Ok ..
so a bit of a bitch job that taught me a thing or 2 hence im posting about it here .
Fault code for a post cat lambda sensor ageing fault .. i think it was P1096.
Code says .. fault with the lambda sensor so replace ... there is nothing else .. its old and not switching fast enough .
Basically these sensors get old and dont switch as fast as they used to , as this is save the planet stuff it generates and eml light on .. the car is not really effected running wise but an eml always panics owners .
The car takes days / weeks to monitor these systems so all you can do is replace it and send it on its merry way.
9/10 job done and move on .. not this bloody time though !
Car came back 2 weeks later with the same fault ..
Ok now i already know this is going to be a problem car .. you get them now and then .. it cant just be the normal items its going to fight you every inch of the way it can .. sigh ..
I scope / graph out the post cat sensors and i have a lean reading on this faulty side .. so thats what the car is seeing but reporting an ageing fault .
First thought .. is the cat allowing air to enter and giveing the sensor a lean reading .. car running and i feel for exhaust blow .. nothing ... small chuff at the rear joints but to be fair theres more of a leak on the good side than there is on the bad one .
Soooo .. im thinking wiring resistance , im thinking software .. im thinking is the actual bank on that side running lean .. im also thinking is there a fault with the other bank but the car is reacting to this side.
Basically where do you even start on this .
Wiring .. i check the wires from the sensors to the dme on both sides .. same or close enough resistance so its not that .
I reflash the dme .. now this is kinda scary .. if it goes wrong then its over £1k for a new dme .. but i have to do it ... its not that .
i smoke test the inlet mainifold .. small leak on the faulty bank .. not conviced but i fix it .. small leaks are not uncommon .. these aint new and the car will adapt reguardless .
Its not that.
Co check in front of the cats both sides .. they seem the same .. hmmm :?:
Is there a fault on the other side .. hmm .. i try to swop the sensors side to side .. cant get the dam thing out ..
Ok banging head against the wall by now .. i keep coming back to is air entering the cat .. if its not running lean which the co readings pre cat would indicate then im kinda running out of ideas .
Final desperate attempt .. and i say that openly .. i jammed the smoke machine up the exhaust pipe .. filled the exhaust with as many rags as i could and let it run .. 3 mins later with smoke all over the place .. (i was never going to seal it so did what i could ) ..
Smoke wafting out under the cat heat shield .. not much .. but it doesnt take much .. a hair line crack in the cat and under a heat shield (fixed and not removable ) was the fault !!
Bolts will snap on trying to remove the mainifold / cat but thats the fault .. i know that before even fixing it
Plug a tester in and it tells me whats wrong so i just follow the instructions .. hmm .. i think not !
On the plus side .. i now know a quick test when i get these codes to prove its the sensor .. downside was the time waisted which we cant charge for to find this fault .
Anyways .. a bit of info for you all .... never assume its just a sensor because thats what the fault code says .. sometimes the car is just going to be a bitch
:floor:
so a bit of a bitch job that taught me a thing or 2 hence im posting about it here .
Fault code for a post cat lambda sensor ageing fault .. i think it was P1096.
Code says .. fault with the lambda sensor so replace ... there is nothing else .. its old and not switching fast enough .
Basically these sensors get old and dont switch as fast as they used to , as this is save the planet stuff it generates and eml light on .. the car is not really effected running wise but an eml always panics owners .
The car takes days / weeks to monitor these systems so all you can do is replace it and send it on its merry way.
9/10 job done and move on .. not this bloody time though !
Car came back 2 weeks later with the same fault ..
Ok now i already know this is going to be a problem car .. you get them now and then .. it cant just be the normal items its going to fight you every inch of the way it can .. sigh ..
I scope / graph out the post cat sensors and i have a lean reading on this faulty side .. so thats what the car is seeing but reporting an ageing fault .
First thought .. is the cat allowing air to enter and giveing the sensor a lean reading .. car running and i feel for exhaust blow .. nothing ... small chuff at the rear joints but to be fair theres more of a leak on the good side than there is on the bad one .
Soooo .. im thinking wiring resistance , im thinking software .. im thinking is the actual bank on that side running lean .. im also thinking is there a fault with the other bank but the car is reacting to this side.
Basically where do you even start on this .
Wiring .. i check the wires from the sensors to the dme on both sides .. same or close enough resistance so its not that .
I reflash the dme .. now this is kinda scary .. if it goes wrong then its over £1k for a new dme .. but i have to do it ... its not that .
i smoke test the inlet mainifold .. small leak on the faulty bank .. not conviced but i fix it .. small leaks are not uncommon .. these aint new and the car will adapt reguardless .
Its not that.
Co check in front of the cats both sides .. they seem the same .. hmmm :?:
Is there a fault on the other side .. hmm .. i try to swop the sensors side to side .. cant get the dam thing out ..
Ok banging head against the wall by now .. i keep coming back to is air entering the cat .. if its not running lean which the co readings pre cat would indicate then im kinda running out of ideas .
Final desperate attempt .. and i say that openly .. i jammed the smoke machine up the exhaust pipe .. filled the exhaust with as many rags as i could and let it run .. 3 mins later with smoke all over the place .. (i was never going to seal it so did what i could ) ..
Smoke wafting out under the cat heat shield .. not much .. but it doesnt take much .. a hair line crack in the cat and under a heat shield (fixed and not removable ) was the fault !!
Bolts will snap on trying to remove the mainifold / cat but thats the fault .. i know that before even fixing it
Plug a tester in and it tells me whats wrong so i just follow the instructions .. hmm .. i think not !
On the plus side .. i now know a quick test when i get these codes to prove its the sensor .. downside was the time waisted which we cant charge for to find this fault .
Anyways .. a bit of info for you all .... never assume its just a sensor because thats what the fault code says .. sometimes the car is just going to be a bitch
:floor: