This is a post related to car troubles I recently had.
I turn on my car at 7p leaving work for home -- the check engine turns on. I was a bit concerned since I have not been to the service center in a while. This light has turned on in the past before where I had to replace an O2 sensor -- I don't remember but I think I have replaced it twice in this car's 11 year history. I don't know what to make of it yet.
In order to read the failure code one needs to get a OPDII (I probably got it wrong) reader. First I went to an EZ Lube in Redondo Beach -- their reader did not work . So then I went to a nearby pepboys where the service advisor was sort of a diva and he said it would take an hour to get a tech to read. ok, I decide I will travel to a honda dealership... where the service advisor says it'll cost 105$ just to read it (which will be used towards fixing the problem). Notice that it was not important for them to find out whether there is or isn't a problem. So I ditch these guys too -- and then go to an quick-lube place where there was one person who just went and got a computer to read the problem right away-- yes, it was an O2 sensor failure. It was reset to see if it would trigger again -- it did not so far. For their help, I rewarded them with a oil service 31$... which I needed anyway.
I got a few estimates while waiting for my car -- one honda dealer asked 537$ which I haggled down to 437$. I asked another dealer for an estimate and got 337$.
I looked online and I think the sensor costs around 50-60$ and 1 hr labor is 70$ which brings the true cost to around 130$.
Summary: the check engine light is not on, the sensor has not triggered it yet. I have only spent 31$ on the car and it runs great. However, they did recommend that my battery be replaced.
I turn on my car at 7p leaving work for home -- the check engine turns on. I was a bit concerned since I have not been to the service center in a while. This light has turned on in the past before where I had to replace an O2 sensor -- I don't remember but I think I have replaced it twice in this car's 11 year history. I don't know what to make of it yet.
In order to read the failure code one needs to get a OPDII (I probably got it wrong) reader. First I went to an EZ Lube in Redondo Beach -- their reader did not work . So then I went to a nearby pepboys where the service advisor was sort of a diva and he said it would take an hour to get a tech to read. ok, I decide I will travel to a honda dealership... where the service advisor says it'll cost 105$ just to read it (which will be used towards fixing the problem). Notice that it was not important for them to find out whether there is or isn't a problem. So I ditch these guys too -- and then go to an quick-lube place where there was one person who just went and got a computer to read the problem right away-- yes, it was an O2 sensor failure. It was reset to see if it would trigger again -- it did not so far. For their help, I rewarded them with a oil service 31$... which I needed anyway.
I got a few estimates while waiting for my car -- one honda dealer asked 537$ which I haggled down to 437$. I asked another dealer for an estimate and got 337$.
I looked online and I think the sensor costs around 50-60$ and 1 hr labor is 70$ which brings the true cost to around 130$.
Summary: the check engine light is not on, the sensor has not triggered it yet. I have only spent 31$ on the car and it runs great. However, they did recommend that my battery be replaced.
