Rep Power: 0

Disclaimer:
I am not a car enthusiast, and I'm sorry if my post is offensive or irrelevant to the diehards out there , but I am desperate for advice.

I have a 2005 Honda Civic EX and the shop I go to is telling me both my front and rear oxygen censors are bad and I need it fixed right away or I risk permenant damage to my vehicle. This is an $1100.00 fix and I DO NOT have $1100.00. They say sensors ( both before and after the cataylic converter) are completely burned out and cost $396 a piece plus labor. Does this sound right? I'm a such a girl when it comes to these things and I don't know.

Help me please!
T

 
Rep Power: 367

this one is for my 2002, Look in the site for your year/model.
The front one is pretty easy, not sure the rear one
http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/web...S_614236784___

 
Rep Power: 812

her 2005 uses expensive wideband sensors, not cheap narrowband like the older 01-03 civics. still, the dealer price is a ripoff. either check auto stores first and get a bosch OE type sensor, or look it up at www.hondaautomotiveparts.com which is a honda dealer but their pricing is much better. also they do not need to be fixed right away, you will just get 1-2mpg worse gas mileage but there is no huge hurry. within a month would be fine but it should be changed to keep the car running its best. as far as labor, it shouldnt take more than an hour to change both sensors. on a lift in their fancy shop, theres no way it would take more than 15 minutes. each sensor from honda is around $225. so for both youre at around $500 for parts. maybe another $80 for labor at a more reasonable shop. see if the bosch oe sensors in the auto store are any cheaper, because they are exactly the same brand inside as the honda sensor (NTK, not bosch) if you open the box and look. its just repackaged by bosch. the dealer should be ashamed, $300 for labor for a 15 minute job is a scam.

 
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The shop is bullshitting you. You do not need to get them changed RIGHT AWAY. Your car is perfectly fine to drive. You may use a bit more gas than usual and have a check engine light, but it won't damage your car.

Just save up the money and once you have it, get it done then. It's not a HUGE rush unless your car is undrivable.

Also, buy the parts yourself and get a more reasonable shop to install them.

 
Rep Power: 256

i say get a friend that is mechanically inclined to use a wrench to change them for you its a very easy job the hardest part is shelling out the cash for the new ones.

 
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Thanks. Found the parts online much cheaper than quoted by the repair shop and a few guys on craiglist willing to do the work for $100 bucks. One last question...I found Direct OE sensors, but do I want 4wire, 4wire heated or 1 wire unheated.

T.

 
Rep Power: 812

it has to be a heated sensor (and they have 4 wires). only the really old cars used unheated and they added a separate heater circuit later on so the sensor warms up faster on a cold engine start, before the exhaust gets hot enough to warm it up. basically for better gas mileage.

 
Rep Power: 256

is that a plug and play or a universal sensor your buying ???

 
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The plug in ones. I was told to get the direct fit, not universal by a mechanic on Craigslist

 
Rep Power: 812

yeah stick with the plug-in