Oxygen sensors in your Toyota Land Cruiser keep track of the amount of oxygen in the exhaust. Your truck starts to consume more fuel and runs rich when an oxygen sensor malfunctions. Your gas mileage will drop, and there’s a chance your check engine light will turn on. If a Toyota Land Cruiser has dual exhaust, it may have up to four oxygen sensors. Two sensors will be present on a single exhaust truck.
In This Article...
Step 1
Decide which sensor needs to be replaced. The sensors are located in front of and behind the catalytic converter on trucks with single exhaust pipes. A pair of two sensors will be located on each exhaust pipe if your vehicle has dual exhaust. If you can, replace them entirely to make maintenance easier. Sensors are available from Toyota dealers and specialty car parts shops.
Step 3
From the exhaust pipe, take out the sensor. It might be held in place by two retaining nuts or by a pipe thread. If necessary, remove the nuts with a closed-end wrench. If the oxygen sensor threads into the pipe, remove it with a ratchet and socket.
Step 4
By manually inserting a new sensor into place and tightening it using the oxygen sensor socket and ratchet, you can replace the old one. Replace any retaining nuts that are needed to secure your sensor and tighten them with a closed-end wrench.
The wiring harness connector should be inserted into the oxygen sensor’s top. When the connector is snug, press it in further. Take the remaining sensors through the same procedure.
- John Raffa’s 1998 publication, “Chilton Toyota Land Cruiser 1997-2000 Repair Manual,”
- set of closed-end wrenches
- sensor socket for oxygen
- Ratchet
Can I change the oxygen sensor on my own?
Find the faulty sensor in the first step. In order to identify which individual oxygen sensor has failed and needs to be replaced, attach the OBD II scan tool to the car and check the codes before you start.
Vehicles may feature several oxygen sensors, sometimes on either side of the engine, depending on the engine configuration. You can determine whether sensor has to be replacedthe upstream (top) or downstream (bottom) sensorand on what bank (side) of the engine by reading the fault codes.
Step 2: Lift the car. Lift the car and secure it using jack stands once the problematic sensor has been located. When replacing the oxygen sensor, make careful to lift the vehicle up on the side where you can access it.
Step 3: Unplug the connector for the oxygen sensor. Locate the defective oxygen sensor and unplug the wiring harness connector while the car is lifted.
Removing the oxygen sensor is step four. The oxygen sensor should be loosened and removed using the oxygen sensor socket or the corresponding size open end wrench.
5. Compare the defective oxygen sensor to the new sensor. To guarantee proper fitment, compare your old oxygen sensor with your new one.
Install the replacement oxygen sensor in step six. Install your new oxygen sensor and attach the harness once the fit has been confirmed.
Clear the codes in Step 7. The moment has come to clear the codes after the new sensor has been placed. Clear the codes by connecting the OBD II scan tool to the car.
Start the car at step eight. Start the vehicle by taking out and re-inserting the key after the codes have been cleared. Now that the check engine light is off, the symptoms you were having ought to go away.
Most cars simply need a few tools and a few basic steps to replace an oxygen sensor. But if this isn’t something you feel confident handling on your own, any qualified technician, like one from YourMechanic, can handle it swiftly and easily.
Do You Need A Special Tool To Remove O2 Sensor?
No, to remove the O2 sensor from your car, you don’t require a specific tool like the stripped o2 sensor removal tool. You could easily remove it without a special tool, yet nothing beats utilizing the correct equipment for the job. Here are some common tools you can use to remove the O2 sensor from your car.
Wrench set (for this task, you will need a 22 mm or 7/8-inch size wrench)
When should I get a new Toyota O2 sensor?
The cost to repair an O2 sensor in your car is not very high. It is best to change your part as soon as possible if you suspect it may be defective. Since an O2 sensor often breaks gradually over time, total failure is not particularly common. You won’t be able to identify the issue until the oxygen sensor entirely fails if you are unaware of the symptoms of a failing oxygen sensor. In the interim, the engine performance of your car will be subpar, which could have a long-term impact on the engine’s life. Typically, mechanics provide suggestions for how often to change certain parts. Unheated one- or two-wire oxygen sensors should be replaced every 45,000 miles in cars and trucks manufactured from the 1970s through the 1990s. It is advised that you replace the component in vehicles with heated three- and four-wire oxygen sensors every 65,000 miles. These vehicles were produced in the 1980s and 1990s. O2 sensors should be changed in all vehicles produced within the last fifteen years every 60,000 to 90,000 kilometers. By replacing your sensor at these intervals, you may reduce the amount of pollution your car releases while also reducing the likelihood that it will sustain damage.
Can you drive if your O2 sensor is broken?
The too rich combination could clog the catalytic converter if you do that. The catalytic converter will need to burn up the additional fuel that was poured into the cylinders. The converter’s lifespan will be significantly shortened because the extra fuel will make it operate at a higher temperature. If the converter’s ceramic core gets hot enough, it can melt, which would limit airflow and eventually clog the exhaust.
A new catalytic converter costs between 10% and 20% more than a new O2 sensor. Therefore, it is best to replace a defective one right away.
Finally, the answer is that you can drive with a damaged O2 sensor. However, you should replace it right away because failing to do so will result in higher gasoline costs, whether for commuting to work or taking a vacation out of town, as well as a higher cost for a new catalytic converter.
Should I immediately replace each O2 sensor?
Do I have to swap out every sensor at once? O2 sensors should ideally be changed in pairs. For instance, you should replace the downstream right sensor if you replace the downstream left sensor.
How can I identify the bad O2 sensor?
Symptoms of a Faulty Oxygen Sensor
- Check engine light that is illuminated. If you have a malfunctioning oxygen sensor, your dashboard’s bright orange Check Engine light will often glow.
- poor gas mileage
- A rough-sounding engine
- Failure of the Emissions Test.
- a more aged vehicle.
What signs might point to an oxygen sensor failure?
- rotten egg or sulfur odor coming from exhaust
- Emission levels are very high.
- exhaust black smoke
- Significant Fuel Efficiency Loss
- (and one thing we want to prevent by identifying O2 sensor problems quickly) Suddenly, your catalytic converter fails.
- When the Check Engine Light Is On
- Your engine stutters, skips, starts to buck, or experiences power spikes.
Your catalytic converter is probably at risk if you ignore the warning indications of an O2 sensor problem, and if it breaks down while you’re driving, it could result in additional harm to your car. Depending on how many oxygen sensors your car has, a service that could have cost you a couple hundred dollars could suddenly price you $500 to $2,000 more.
Second, how many oxygen sensors does my vehicle have?
Here is a fast tip to help you figure out how many your automobile has. This will vary from car to car.
Your vehicle will have one catalytic converter for each exhaust pipe (a part that turns harmful gasses into less harmful gasses). You will have two oxygen sensors for every catalytic converter. One catalytic converter and two oxygen sensors are standard in many automobiles, although others may have four or more.
What do Oxygen Sensors do?
These sensors are crucial for fuel delivery, monitoring, timing, MPG, and emissions discharge. They send this data to the engine’s computer for examination after measuring the quantity and quality of oxygen in your exhaust pipe in comparison to ambient oxygen.
And lastly, how long do oxygen sensors typically last?
O2 sensors in older automobiles typically survive 30,00050,000 miles, or 35 years. The sensors used in more recent vehicles have an additional heated element, which increases their likelihood of lasting 100,000 miles, or 710 years.
On these sensors, carbon and soot accumulate over time. Grease, oil, or other liquids may be discharged from the exhaust system and adhere to the sensors. The tip of a spark plug is an example of a main element that merely wears out. Your first indication that something may be amiss with your sensors is a lag or Check Engine Light.
Are there ways to prolong the life of my O2 Sensors?
- Avoid buying cheap or inferior gas.
- Maintain your car on a regular basis, paying specific attention to the air filters and spark plugs.
- To avoid using fuel with a lower octane level, check your owners manual for manufacturer advice about fuel octane.
Resetting the check engine light after an O2 sensor replacement?
The previous diagnosis is accurate in that the replacement sensor was the reason the check engine light went out. Sometimes they don’t always shut off right away; it may take some driving before the computer calibrates and realizes the issue has been resolved. In your case, it appears that the oxygen sensor was what set off the code. Since the oxygen sensor monitors the exhaust gases coming from the catalytic converter, this can occasionally cause codes to be set off that may reflect issues with the catalytic converter as well.
Can I remove the O2 sensor using WD40?
It ought to be easy to remove with a 02 sensor tool. The stuck ones can be released with a little tapping and WD40/PB blaster. If not, heat, I concur. It won’t take more than a few minutes to allow the exhaust heat up. After that, focus on releasing it. Remove it entirely after allowing it to cool.
It could be challenging to stick a torch for those resistant people depending on the situation. I’ve used inexpensive o’s from Harbor Freight small and pencil torches. The sensor heats up slowly but effectively over a period of time.
What happens if the oxygen sensor isn’t replaced?
Oxygen sensors are normally only replaced when they malfunction because they are not among the maintenance components that need to be changed on a regular basis, like oil and air filters.
Because they track the quantity of oxygen in the exhaust and provide that data to the engine computer, which then modifies the air-to-fuel ratio, oxygen sensors are a crucial part of the fuel and emissions systems. The engine computer won’t be able to properly establish the air-fuel ratio if an oxygen sensor malfunctions, which could lead to increased emissions, decreased fuel economy, and damage to other parts like an overheated catalytic converter.
We are not aware of any vehicle that has an oxygen sensor failure warning light. As a result, you must rely on other crucial symptoms, such as increased fuel consumption and the check engine light on the dashboard, to inform you when an oxygen sensor needs to be replaced.