From o2 sensor to engine replacement in 10 days?

That's what my mechanic friend said last night when I spoke to him. He had previously mentioned that it could be off just enough to not throw a code, but still cause some damage.

I think so too, and I've already ordered the Denso one, it'll be here on Friday. The one I purchased was advertised as such, and since I hadn't seen one before, I had no idea that it wasn't the same one. Looking at them side by side, it's easy to tell. I specifically set out for one that wasn't a universal, but that doesn't matter now. I think the toyota techs should have caught this, if not by looking at it, then by it not fitting properly when they installed it. I should have been alerted to it, and I would not have had them proceed with the replacement. That was a huge safety violation and one that had the potential to kill me (us). Admittedly, it was a two part error and I am very upset about it. Upset with myself for making such a folly, and upset with the dealership for not catching it or neglecting to say anything to me. They are, supposedly, the experts.

The timing is right, the low power issue started when I left the dealership after they replaced that sensor. The rest of your information, which I appreciate, I did not know. And I am hoping that the threads aren't ruined.

If the experts caught that the non OEM sensor was the wrong one, it would have saved a lot more than 300 posts.

However, it was thanks to you guys that the bad 12v was discovered.

Yes, but I'll have it remedied soon.

It's probable.

I share that headache.

Train wrecks are hard to look away from.

I'm not as concerned about the absence of luck dragons, as I am grateful for the absence of the fate of Artax. #308

Agreed. Over-priced thin walled offset sensor socket will only be one of the expenses. I just got off the phone with my local harbor freight and they have the jack you suggested in stock. I'll pick up jack stands as well, whether or not I order them online or get what HF has to offer is yet to be determined.

Good to know, thanks!

 

I did not attempt to remove any oil today, but I did have need to go to the post office (about 2 miles from here) and I am obviously still having the power issue.

But I wanted to note, for anyone who may encounter this problem in the future that the draining of the HV battery only happens when you attempt to accelerate. The car did take a long time to shut itself off when idling, and still shakes when it does. However, I did notice that when the ICE starts again (as it should), it powers the battery (as it should). The HV battery will have a good charge after the car is off for awhile, what awhile equates to, I don't know. I can tell you that it definitely does this over night.

So here's what we have:

1 - if you get an aftermarket sensor, don't believe everything you read (false advertisements exist), get the right one
2 - if you manage to get the wrong one, as I did, don't trust that the expert techs at the dealership will catch it or tell you about it
3 - pay close attention to the acceleration of your car, if it hasn't improved or has gotten worse, be cautious
4 - if you notice that your HV battery is losing power very quickly - pull over immediately - your safety depends on it
5 - if you reach number 4 on the list, stop here, the experts in this forum and on this thread have solved your issue, return to the
dealership and drop the $225 plus labor to get the proper replacement - the cost for you to have it towed home while
you wait for the $112 part from amazon, then towed to the dealership to have them replace it is comparable to eating the cost of
their part - it'll save you a lot of aggravation (trust me on this)
6 - if the dealership tells you its the downstream sensor - insist they replace the upstream first - they may be being kicked the wrong DTC which may/may not disappear after the upstream is replaced - have them run the diagnostic again after the upstream is replaced
7 - if the service manager tells you that "it runs like a dream" (punch him) - be suspect and ask how far they went on their test drive - your invoice will tell you what the mileage was when it was brought in and what it is when you leave - so their honesty is easily tested - if it was only a mile - request they take it for a spin at highway speeds - make sure before you leave the lot
8 - if they diagnose your car with a dead engine (punch them) - ask why they didn't run a diagnostic (remember the power immediately jumped when my mechanic hooked up his odb2 reader - making the car drivable) - if they insist they did - request a print out of the results (be very suspicious if you just had repair work the car and the experts didn't catch a destroyed engine)
9 - any time the recommendation is a replacement engine - regardless of the cars issue - GET A SECOND OPINION!!!!!!!!!!!!
10 - Bonus: If you ever ask to have the HV battery voltage tested when you're faced with the decision of a costly repair vs new vehicle
and the service manager tells you that they need to remove the battery from the car to test it - punch him - unless your car is
completely void of power (that's the only exception)

This has been a very expensive lesson, and one that I won't forget. Purchasing the wrong sensor, when you don't know much about them, is an understandable mistake. Installing the wrong sensor when you are the expert, is not. This situation was easily avoidable, and instead, the negligence of the techs put myself and my family in danger. Twice I left that lot with the reassurance that I was in a safe car when I wasn't; the second time my family was with me (my other half and my twins - age 7). That, to me, is the most infuriating part of all of this. The overpriced labor and parts, the urgency placed on unnecessary repairs, the being talked down to and lied to are all things I, sadly, expect when I visit a place like that. I do not expect negligence. New engine, indeed.

 

It's worth quite a bit.

With any luck I'll have replaced this by Saturday. I'm choosing to go with the adage of "If you want something done right, do it yourself."

Seems I'll be up to my ears in tutorials until all the components arrive. Here's hoping I can find that damned sensor socket with fast shipping.

 

I know, I don't intend to touch the oil until it needs to be changed.

I know they won't admit negligence, but if it's my job to fix cars and I'm not supplied with the right part to fix the car, then it's my responsibility to ensure that the correct part is obtained. I'll eat the first day of service as I knew that part wasn't guaranteed, but I won't overlook that they put their seal of approval on an unsafe vehicle.

I'm not going to eat the 2nd service as they misdiagnosed the car, proceeded with a repair that didn't solve the problem, then lied to me by putting their seal of approval on an unsafe vehicle (again). And the 3rd service, also not eating that one as they provided me with a highly suspicious diagnosis, one that (if accurate) should have been caught when they were diagnosing the car during the 2nd service, but they couldn't have since it was another lie. When I didn't immediately decide to get the engine replaced until I had enough variables to make that decision (how's the HV battery holding up), he lied some more and then, as you know, the customer service became terrible.

As per corporate, I'll never contact them again. Their customer service is horrendous and their promise of having me contacted by someone at the dealership today was not kept.

This has been a harrowing experience and there still aren't enough words to show how grateful and appreciative I am for everyone here that helped me. If it weren't for you guys, I may never have figured it out and would be devastated to lose my tiny car power. This is the first car I've ever owned that wasn't a junker. I know that it's not shiny and new, but it's mine and I worked hard for it. It is essential for me to have a reliable car so that I may continue to provide for my family, as I'm sure it is with everyone.

In the end, I learned a lot about my car, got shiny new tools, will soon have the essential parts I need to perform regular maintenance on it. The information in this forum has helped give me the confidence I needed to take care of this job myself, something I never would have considered a week ago. I've a feeling this confidence boost is going be invaluable and, for that, I can't thank you enough.

 

Thanks for the tip, I'll give them a call tomorrow.

 

I know it may not be the cure all, but it's a fair start.

I know the this job is a major pain, and that it'll take a lot of patience and time to do it right, but I'm sure I can do it. It'd have to be me anyhow as I can't trust anyone with it. Thank you for the repair manual source. Much appreciated.

 

Signs point to yes, when I added it to my cart - the sensor came up as a suggestion.