The check engine light was on, and now its off. Is it my oxygen sensor or my cadillac

T

tanya

New member
converter? My check engine light in my 2002 Ford Taurus came on about 2 weeks ago. I took it to Auto Zone where they plugged it up and said it was either my oxygen sensor or my cadillac converter that needed to be replaced. The car seems to be running fine though, other than an oil leak. I pulled into work this morning and turned the car off and back on again and the check engine light was off. I dont know if its something else wrong with my car now or what. Please help!!!
I remember the woman at Auto Zone saying it was Bank 1. What does that mean?
 
The light going off is a good sign, that means its not a serious problem at this time. There was a problem at one point but it did not happen again over a certain time period so the computer turned off the light. The code should still be in there. Most likely it will get worse and come back eventually.

There are at least 2 O2 sensors on your car. There are at least a dozen codes that are related to 02 sensors. You need to know the exact code number, they will start with a letter (usually P) and at least 3 digits. With that code in hand go to your favorite search engine (google, yahoo, ect..) and type in something like 'P101 code 2002 Taurus' you will likely get several hits that should narrow it down to the most likely cause. Only a few codes point to a sensor issue, other codes say the sensor is working but its reading is abnormal which usually is not the fault of the sensor. The specific code will also tell you if its before or after the cat converter and if there are more than 2 sensors which bank it is. Public libraries often have free access to ALLDATA which is the service many shops use. It has very good details and trouble shooting flow charts based on the exact code if you are the DIY sort of person or know someone that is.
 
Well those clowns should be able to tell you what it is as the computer they hook up will tell them if it is the cat or a o2 and with out the codes no one here can tell you.But if the light is off then most likely it is a bad 02 and not the converter because the light should stay on if the cat is bad.
 
First off... It's CATALYTIC CONVERTER. Not Cadillac.

The oxygen sensor is a whole lot cheaper and easier to replace than a catalytic converter. Try having that replaced, and if your check engine light stays off, you're good.
 
They say it is always the O 2 sensor the last thing on the list. LOL
Take it to a reputable shop and let them do a diagnostic on it .
Chances are it is the O 2 sensor and not the converter.
When they do a diagnostic on a car and do it for a minute or two it is a quick check and the O2 sensors always show bad. Some cars have 2 or 3 O2 sensors and I have seen folks replace them all and then take it back to auto zone and it says the same thing 02 sensor lol.
Some cars check engine lights come on and go off anyway but best to have it checked by a pro. Cars these days can cost you hundreds of dollars by guessing what is wrong with them.
It could be many things form a dirty air flow in the sensor to the air filter, to a sensor that feeds air to the injectors to a simple thing like resetting one. Yes it could be the converter but doubtful or a o2 sensor, but why buy and guess and spend all your money on things you may not need
 
plugs and wires will both trip codes in those systems, start there!all scanner user manuals insist on having a properly tuned machine before trying to diagnose systems!neither cat nor o2 sensor will fix a bad plug or wire, they are 7 yrs old and yes its time.if that is a v6, with the plugs running through the intake, i feel for you, but it still only takes 2 hrs or less.
 
(Check Engine Light)
There are many components that work together in the engine to maintain optimal engine performance and economy.
A "check engine" light indicates that there is a sensor that is reading a condition that is "out of range".
Simply resetting the light does not solve the initial cause of the problem.
Replacing a number of parts trying to troubleshoot the problem in the hopes of getting the light to stay off is a tremendous waste of time and money.
The simplest, and most economical way to alleviate your issue, is to have an engine diagnostic done by a reputable shop to determine what caused the computer to signal you to begin with. Just reading the computer codes may not find the "cause".
 
Back
Top