97 Sunfire GT 2.4L 90k miles.

[matt09524]

Im new here, but this seems to be the most informative site I can find so here goes!

1. Recently had the transmission replaced on this car. Since then, I have had the Check engine light on.

2. The place who replaced the transmission replaced the throttle position sensor (tps). It read 3.5 volts vice the 5 that it should have. I had them replace it as I was being lazy and was in the middle of moving.

3. I got the car back and 2 days later the light comes on again. Had Auto Zone read the code and they said TPS again. So I brought it back to the dealership and the said it was the original fault that was never properly cleared from the computer. They reset the computer and said that if it comes on again, the O2 sensor would be bad or I had a misfire.

4. Sure enough, 2 days later the light comes on again. I take it back to autozone and they said... go figure, O2 sensor (the one after the cat converter) and a misfire on cylinder 2.

Here's the aftermarket stuff I have in the car...

1. Cold air induction.
2. Iginition Coil amplifiers.
3. Lowered suspension.
4. Replaced factory stereo and added subs in the back.

Questions:

1. Besides a junk yard, where can I get that O2 sensor for less than 90$ and how hard is it to replace?
2. Would a general tune up to the car fix the misifre, or shoudl I replace the boots to the plugs?
3. I also have an air bag light on. I have checked the fuse and it's good. Is there a sensor for that or what?

The car runs considerably well for what is wrong with it.


Odd question:

I replaced my drive belt after noticing that it was frayed on one side and just looked worn after three years. What would wear it down on one side only? A misaligned pully?


Also (*gasp for air*) I have been putting mobile 1 sythetic in the car with 87 oct gas since I owned the car 4 years ago. I am not particularly looking for maximum performance, nor extremely long life. I want the car to last me another couple years, but during that time, I don't wanna have to baby the gas pedal. Any suggestions? I was thinking about maybe moving to a thicker weight rather than changing to a high mileage (90k +) oil.

[GTP Dad]

The misfire is probably due to boots and plugs so change them. There are a couple of sites on the net that you can check for a cheaper O2 sensor. Try rockauto.com or gmpartsdirect.com also partszoneonline.com. You should be able to find one cheaper there. They are not hard to change but you may need an O2 sensor socket. They cost about 12 bucks.

As for the airbag light you will need to take the car to a mechanic that has a scan tool that can check for airbag codes. Don't risk this one due to the fact that the airbags may not work when the light is on.

[matt09524]

After looking at those sites you mentioned, it seems the local autozone is cheaper by 20+$. So I guess I will have to get it there. It seems the online stores are wanting to sell the PCM with the sensor? Sounds odd to me, or maybe they are just saying its part of the Power Train system.

When changing the boots and plugs, is there anything special about putting the boots in? and what about the plugs?

[hotbug1776]

http://www.highrevmotorsports.com/ca...roducts_id=122

the O2 replacement. other than that, do a tune up.

[matt09524]

Ok.. I see this is an aftermarket part. By the description it looks like all it does is make all O2 sensor codes go away. Now my question is, is the O2 sensor AFTER the converter actually doing something to make the car run better or is it just monitoring emissions?

[GTP Dad]

It monitors cat efficiency and if it sees a problem with too high emissions it will throw a code. It does have some to do with performance but not as much as the upstream sensor.

The O2 simulator sends proper codes to the computer all the time so if there is a cat problem you will never know.

[hotbug1776]

yep what GTP Dad said