engine light kept coming and going. one day it would be off, another day it would be on. apparently a rodent of some sort has found warmth underneath my car and decided to chew on the sensor cable. Any alternative fixes than getting dealership to replace($310 parts&labor)? I thought about just electric taping and getting some hard tubing to put around it. But not sure if that will fix my check engine light issue. any other solutions? any part number so I might be able to do it myself?
if you are sure that is the problem, you probably need to repair the wire. how much is the part, is it difficult diy?
electrical tape will do the job in a jiffy. You may try to install an spiral plastic loom around the length of the exposed green cable. Radio Shack used to carry the accessory.
I can repair cable blindfolded (have done such on dark stages and under cars....two totally different bit same industries). In all seriousness- it just needs to be spliced....about 70 seconds worth of work, literally. Find the wire and do it yourself. Don't pay a dealer hundreds for this
Might want to wrap the repair (and whatever nearby looks tempting) in some rodent tape. The trick is you have to judge what would look tempting if you were a rodent. -Chap
I have had similar problems and decided to reduce the mouse population. These traps are so much better than the simple little traps that have been around forever. They are easier to set and easy to release the remaining carcass.
A moderate size heat shrink tubing for this need will not pass trough the Oxygen sensor, with such wide body.
If you're getting a warning light I think there's a very likely one or more of the internal wires is broken or or seriously compromised. That needs to be remedied, say resoldered, perhaps some fresh wire to bridge gap, insulated, and the then the whole cable re-wrapped, and perhaps "hardened" against return visits by the vermin, lol. Is it easily disconnectable? How much was the labour, vs just the part, btw?
Replace the oxygen sensor - it is a ten minute job! Go to the Toyota dealer with the vin and the photo that you posted. The cable is part of the calibration and may cause other issues if spliced. That area also gets hot and a repair may not last or remain totally waterproof. Simon
Does the cable run into the oxygen sensor without a connector? I gather that's what you're saying, just curious.
No, the oxygen sensor generally has a lead about 6-12 inches long with a connector on the end of it. Going by the picture this pigtail is what is damaged. Simon