Engine Management light ... Oxygen Sensor ?

[Dillan G]

My Engine Management light turned on and from the RAC they said it is the oxygen sensor... got a quote from a local seat garage and they said it would cost me £400.

What would you guys recommend, i think £400 seems to expensive for just a sensor ?

 

[RUM4MO]

£400 for just supplying and changing a Lambda probe is a bit steep. Are you sure that the RAC said it was a faulty probe, there are two probes B1 S1 which is fitted to the manu-cat and B1 S2 which is post cat. If you buy a Gendan VAG code tool for £40 delivered and read the logged code, buy a new probe from VAG, fit probe and clear stored codes using the Gendan tool. You might need to buy a spanner to unscrew the probe - its all do-able. Probe price from VAG will be around £130 I seem to remember - and please ignore anyone that suggests that you just buy any old probe as they are all the same, VAG use probes made by NGK - probably marketed as NTK (see their website).

 

[Dillan G]

well the rac had said its a 'suspected' oxygen sensor as thats all that was faulty on their screen when connected it up to the car. but thank you for the information you have left will try and do some research and get it fixed .. would it be worth it to take it to the garage ? or buy my own parts and take it to a garage ?

 

[RUM4MO]

As I see it, the Gendan tool costs £40 delivered direct from www.gendan.co.uk - VAG will charge you about £50 to read and clear the fault code. So you will have bought yourself a simple diagnostic tool that can be used again and again when ever the fault light comes on. So, if you choose to buy this tool, then post in what code number it spits out, someone will pass judgement on what is probably the problem and what needs to be done to sort it. One other thing, if you discover that it is the Lambda probe that has failed, and you have bought the part from your local Seat dealer and kept the receipt, then if you then choose that you can't change it yourself, then your local Seat dealer will fit that new part for you without needing to charge you for diagnosing the problem or charging you for clearing the stored codes - if you ask them/tell them what you want doing!