Mine are dying. Is it a DIY job?

Any particular precautions to take?

 

http://www.4runners.org/writeups/02sensor/index.html

I sprayed the bolts once every 3 hrs. the day before I did mine for a total of about 5 applications of liquid wrench. The next day, chaing the pre-cat sensor was a piece of cake. I just used box wrench (I think that's what it's called) with a bent shaft instead of the adjustable head socket as well.

 

Good to know. I figured they would be seized.

I had to resort to my trusty cut off wheel to remove my sway bar discos yesterday, not something I want to do with sensors...

 

How do you know they are dying? Do you have a CEL on?

 

X2....

 

They are easy to change soak them with pb-blaster or something to loosen them up a bit the day before. When putting your new ones on be sure to use some anti-seize and don't torque them down to tight as they can be damaged.

 

Yup. Ran for like 5 months with the CEL on. After a shop charged me 70$ to retrieve a code on my M3, I forked over 50$ to buy a cheapo code reader off eBay - best decision ever.

Cleared the code off the 4runner. Didn't write it down, but it had to do with the sensors indeed.

Then it came back, and it was along the lines of "oxygen sensor malfunction" and stuff (5 different codes in all).

I have yet to have another light go off. Buts since I'm keeping the truck for another while, I'll likely change those.

 

You only need to swap the front 02 sensor out. Forget the rear as the system will only pop a CEL if it isn't there, it doesn't actually gather information from it. Mine was rusted out to the point where it fell apart ( the O2 sensor ) when I touched it and it didn't matter. Don't spend the extra $100 or so on it....unless you have a cali-spec 4Runner with two cats.

I'm from the rust belt and my front O2 wouldn't come off with PB blaster or anything, we had to heat it up and do some small miracles. The rear, on the other hand, was so rusted out that one day I was driving and the whole contraption popped free and fell away as I was driving.

 

Good info Nick, thanks. You just saved me a bundle.

Edit - How the hell does your truck only have 57k miles???

 

What code reader?

 

I use the code reader at Autozone, It's free, and the best $50 bucks I ever saved. I second on changing the front o2 senser as well, I had the same problems.

 

This one. Idiot proof, comes with the little book, works fine on both my Toyota and my BMW, couldn't be happier.

 

If you live near an Autozone store, they let you use a scanner at no cost.

 

how many miles on your truck hugo? year?