P1150 IS for the air fuel ratio sensor, Bank 2 Sensor 1 which is the one closest to the radiator, i.e. your illustration.

 

How likely is it something that I can repair myself?

Thank you for confirming the location and providing the information that it is the air/fuel ratio sensor.

I'm trying to determine if I can resolve the issue without taking the car to the dealer. The car belongs to an elderly neighbor and every time he takes it in to the dealer, he ends up with a $700 - $800 or more repair bill which he cannot afford.

Now, the question is: What do I do to trouble shoot this?

Should I clean the sensor, look at air filters, or for leaky hoses?

Could this indicate he's overdue for a tune-up?

If I can resolve the issue for him without having to take it to the dealer for an expensive repair, that would be really great.

I wouldn't want to attempt a tuneup on this car, but I could certainly clean or replace the sensor, clean or replace an air filter or hose, etc.

As I mentioned, the car runs perfectly and the gas mileage doesn't seem to be affected, so I'm thinking it may be as simple as removing the sensor, cleaning it and re-installing it.

 

Hello there new member! :welcome:

When it comes to the sensors, I never saw/read anywhere you can clean or fix it yourself. Since its a sensor, its too difficult to fix by cleaning it since its a sophisticated component.

The sensor should run around $80-120 but i maybe wrong. You can PM TOYOPARTSMAN for a price on the sensor or go to rockauto.com or local car part stores.

It'll be quick and easy, Remove & Replace with new sensor - done!

What is the car mileage?
is the transmission fluid brown or not pink/red?
Brake fluid brown or darker? -I just flush mine today and the new fluid is like almost clear :thumbsup: old fluid is brown:thumbsdow
if your neighbor hear a clunk in rear(like empty boxes) when driving over a bump then, replace the rear sway bar bushings. - this fixed my problem

 

Is P1150 Bank 2, Sensor 1? Yes

Is this a correct photo of that sensor? Yes

I disconnected the battery and reconnected it. The check engine light went out and didn't come back on for three months. I scanned again. Got P1150, so I disconnected the battery and reconnected. The check engine light went out and stayed off for 3 days.

I see that P1150 can have several causes, but I notice that many of the comments focus on the sensor itself.

My concern is that I thought a sensor was supposed to indicate a problem, not actually be the problem.

Is a bad sensor a common problem for code P1150? Yes

The car runs fine. Does that make it more likely the sensor is bad or needs cleaning? No

Before I do anything else, should I remove the sensor and clean it with aerosol contact cleaner? No

I've seen various claims on the Internet that this code can indicate that the car needs a tuneup, that the gas is bad, and even that I may need an oil change.

I'd like to troubleshoot this myself and, if I get lucky, fix it myself!

Is there any visual inspection I should do to look for leaks in hoses or whatever? Yes, check the PCV system for operation.

Are there any filters I should inspect, clean, or replace? Yes, all with regularity - oil/air/pollen/fuel.

Any information that would help with troubleshooting would be most appreciated!

Thank you,

Geoff

And when you remove that sensor, use a well fitting socket and go slowly and steadily so as to not strip the threads in that manifold. Toyopartsman gave you the response for the code and his OEM sensors are a direct fit and well priced. I used him to replace all three air/fuel and 02 sensors - great results.

 

+1 for this!! This is a pretty easy job, since it is so accessible. Advance/AutoZone/whoever around here often have O2 sensor sockets to loan/rent. One more thing - the new sensor will probably come with anti-seize on the threads. If it does not, buy some and put it on the threads before you install the new sensor.

These types of sensors very often fail after a few years; they operate in a pretty harsh environment. Cleaning the sensor will not help you - usually doesn't work, plus you are also getting a heater circuit malfunction which cannot be fixed by cleaning anything.

Kudo's for you for helping out your neighbor!

 

Cleaning the sensor

FIRST, AN IMPORTANT QUESTION: Am I barking up the wrong tree looking at the sensor itself? Sensors are supposed to control and alert, not be the actual problem!!!

Does the fact that we're only getting P1150 and no other codes and that the Check Engine Light stays out for three or four days when I disconnect the battery to reset it indicate anything in particular? Not knowing about these cars, to me that indicates it could be an electrical connection or something with the sensor itself. (If the fuel mix was way off, wouldn't that affect performance and wouldn't the Check Engine Light come back on almost immediately once my neighbor started driving?)

I've seen a post here where someone cleaned the sensor with aerosol contact cleaner and got good results.

Since it is a air/fuel ratio problem, or an electrical connection, or a bad sensor, I thought I would inspect hoses and couplings, remove and clean the sensor, and replace any air filters. Is there a filter on the air intake for the fuel injectors that I might replace?

A problem with the heater was also mentioned. The heat works fine as far as I can tell testing it in Dallas, Texas in the Summer (95 to 100 F). I'll check the heat tomorrow AM when it will only be 85F:lol:

Are there air filters, etc. which would affect the air/fuel ratio?

We're also going to try a tank of higher octane fuel.

Thank you for the note on being careful not to strip the manifold. I have the correct size wrench and will be careful.

I actually do know something about mechanics. I rebuilt a 1952 Jaguar from the ground up when I was in high school in the 1960's and rebuilt the engine on my VW Beetle in the 70's when I was in graduate school, and worked on my Porsche in the early '80's. I've tinkered since then and understand the theory behind the computers, electrical system, and sensors, BUT, I know nothing of how it is actually implemented on recent vintage automobiles. I do know enough not to damage anything and cause additional problems.

 

FIRST, AN IMPORTANT QUESTION: Am I barking up the wrong tree looking at the sensor itself? Sensors are supposed to control and alert, not be the actual problem!!!

Does the fact that we're only getting P1150 and no other codes and that the Check Engine Light stays out for three or four days when I disconnect the battery to reset it indicate anything in particular? Not knowing about these cars, to me that indicates it could be an electrical connection or something with the sensor itself. (If the fuel mix was way off, wouldn't that affect performance and wouldn't the Check Engine Light come back on almost immediately once my neighbor started driving?)

No, the sensor is likely the problem. The car's computer expects to see certain value ranges from each sensor; when it doesn't it recognizes a problem and turns on a code for that sensor. If the fuel mix was off (too lean or too rich), you would get different codes. There is often a delay because the computer wants to see the problem for some extended lenght of time or number of drive cycles before turning on the light.

I've seen a post here where someone cleaned the sensor with aerosol contact cleaner and got good results.

Very unlikely; few people have had much luck cleaning these kinds of sensors. They operate in a very harsh envoronment. Plus, the heater circuit is also throwing a code (see add'l comments below).

Since it is a air/fuel ratio problem, or an electrical connection, or a bad sensor, I thought I would inspect hoses and couplings, remove and clean the sensor, and replace any air filters. Is there a filter on the air intake for the fuel injectors that I might replace?

There is an air filter; open up air box to inspect and replace if dirty. However, unlikely that this is the problem.

A problem with the heater was also mentioned. The heat works fine as far as I can tell testing it in Dallas, Texas in the Summer (95 to 100 F). I'll check the heat tomorrow AM when it will only be 85F:lol:

These are "heated" sensors; they need to be at a high (inside exhaust system high) temp to work correctly, so they have a heater circuit that raises the sensor temp when the car is still cold. That is the heater being referred to.

Are there air filters, etc. which would affect the air/fuel ratio?

We're also going to try a tank of higher octane fuel.

Thank you for the note on being careful not to strip the manifold. I have the correct size wrench and will be careful.

I actually do know something about mechanics. I rebuilt a 1952 Jaguar from the ground up when I was in high school in the 1960's and rebuilt the engine on my VW Beetle in the 70's when I was in graduate school, and worked on my Porsche in the early '80's. I've tinkered since then and understand the theory behind the computers, electrical system, and sensors, BUT, I know nothing of how it is actually implemented on recent vintage automobiles. I do know enough not to damage anything and cause additional problems.[/QUOTE/]

The on-board diagnostic capability of modern cars, especially for emissions related equipment, is really quite amazing. While not infallible, the codes usually point at the precise problem.