Check engine light woes... continued

Question

I've added details I left out the first time:

My 2000 5 speed Honda Civic is not as smooth shifting from 4th to 5th as between all the other gears. Consequently, I accidently shifted into 3rd instead of 5th on the freeway. I was probably going 50 and it revved the rpm's to about 5000, but certainly not into the red zone. A few minutes later the check engine light came on. The mechanic said it's an O2 sensor code and aparently this car needs some rare 7-wire o2 sensor??? Over $300 for the part and another couple hundred for the installation. I just bought the car a month ago so I'm not used to its quirks yet. I will say it's getting great gas mileage still -- 37.7 mpg on the last tank (mixed city/hwy driving) and the light came on at about half tank.

Answer 1

Have them clear the codes and drive it.  See if it comes back again.  Then, replace the part.   The air/fuel ratio sensor is an expensive part, but is way more accurate than an oxygen sensor.  As for the labor to install...... it is exactly .5 hrs.  Ask them their labor rate and divide by two.  This is the proper money that installing it should cost.   Diagnosis is a separate charge, though.

   And never use cheap aftermarket replacements for this sensor, they always cause problems, because the calibration for this sensor is very touchy and exact.  Advance auto is chinese for "fubar".

Answer 2

An o2 sensor for your car is between 90 and 120$ at advance auto. This mechanic is scamming you.

Answer 3

It came on after a unusual engine performance event. Have the code cleared and the computer reset and see if it happens again. If it does then get it fixed, otherwise forget about it.