Weird O2 Wiring!!!!

[john4wd]

Update: I went to a salvage yard and they had 2 Prizms and still had the O2 wiring and I took off the tape that was on them like that was on mine because it didn't look like a factory would do it, with electrical tape, and the wiring looked just like the pic I posted, so it wasn't messed with, it's the same with all Prizms thanks goodness, so i tested the O2 sensor like the video on youtube with a propane torch and a digital meter and it was bad, so I put a new one on and waalaa no check engine light. How weird is that, take car for a test drive all over town, pay for it and on my first drive the check engine light comes on for a bad O2, never had that happen before ;}LOL

I just got a 97 Prizm LSI & within a few miles of just paying for it & heading home the check engine light came on and took it to auto zone and a codes came up for Heated oxygen sensor - bank 1 sensor 1 (HO2S11) & also Slow response (Heated oxygen sensor bank 1 sensor 1)
I noticed that the wiring to the front 1st oxygen sensor is had electrical tape on it, so I took it off to get a look at what was going on and it was frayed, there is a big gray wire coming from the factory wire loom then stops and a smaller black one going in it from the opposite direction coming from the connector and or coming out of the gray wire and the gray wire is frayed and pulled back onto itself just like shielding on a coaxial cable for cable TV, when you install an end before cripping.
I've never seen anything like that on a vehicle and I've been a novice do it your selfer since my first vehicle and this is a first I've see wiring like this. Check out the photobucket pic...
As you see in pic there is a light brown wire coming from factry wire loom same as gray one to the connector mounted on the electric fan, but the bigger gray wire stops and then the smaller black wire goes on to the connector, after that the blue and white small O2 sensor wires goes from the connector. Anybody else looks like this or has any idea what's going on? Why is the gray wire so much bigger than the light brown one? How is this to be fixed? Any help much appriciated, Thanks...

http://s1190.photobucket.com/albums/...0-14-20105.jpg

[zythr]

Take it back to where you got it and get them to fix it, unless you did not get a warratny.

[speedy25]

Someone adapted another O2 sensor from another vehicle. I can tell you that wire style exists on Nissan and probably some others too.

BUT if you're getting a code for a heater problem then there should be a 4-wire sensor. Since there is no heater on the one you have of course it thinks the response is slow.

-SP

[john4wd]

It was a buy off owner, as is, not from a dealer, should have mentioned that, the gray wire and the light brown went all the way back to factory wiring and no splices cuts/frays looks stock. Is the black wire surrounded by the shielding wire then coated again in gray sheething so it's bigger. I think I might have to find another prizm for sale or corolla and see how that wiring is.

[john4wd]

Can someone take a pic of there prizm/corolla front exhaust manifold O2 sensor wiring from where the O2 connects to factory harness plug it's that's attached to the fan to where it goes into the factory harness so I can see what it looks like, I've tried to find one locally since my last post on this thread to get a look to see what there's looks like and to see if the wiring has been messed with since someone put electrical tape on it, that would be great, if someone can take a few minutes and give me some close up pics. Thanks for any help will be greatly appriciated!!!!