From o2 sensor to engine replacement in 10 days?

Well, I got the O-Ring replacement then reinstalled the MAF. Then I took her for a spin.

The car is still loud and is still not accelerating properly. The car struggles when accelerating up hill and on flat runs. The engine charges the battery any time my foot isn't on the gas pedal, but the battery drains quickly any time my foot is on the gas pedal.

I drove about 10 miles before there was 1 purple battery bar, the check engine light, hybrid system warning light, and the master warning light were on. 7 of the 10 miles was highway and expressway, and I ended up on the tapered deceleration pavement marking, since I didn't have enough power to get off the exit. I had to force charge the battery and it took approximately 2 minutes for the battery to start receiving a charge. I had to force charge thrice more to get home. Once before I left the expressway (the 7 mile stretch) and twice on the road I live off of (3 miles uphill to get back).

I ran the diagnostic and these are the codes that were thrown:

P0A0F - Engine Failed to Start
P0137 - Oxygen Sensor Circuit Low Voltage (Bank 1 Sensor 2) - downstream
P3190 - Poor Engine Power
B1421 - Solar Sensor Circuit (passenger side) - it's cloudy here today

I turned off the engine when I was on the pavement marking and the engine started the 2nd time, so not surprised that code was thrown.

The downstream O2 low voltage has come up before - it's the factory one I purchased from and had installed at the dealership - the catalytic converter was also replaced that day. ("Runs like a dream!" said the service manager )

Poor Engine Power makes sense, it's not charging the battery - we know this.

Can this be caused by improper installation of the cat and sensor?

Also, I moved the car last night to the front of my house (flat surface) from my driveway (incline) so that I could get a proper reading on my oil and discovered an overfill this morning. I also took note that the tip of the dipstick is darker than the rest (haven't seen that before). That being said, I note that the oil was changed a couple of weeks (maybe two) before I brought it to the dealership to replace the sensor (upstream) and there wasn't any noticeable change in the way the car ran. I know that an overfill can be very bad news depending on how much over it is, and I am unsure as to how much that is, but here is a picture for reference.



Help?

 

Thank you for taking the time to look, I know this thread has jumped all over the place. I thought my mechanic friend (2nd opinion mechanic) had cleaned the MAF and TB, but wasn't 100% sure. So I checked them and did them myself, and aside from the amber part of the sensor on the MAF, the rest needed to be done.

Regarding the darkness of the oil, I thought so too. I can use some suggestions on an easy to use jack, I'm afraid to use the one that came with the car, despite it being used several times by others. If I had one that was easy for me to use, and that seems secure enough to where I thought the car wouldn't fall on me (real fear), then I'd just change the oil myself. I know how to and where everything is, but I'm always afraid the jack won't hold.

Muffler was after market replacing the original and yes to the gasket.

Yes to the battery reset after the MAF cleaning, but before the test drive.

I don't know either, but it seems to me that the factory parts (cat and downstream sensor) and labor should be covered somehow (like a warranty or something similar). The downstream sensor code has appeared a few times and telling me I have a dead engine is a great way to make money while not having to own up to the shotty workmanship.

I don't think they expected me to know so much about the car (albeit I'm still learning), and likely still don't. I coach my other half (male) on what to say and they listen to him. They tend to feed me BS (see HV battery testing nonsense).

I will watch that video later and follow up with the results.

I did not know that I should do that, techstream being very new to me. I had to go run the diagnostic again. I'll post the results in a separate comment.

 

I really don't know, but they aren't standing behind their work, and it's leaving me without a vehicle. I'm going to have to rent a car this week to get to/from work, but I feel like they should send a tow truck and fix the issue they caused while providing a loaner.

 

The muffler was on weeks before I brought it into the dealership and it wasn't this loud. Wish I knew about folks getting rid of them for nothing, every little bit helps. If I can manage to get it running properly and it's still loud then it's something to consider, but I suspect it's to do with whatever was done to my car by the "experts." This is the one I picked up: More Information for WALKER 54560

I'm not too fond of the idea either, but after all of this, I'd rather not have anyone do maintenance/repairs that I can take care of.

 

In the meantime, I can use some help with the information I posted in #226 - I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be looking at.

Also, if anyone has experience/advice on how to proceed with the dealership, I'd appreciate it.

Proving that my engine isn't loaded with sludge and doesn't need to be replaced is easy enough, but proving that something went wrong when they were replacing the cat and sensors isn't so easy. If they decide to stand by "you need a new engine" instead of fixing their shotty work, then I'm going to have to eat the cost of another 30 mile tow and then the cost of someone else fixing it. I can't keep spending money on work that I've already paid for.

The engine was powering the battery just fine when I drove onto the lot, and I had to have it towed off the lot, after I was told by them, that "it runs like a dream." Twice I drove off that lot with the assurance that I was in a safe vehicle, and twice I wasn't. The 2nd time, my family was with me, and handing me the keys, with the car in the condition it was (is) in, was irresponsible and very dangerous.

 

I can call them tomorrow, but to talk to who? It was the guy in charge that fed me all this BS. He's the manager you ask to speak with when something like this happens.

 

Very strange, and if it's the sensor that's causing the noise then what's causing the poor engine performance?

What could possibly cause the car to lose power every time I step on the gas pedal?
What causes the engine to drain the battery instead of powering it?

Is there anything from the upstream sensor, catalytic converter, and the downstream sensor the could be messed up/ put back together wrong/ accidentally or unknowingly leaving something unplugged? I really don't know, I've never had this happen before and I've never seen or read about it happening to anyone else.

Good to know. I will call corporate now, I'm gearing up for battle and it'll be good to go in with someone on my side.

 

It's in the front of the car. It's the engine that's loud. It's not a muffler issue.