Engine Light came on; 3 codes, help?

[rspierz]

I have a 2004 Vibe base FWD it has about 210,000 KM. The engine light came on so I took it to a friends house and we scanned it for codes. The codes that came out were P0133, P0171, & C0226. He cleared the codes and so far driving maybe 50+ km the check engine light has not illuminated again. Could this just be a blip and the car should be okay?

I did a bit of looking into the codes and from what i've found I should replaced my Oxygen sensor(s) and replace the intake manifold gasket. I bought the car used so I don't know if these were already replaced.

Anyways I am looking to replace these parts DIY'ing it but i'm wondering if I can wait till the spring to do or I should do it asap?

Thanks

[JohnO]

The P0171 can be caused by the intermittent intake manifold leak in cold weather. If yours hasn't come back, chances are this is what it was. No problem waiting on this one.

The P0133 can indicate an aging front O2 sensor. If yours is original it certainly is due for replacement. If it gets bad enough it can cause troubles for the catalytic converter. Again, if the code hasn't come back it is probably still in the "marginal" category so you can wait.

The C0226 is for a solenoid in the ABS system. Has the ABS warning light been on? If this one doesn't come back and the ABS light stays off I wouldn't worry about it.

[Salsa Guy]

If you have a bad Front 02 you could get both those codes P0171 (lean) and P0133 (lean to rich). Replacing the front O2 is simple and should cost less than $100.

[rspierz]

Thanks for the reply JohnO. Th ABS light hasnt been on at all so i guess its okay. As far as the O2 sensor, what part would you use for this? Denso, Bosch, AC Delco, etc? A link in the right direction would be very helpful!

So if i replace the front O2 sensor, will that effect the 2nd sensor? i guess what i mean is, should i replace both at the same time?

Thanks

[Salsa Guy]

Denso makes the Toyota O2 sensor. Get the OEM Direct Fit also make sure it's the Front O2 for the 03-04 1zz-Fe engine. The 05+ are different types. You may need an O2 sensor socket also and it's about $10. It should take 15 mins and work on a warm engine. This shouldn't affect the function of the downstream O2 sensor.

I can't say this will fix your problem because the a leaky manifold gasket (which is common) will cause the P0171 and maybe the P0133. The Gasket is also a simple cheap fix about a $20 part and 1.5 hours of your time.

I think this is the correct O2.

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The Rock Auto List

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[rspierz]

Thanks for all the info Salsa Guy. I went ahead and ordered the one your linked, it looks right in my eyes as well. I ordered a the gasket from there as well and it was only 4 bucks. I dont know if ill attempt the replacement of that but I will try my hand with the O2 sensor.

Thanks again for everything!

[Salsa Guy]

The Gasket isn't hard but there are two bolts which are a PITA unless you come from under the car, even then it's tight.

[jlkwiththree]

I did the manifold gasket on my daughter's 03 this weekend. with the recent cold snap here in the Midwest she had the CEL light come on. had the codes pulled and got the P0171. She was also getting crappy MPG and a healthy shake at idle when in gear. The new gasket went on with ease. I also did a good cleaning of the throttle body and the MAS. Runs significantly better now. We'll be watching the MPG. Hopefully that will rebound as well. A couple of things to remember when doing this job:
• Disconnect the positive battery terminal. This will allow the ECU to be reset.
• Partially drain the radiator. There are coolant lines the run under the throttle body that you will need to disconnect.
• Remove the fan shroud. This is such an easy thing to do and gives you tons more working space.
• There are two clips on both ends for the engine that hold the wiring harness in place just above the manifold. Undo both of those so that you have more maneuverability of that harness as you undo the two upper bolts that secure the manifold to the head.

[Salsa Guy]

Good post on the job. I didn't think to remove the Fan shroud, that should make it very easy for the lower bolts on the IM