 sensors is just that, bad O2 sensors. If the sensors are totally skewed it *may* cause your uphill driveability issue. You say you have codes for "all three sensors", is your car a V6? V8s have four sensors....
Number three, if GM will give you a warranty on your catalytic convertor(s) you better act quickly. Normally these will set a code for "catalyst efficiency" and only then does GM give you new one(s).
And yes, I do believe the part numbers are different for upstream and downstream O2 sensor(s).
There's some input for you! Good luck.

I got a code for Oxygen Sensor Low imput voltage only a few times but when I went in for my cats because one of them had a broken weld and was rattling so they replaced it. But after that the code never came back so the deffective cat could mess up the rear o2 sensors

**plumpkibbles** · 02-01-2009, 10:07 PM

i already did the fuel filter and the PCV valve a while ago. but my camaro does sound like something is rattling when it's running. i don't know if it's just the belt going around the pullies.. my belt looks a little ratty too lol god.. man the guy that had this car before me didn't take care of anything on it. but i'll try cleaning off the MAF and still have to call the shop monday, closed on the weekend... i did get low imput voltage codes for my O2 sensors and i looked those codes up in my haynes manual but it said they're going bad and should be replaced every 100k miles. plus, not to mention that my cats do look like crap lol oh, btw i was checking the fluids on my car and found out that my anti-freeze is brown........ i think that the idiot that had it before me just poured water in the anti-freeze tank instead of mixing it or just changing. he did look a little on the gay side so he probably didn't want to get his hands dirty doing anything. man, now i just want to punch that guy in the face for not telling me anything about the engine trouble.. my dad thinks that "that dumbass" just took the thermostat out of the car. i told him that when i try to use the heat it's not really heat, it's just warm air.. i'm going to post in a few days with an update about everything. i'm going to be pretty busy this week. i'll keep you guys updated though.

**suede** · 02-02-2009, 12:18 PM

Originally Posted by plumpkibbles

yeah it's a V6 and the spark plugs/wires have been replaced this past summer with platinum plugs. as far as the MAF and the pressure i don't know. i don't have the equip. to check the pressure and i didn't think to check the MAF.. but monday i'm calling my local chevy shop and telling them about the cat deal and see if they will replace it. i don't know if i'll be able to get it done here or have to take it somewhere else to get it done. my area is really bad about stuff like that.. i know it's not the plugs/wires because it was doing it long before i changed the plugs and wires. i'll check the MAF first thing tomorrow. thanks for the input! i've asked about the same problem before and no one got back to it so i just put it off for a while. but i'll check everything and hook my code reader up to see if anything else kicks out. i'll keep you guys posted

thats why it doesn't want to go up hills......

Just playin with ya..

**BirdCountry02** · 02-04-2009, 11:42 AM

even if gm will replace your cats for free, if you have bad 02 sensors they will not. you need to replace the sensors first, and i had the same problem, went to the pontiac dealer and they said i needed gm sensors for them to have the cost of the cats covered by warranty. so technically, if your throwin multiple codes... not free. dealers are bitches

**plumpkibbles** · 02-09-2009, 08:15 PM

alright, i called the chevy garage and gave them the VIN number off my car. i explained what i have seen on GM's website about the cats being defective and them knowing and replacing them for free.. well, he "couldn't find that information" anywhere and wanted the bulletin number, so i gave it to him.. today i get a call from the same guy and he said that the problem is only with the V8 camaro's.. i didn't read that on GM's website ever. i haven't seen any documentation of only the V8 cats being defective. what i read was that the 2000 camaro models had defective period. not exclusively for the V8s.. i think this garage where i live is full of shit. they never want to do anything and if you do catch them on something they weasel their way out of it somehow saying that they can't preform that service or something.. i'm going to call Burgland in Roanoke and see what they say. and yeah i know, i have a V6 har har.. i wish i had an LS1, buuuuuut with the way gas is i'll keep my V6. plus, it's my only means of transportation right now. but anyway, my local "shop" is a steaming pile if you ask me.. i probably should have called Roanoke first and asked them. i'll get back to you guys whenever i call and see what they say about it.

**0rion** · 02-09-2009, 08:18 PM

what were the actual codes you pulled?

**plumpkibbles** · 02-10-2009, 11:23 AM

low volts on all the O2 sensors. birdcountry, what part of Va are you in?

**BirdCountry02** · 02-10-2009, 07:28 PM

Originally Posted by plumpkibbles

low volts on all the O2 sensors. birdcountry, what part of Va are you in?

I'm in woodbridge, what about you?

**JoshieDoom** · 02-11-2009, 02:29 AM

I think orion is asking for the numbers....

like P0293 ..

**dneemorelos** · 02-13-2009, 07:20 PM

bad cats. I had same problem when I owned my v6. It would jump while under load, so it through me a cel and then if I remember it messed up my spark plugs. I gutted my cat and replaced sparks and wires. Problem fixed.

**plumpkibbles** · 02-13-2009, 08:52 PM

Oh alright, I'm not familiar with that part. I'm in alleghany co. But I'll have to look up the codes again. I did in fact find out that the cat replacement is for the V8 models only. Btw my MAF sensor looks burnt too... I'm just going to replace the 02 sensors and see what happens from there. And I looked in my intake tubing and there's some white mesh filter type thing. Maybe it's clogged? I don't know how to get of off to clean it though. It's either glued or made onto the intake. Anyone know of that causing problems and if so how to take it off to clean it?

**0rion** · 02-13-2009, 09:02 PM

that's the screen for the maf.....leave it on there. Take the intake tract apart, separate the maf from the tract,and use some MAF cleaner ( available at any auto parts store) and clean those 3 little wires. Be careful not to bump those wires as they're very fragile. Just soak them down with that cleaner and that should be it. If the screen has stuff in it you can clean the screen but leave it in there.

**JoshieDoom** · 02-13-2009, 10:46 PM

Originally Posted by 0rion

that's the screen for the maf.....leave it on there. Take the intake tract apart, separate the maf from the tract,and use some MAF cleaner ( available at any auto parts store) and clean those 3 little wires. Be careful not to bump those wires as they're very fragile. Just soak them down with that cleaner and that should be it. If the screen has stuff in it you can clean the screen but leave it in there.

Did this today on mine. Idle Quality is so much better. Went back to a stock filter as well

**plumpkibbles** · 02-14-2009, 11:20 AM

sweet, i'll have to pick up a bottle of that stuff. my idle is like crap too.. i do have a K&N filter though. i figured why not, it raises HP and air flow (by a little bit). but anyway, here's the codes that i got off my car:

P0131 O2 CIRCUIT LOW VOLTS (BANK 1 SENSOR 1)
P0137 O2 CIRCUIT LOW VOLTS (BANK 1 SENSOR 2)
P0151 O2 CIRCUIT LOW VOLTS (BANK 2 SENSOR 1)

those are the only codes that my car is throwing out. i looked up the codes in my haynes manual and all it says is to replace them every 100,000 miles.. and it's getting close. i'm at 91k.. but i guess i'll do that when i get my next check soon, maybe this week. but i'm definitely going to get some of that MAF cleaner and go to town on my sensor haha do i need to put the solution in a bowl or something and let it soak for like 30 min - 1 hr? or do i just spray it on and let it dry?

**0rion** · 02-14-2009, 11:39 AM

just spray it on and let it air dry....it evaporate really fast so only a minute or two and it's done. With 91k those sensors are due up to be changed. The manual says 100k but in reality they start to drift long before that. My personal rule of thumb is I don't mess with them if there isn't a problem but if there's a problem and they have more than 40k on them I'll go ahead and swap them out, at least the fronts.