My service engine light came on - had it checked out and it was an oxygen censor. They wanted to charge me $300 to replace it. Is this something I can do myself? How much does the part cost?

 

If you have basic hand tools and a O2 sensor removal tool & some car ramps you can do it in your driveway.Also depending on the year of your vehicle and the engine you can have 2 pre-cat & 2 post-cat sensors. It's usually the ones before the cats that go first, they should both be replaced at the same time just to save you the hassel of doing it again in a year from now. prices for O2 sensor vary from model to model. Who knows I might still cost you $300 for both sensors if you do it yourself.

Call some auto parts stores in your area tell them what you need.

 

Very common for the O2 code to come on when it is nothing more than a vacuum leak. Why? it is running so lean the sensor thinks it is out of range.

So, when they ran the code, what was the exact reading of the code? Was it a lean bank of 02 shorted or out of range?

 

You have a good point Coastiejoe my buddy has the same problem, both sensors replaced and it's still spitting out lean codes. I told him he might have a vacume leak but trying to pinpoint were it is on his windstar would be like trying to pick fly s--t out of pepper.The van runs great and milage is the same, I just said keep driving it.

 

You can use propane to locate it pretty easy. The engine will stall or take off when you find the vacuum leak.