O2 Sensor Install for 2001 Boxster 2.7

Dealer says i need new O2 sensors to pass my emissions test... should i have all 4 swapped out at once or 2 at a time? The tech mentioned its pretty impossible to tell which ones need to be swapped out. My car only has 45K miles... hardly driven... but needs to start getting some new parts i guess. I'm pretty handy... is this something i can do by myself if i have access to a lift and tools? What do i need to accomplish? How much do the O2 sensors run?

Just what makes the dealer say that other than his boat needs some gas?

Where do you live and what kind of emissions test does your area have? Has the car flunked an emissions test (codes read only or actual exhaust tested)? Was the car well warmed up when tested?

If there are codes, are they specific to one side of the exhaust or both? To need 2 at the same time is unusual at best. (One of mine went at around 50k and it is usually the front (nearest the engine) of the pair that goes first.

At 45k it is not impossible that you have some code pointing to a"lazy" (yep, a technical term) O2 sensor. Or one pointing to a failed one. But if you do, you can replace just the one and you can easily do it yourself, buy a OEM part mail order or have any exhaust shop do the job for around $50 per and you supply parts. The job is easy. Wait for the car to cool down after you safely get it up in the air. Unclip the pigtail, unscrew the sensor, screw in the sensor, clip the pigtail connector and perhaps clear the code with a code reader that you can buy for $50-100 and which will be handy on the Boxster and perhaps other cars. I've had 2 exhaust shops in 2 different states charge me $50 for doing all that for one sensor.

A list of part numbers is at the end of this web page that will show you what is involved and even where to online order. Part cost around $150 IIRC and that was for the same part Porsche buys and with the easy clip on pigtail just like Porsche uses...made by Bosch...just like Porsche buys.

[sites.google.com]https://sites.google.com/site/mikefocke2/oxygensensors

I'm over in Northern Virginia. I've had the CEL come on before... about 6 months ago my wife ran it out of gas... and i had a local independent reset the code.

+1 to what Mike said.

If you are "pretty handy", you can replace the O2 sensors with your eyes closed. After all, after you figure out the little clips that hold the connector into the harness, you essentially have the job of unscrewing and then screwing in the equivalent of a bolt.

To make the job easier, you can buy a 1/2 inch drive O2 sensor socket tool, which has a slot in its side to allow it to fit around the wire lead from the sensor. Available at any auto parts store, even in the "K-D Tool" section.

Buying the Bosch part online is also a no-brainer because it IS the same part. I don't even know if Porsche pus its stickers on the sensor, or just prints its part number on there.

Since the dealer is being so helpful, ask him what the codes are that indicated the O2 sensors and then look them up on Mike's site and just replace that one or those two, depending on what the codes are.

Regards, Maurice.

Do you even have a check engine light popping up? Sounds like the dealer is looking to make some money selling you parts you don't need replaced yet.

The CEL code will specify which sensor is bad.
We followed the directions in the Bentley's Boxster manual and had no problem replacing ours.

Some of the manual's directions were a little unclear...so we took a few photos of where we had questions: :[www.rainydaymagazine.com]

Hopefully...it will make the DIY repair a bit easier.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/01/2011 09:03AM by RainyDayGarage. (view changes)

Thanks for the info... i will take it back to the dealer and have them run the codes again. I have the Bentley repair guide... will give it a go. Thanks again.

Russ