Technical P0141 Fault code - Punto

[LJB81]

Hi all

Firstly, apologies if this is duplicated. I have searched but unable to find the answer to my question.

I recently bought my friends Punto off her, kind of like a little project. Its ultimately a little distarction from anxiety that i experience, i am by no means any kind of mechanic or expert!

It is a 54 Reg 1.2 8V. ( is this a MK2? im not sure)

It reads a fault code of P0141 which i believe is the oxygen sensor, is this the lamda sensor?

Is this something in which i can take off and give the connectors a clean or if this goes does it just need replacing?

I really appreciate any help

Thanks

Laura

 

[varesecrazy]

Hi all

Firstly, apologies if this is duplicated. I have searched but unable to find the answer to my question.

I recently bought my friends Punto off her, kind of like a little project. Its ultimately a little distarction from anxiety that i experience, i am by no means any kind of mechanic or expert!

It is a 54 Reg 1.2 8V. ( is this a MK2? im not sure)

It reads a fault code of P0141 which i believe is the oxygen sensor, is this the lamda sensor?

Is this something in which i can take off and give the connectors a clean or if this goes does it just need replacing?

I really appreciate any help

Thanks

Laura

Hi Laura, and welcome,

your car is probably a Mk2 / B

it IS the oxygen sensor, it'll have Black plug at the gearbox end of the engine,
unplug it ,and clean the connections,

the Probe will have a heater element ( for faster warm-up) it's not uncommon for this element to die of old age

https://www.fiatforum.com/punto-ii/336866-lambda-sensor-replacement.html

Charlie - Oxford

 

[LJB81]

Hi Laura, and welcome,

your car is probably a Mk2 / B

it IS the oxygen sensor, it'll have Black plug at the gearbox end of the engine,
unplug it ,and clean the connections,

the Probe will have a heater element ( for faster warm-up) it's not uncommon for this element to die of old age



Charlie - Oxford

Hi Charlie

Thank you for your reply.

I think i have located it to the right of the heat shield area. I will wait until tomorrow (when its hopefully stopped raining!) to have a further look.

i will post back with an update and possibly requesting further help

Thanks again

 

[Lightning]

I will wait until tomorrow (when its hopefully stopped raining!) to have a further look.

Why wait ?
Is it raining so hard that it flows on your keyboard and screen ?
http://images.lmgtfy.com/?q=p141+punto

 

[LJB81]

Umm no lol i aint taking computer out in the rain lol

Is there two parts to this sensor?

I thought that the oxygen sensor was the one in the pic but I'm now reading that is lower and connected to the exhaust. I'm confused :-(

 

[judderbar]

Umm no lol i aint taking computer out in the rain lol

Is there two parts to this sensor?

I thought that the oxygen sensor was the one in the pic but I'm now reading that is lower and connected to the exhaust. I'm confused :-(

There are two oxygen sensors on the exhaust system. Pre Cat and post Cat. Your picture shows the white heater wires of the pre cat sensor and the ribbed protective covering of the post cat sensor cable that goes under the car.

A sensor with the correct plug is very expensive about 70 pounds or so but you can get cheaper ones that need to be connected to the existing sensor wiring where you leave the old plug in place. The sensors should be good for 160,000 miles.

 

[LJB81]

There are two oxygen sensors on the exhaust system. Pre Cat and post Cat. Your picture shows the white heater wires of the pre cat sensor and the ribbed protective covering of the post cat sensor cable that goes under the car.

A sensor with the correct plug is very expensive about 70 pounds or so but you can get cheaper ones that need to be connected to the existing sensor wiring where you leave the old plug in place. The sensors should be good for 160,000 miles.

Thank you ??

Which should i be checking / replacing or do i need to replace both?
Thanks

 

[judderbar]

Thank you ??

Which should i be checking / replacing or do i need to replace both?
Thanks

for emissions and fuel economy you only need the top one to work. If you unplug the top one which is fairly easy to do you can test those white wires for the heater resistance. The heater resistance should only be a few ohms

 

[Ziggy122]

po141 comes back as Heater Element Bank 1 Sensor 2

Bank 1 doesn't matter as its not a V block or twin exhaust setup

the sensor 2 is the part we are looking at

Sensor 1 is PRE-Cat (Upstream)
Sensor 2 is POST-cat (downstream)

Each sensor has 2 parts to it - hence the 4 wires
2 wires are for the actual Sensor to detect the oxygen present in the emissions
USually the 2 white wires relate to the coil (heater coil) as that ISN'T polarity sensitive.

The picture posted up is pretty much looking at the Pre Cat sensor
There is a cable just below that - that follows down to gearbox-ish to the post cat
Check the connection there - Resistance check the 2 white wires with a Multimemeter set to resistance
Report back

Me -i'd put some Wd40 / Duck oil in there - remove and refit connector a couple of times
Some oil again - shake worst off - refit

Clear code and monitor the situation

You can always swap Pre and Post sensors around - as they are the same sensor, if the fault moves (new code but becomes Precat instead of post - its the sensor
If the fault stays on the post cat - you've got a wiring / ECU issue

Ziggy
O2 Sensor Heater Circuit Malfunction (Bank 1, Sensor 2)

Read more at: http://www.obd-codes.com/p0141
Copyright OBD-Codes.comnsor Heater Circuit Malfunction (Bank 1, Sensor 2)

Read more at: http://www.obd-codes.com/p0141
Copyright OBD-Codes.com

 

[LJB81]

Thank you Ziggy and Judderbar for the last two posts. You both have been a great help!! I will take a look after work tomorrow and report back ????

Thanks again!!!
Laura

 

[jazz452]

I picked 1 up on ebay for just over £20 its holding up so far been about 3 months.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/171658019209?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

 

[LJB81]

Ok so while looking at the sensor I've found this random plug, not connected to anything. (The yellow one)

Is this the post cat? Or something else? Thanks

 

[LJB81]

I've learnt that the car will have had a different gear box at some stage and it's a gear box sensor no longer needed.

This sensor is taking some getting off!!!! It's stuck lol

 

[flisko]

are you trying to find lambda or speed sensor?

 

[LJB81]

****Update****

Flisko - it was an issue with the Lambda sensor but came across the random unattached sensor as posted above

Firstly, thank you to EVERYONE who took the time to help me, you were all a big help and ive learnt a lot along the way!

I bought a sensor from a local scrappy as a tester - i know the guy and he confirmed it was working.

I tested the pre-cat which was on the car to start with and got the same reading on that as to the one from the scrappy.

I tested the post-cat...............and it was kaput!

So with the one bought from the scrappy (for now!) i have replaced the post-cat sensor and boosh! so far so good. I erased the fault code and so far the engine light is yet to return.... fingers crossed!

So, not bad work for a girl with long painted fingernails, to which i snapped one!
but it was your help which got me there!!!

Thanks again - airbag light next!!!

 

[Brendan W]

Girls are no slouches when it comes to spanners.
Maybe it's because so many of their partners are ones

Did you manage to get the sensor out without heating it or too much foul language ?

 

[LJB81]

Girls are no slouches when it comes to spanners.
Maybe it's because so many of their partners are ones

Did you manage to get the sensor out without heating it or too much foul language ?

Well i got rid of my spanner as he was just as useful as the kaput lambda sensor hehe

The sensor did need some heat on it to get it out. It must have took a good whack at some point as it was dented badly!!