Need to find out what’s causing the trouble code P0132 to show up? It means one of the O2 sensors (bank 1 sensor 1) has been reading a high voltage for a long period of time without switching back to a normal reading. It’s an extremely common trouble code in all vehicles, as oxygen sensors don’t last forever.
Where is bank 1 sensor 1 located? Every vehicle is different. In a 4-cylinder engine, the sensor will be located right before the catalytic converter and you can see it when you pop the hood. On 6, 8, 10, and 12 cylinder engines it gets more complicated. Bank 1 is often on the passenger side, while bank 2 is assigned to the driver side.
Causes
- Damaged or exposed O2 sensor wires
- Excessively high fuel temperature
- Exhaust leak
- Bad fuel injectors
- Faulty bank 1 oxygen sensor
Symptoms
- Smoke from exhaust
- Check engine light usually comes on
- Higher fuel consumption than normal
- Engine may cut off from time to time
- Irregular shifting
Warning: Ignoring P0132 can lead to a damaged catalytic converter!
How to Fix DTC P0132
First, it’s possible that the code is no longer active. Try to clear the code, and then drive the car to see if it comes back. If the code comes back, then move on to the next step.
Visually inspect the oxygen sensor. Every vehicle is different, so look up the location of bank 1 sensor 1 for your car. Check the wiring and make sure nothing is exposed. Sometimes, the coating on wires will rub and get damaged.
Bring some shop towels with you to wipe away any grease or dirt on the wires. When the sensor wires are dirty it’s nearly impossible to inspect them thoroughly.
The next step would be to test the heated oxygen sensor, which is surprisingly simple. Here’s a quick video that will walk you through the process.
Replacing an oxygen sensor can be easy or difficult depending on the vehicle. You will need to use the open end of a wrench to remove the old one. Some vehicles will require you to manually wire them in, while others have an easy disconnect on the end of the wiring.
Visit RockAuto or Amazon and put in your vehicle information to find the right oxygen sensor. Depending on the age of your vehicle, it may be worth it to buy all the oxygen sensors and replace them all at once.
