Ok guys, new here. It seems like this site has the most knowledgeable members, so I'm hoping someone can help me out. 2003 Explorer XLT 4.6L AWD with 140k miles. I have had an intermittant check engine light on for an o2 sensor for a month or so. Yesterday it just died on me. I found fuse #41 was blown under the hood. I replaced with another 15a and all was good. It has now blown 2 more times. DTC's showing are PO135, PO053, PO059, and P2195. It seems these are pointing to o2 sensor bank 1 sensor 1 (heated). I have inspected the wiring as well as I could on a hot vehicle, and everything looks normal. It appears all wiring is routed as it came from factory, with nothing drooping or touching anywhere. I did a tug test while the car was running, and found no issues. The odd thing is the day before it died I noticed the CEL was off, so I took it through emissions and it passed. Due to P2195, I have inspected pretty thoroughly for a vacuum leak, and have not found one. My questions are these:
1) Can a bad o2 sensor cause all these codes?
2) Can a bad o2 sensor cause fuse #41 to blow?
3) Could a bad o2 sensor cause an intermittant CEL, or does this point towards a wiring problem?
4) Should I throw $40 at it and replace the sensor, or do I need to be inspecting the wiring closer?
5) Is there a way to diagnose the sensor without a scan tool with live data?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!!! I am headed out of town on Thursday, and need to decide if I should rent a car for the trip.

 

I'm not able to pull up information to address all your questions right now, but the short answer on fuse #41 in the Battery Junction Box is, yes, a bad O2 sensor heating element could cause that fuse to blow. That fuse provides power to all 4 oxygen sensor heating elements, the EVAP canister vent valve, the Electronic Vacuum Regulator (EVR) solenoid valve, the vapor management valve, and the PCM power diode which provides reverse polarity protection to the PCM.

-Rod

 

Your sensor probably has over 80,000 miles, replace it. Its a maintenance item. You can either replace wit when its due, and it will cost you the replacement part, or you can wait till it kills your motor with excessive carbon and wipes out your emissions components, which can cost over $1000 to have replaced.

So whether the O2 sensor is causing these codes or not, which it most certainly can, replace it, and while you are at it, replace the primary sensor on the other side too. O2 sensors are not the sort of thing that you wait till they fail before replacing them. Replace them at the specified mileage, about 80,000 miles or so.

 

Thanks for everyone's input. I plan on replacing both upstream o2 sensors this evening. I will be sure to post results.