Truck question

[flyndie22 15]

Hey guys just trying to save some money here does anyone have a Chevy scanner to read codes I'd rather not get raped by the dealership case of beer if I can borrow one to see why my check engine light came on

[Pound 4 Pound 28]

Mine used to come on quite frequently all it was, was my gas cap take the cap off grab som WD40 spray on a rag and clean the rubber oring on the cap and give the neck a good wipe. Worth a try

[flyndie22 15]

Ok ill try that then forsure disconnected the battery and reset the ecm to goes away until i turn off the truck and as soon as i turn it back on the lights on again 

[Pound 4 Pound 28]

Mine went off and has not came back on for a few months now. Also you can try and remove the oring and flip it over,

[flyndie22 15]

Thats all on the gas cap?

[luckmedic 3]

Code readers go on sale at Canadian Tire quite regularly, check the flyer and spend the $100... worth the money.

[flyndie22 15]

Listen to this lol i had a bully dog performance chip for my truck for the last 2 years sold it like 4 months ago cause i didnt really use it much. Get rid of it and bam now i need it lol and ill keep an eye out 

[naden 131]

Napa on Red River sells them for around 100 bucks as well. Every time I hear people talking about an engine light everyone says check the gas cap.....well I guess its an easy thing to try but there are many many many things that can throw a check engine light and some things that go wrong are an indication of worse problems in the future. I would spend the 100 bucks and consider it an investment. Something else to consider is that code readers will only tell you the symptom and not necessarily the cause. Just because the code reader tells you that there is a problem with say the oxygen sensor circuit doesnt mean you should rush out and buy a new oxygen sensor. Some basic troubleshooting is still required. 

[flyndie22 15]

I think im gonna go to canadian tire they have a code reader on now for 60 bucks then i dont have to go to the dealer and pay 125 for labour. If its something stupid and easy i can probably fix it myself 

[bwkre 11]

I've got one that will read obdII codes for engine, srs and abs. pm me, home today if you want to swing by

[flyndie22 15]

Thanks man i went and got one from canadian tire still cheaper than getting it done from the dealer i know whats wrong with it just need a new o2 sensor gonna change it out when it warms up a bit 

[bwkre 11]

Like naden said, don't run out and buy a new sensor till you check it out. O2 sensors are reliable and it is usually something else that causes the fault. Most common "lean" fault I've found is a vacuum leak. Repairing the leak repairs the fault - $2 piece of hose.

Checkout a site like this before spending your hard earned money,

Not saying it can't be an O2 sensor but,

 

https://www.engine-light-help.com/oxygen-sensor-codes.html

 

Good luck!

[flyndie22 15]

Ouch well after reading that sounds like i could have quite a bit more issues then i expected and that it could take a while my issue is p0056 and p0161 bank 2 sensor 2 heating problem and low voltage so i guess i just automatically figured it was pooched 

[bwkre 11]

google the codes and follow the advice. As a last resort you could swap sensor with the other side, bank 1, sensor 2 and see if the codes follow the sensor or remain with the original side. check connectors for moisture & corrosion first.

O2 sensor codes after the cat converters shouldn't affect fuel ratios and consumption as they monitor the efficiency of the converters.

It's the heater circuit that's not working so it could be anything from loose connections to a faulty sensor.

The previous referenced page relates to O2 sensors in front of the cat converters so they will not apply to your situation. Google P0056 and P0161 to find more info.

[flyndie22 15]

Yeah it the passenger side sensor after the cat so im gonna check that out unplug it clean it up make sure its nice and tight not loose. I also read something about the exhaust ground strap causes that but i dont know where thats located any info on that its a 2010 silverado 

[bwkre 11]

Gonna be a 4 wire sensor that wont rely on a ground strap, 2 wires for 12v power and 2 wires for actual sensor input to ecm. There is a fuse for the O2 sensor heaters but I think it is one fuse, so if it was blown you would have more codes for the other side. Doesn't cost to check them though.. P056 indicates an open or a short to ground in the heater power circuit so the ecm can not monitor the heater circuit. P0161 says it took too long for the sensor to reach the desired value, and that's because it had to wait for the exhaust gas to heat the sensor. Because the heater in the sensor didn't work. It didn't work due to a faulty connection or it could actually be the sensor itself. Making sense?

Most likely cause is a broken, frayed, or shorted wire at the sensor or along the cable leading to the sensor connector or the connector itself. Any where it can get caught or burnt!.

If not, then the sensor itself.

Rare case could be the ecm but unlikely.

I believe after you clear the codes it will require a minimum of 2 cold starts to set the code again. So It could take a day or so for it to show up if you think you have fixed the problem.

[naden 131]

If you don't find anything obvious like corrosion in the plug,disconnected plug, frayed wires etc then I would check out the system with a multimeter if you have one. The ones that go on sale at canadian tire for 10 bucks work well although the leads are kind of cheap. See if you can find a diagram for that sensor online which should tell you which pins on the plug are for the heater circuit. With the oxygen sensor plug disconnected and the vehicle key on test the vehicle side plug for 10 to 12 volts dc on the pin that has positive voltage for the heater circuit. Also check the negative pin for continuity to ground. If that checks out test the loop resistance of the heater circuit on the oxygen sensor plug, you should have some resistance between the two heater circuit wires. If you have infinite resistance then the heater on the oxygen sensor is bad or the wires between the plug and the sensor could possibly have a break. When the guy in this video is measuring the resistance of the heater circuit on the new sensor he makes a mistake and says that he has 14 volts when really he meant ohms.

Theres lots of other tutorials and videos online that should help you diagnose the problem. 

 

 

[flyndie22 15]

This forum is awesome thanks guys gonna put it on ramps and check it out tmr hopefully i can figure it out and i dont have a multimeter might have to go pick one up 

[naden 131]

Also, don't use dielectric grease on oxygen sensor plugs! Some types of oxygen sensors sense the atmospheric oxygen through the connector and using dielectric grease will plug that up.

[flyndie22 15]

Thanks i was gonna put some in if it was corroded and getting water in it