Pin16

P2274

O2 Sensor Signal Stuck Lean (Bank 1 Sensor 3)

Severity
Medium
Driving
Drivable — book it in

Oxygen sensor 3 on bank 1 - downstream of the catalytic converter - is stuck reporting lean, meaning it is reading too much air for the fuel and never moving from that. A downstream sensor should drift slowly as the converter works; one that sits at a fixed value has usually stopped responding rather than found a real problem.

Possible causes

What you might notice

What to check, in order

  1. Check for exhaust leaks around the sensor first. Air drawn in through a leak makes a working sensor report lean, and it is far cheaper to fix than a sensor.
  2. Read all codes. Upstream fuel trim codes alongside this one mean the mixture really is wrong and the downstream sensor is reporting it correctly.
  3. Watch the sensor on the live data screen through a drive. A downstream sensor that never moves at all has stopped working.
  4. Ask whether silicone sealant was used on the exhaust or the engine recently - it poisons oxygen sensors and the damage is permanent.
  5. Do not replace the catalytic converter on this code. The downstream sensor monitors the converter; a stuck sensor tells you nothing about the converter's condition.

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Where this code sits