Rep Power: 0

Hi,

I've recently picked up a rebuilt 2004 EX D17A2, I use it to get around town only, almost never go on the highway in fact. (Previous owner smacked a deer, fixed it up all pretty, sold it to me cheap on a rebuilt title.) Car runs and drives great, sometimes as much as 37mpg even in town, but there's two issues I'm having, and wonder if they could be related:

1.) When the car is idle, at a light, or going down hill, the heater blows cold. If you go uphill or along level ground and don't stop, heats up great inside. Mildly annoying but didn't strike me as a big deal, until....

2.) I get a code yesterday P0135, which I believe is the Heated O2 Sensor code perhaps? Checked fuse #4 inside which is allegedly the O2 sensor fuse, fuse not blown. Maybe wrong fuse to check?

Full disclosure: When I first got the car, I did add coolant and may have overfilled the overflow reservoir a bit, not sure if that's possibly related. Car never overheats or anything like that.

Ideas before I start buying an O2 Sensor?... And do you think a new Heated O2 Sensor could theoretically fix the cold heater problem? Just hoping it's all one easy thing of course but realize it's a rebuilt car with dubious history. Don't need it perfect, just need it to run and drive, and don't mind ignoring the code forever if it's not critical. Many thanks in advance

BD

 
Rep Power: 221

what's the coolant level now? rad and bottle

 
Rep Power: 118

Very reasonable to expect hitting a deer cracked the radiator..

Try parking your car with the nose pointing up the biggest hill you can find, turn the heater on full and rev the engine a few times, shut the car down, waiti 30 minutes with the engine off for it to cool down enough to safely open the radiator cap and pour as much premixed antifreeze you can in. Add coolant to the resivor bottle if it is before the line.

Next day check under the cap before you drive if you can add more do it. Then check again the following day if your still adding more you should take it in to a shop for a quick leak test.

 
Rep Power: 517

Lack of heat at idle means the radiator system is LOW.
Top up the radiator and burp the trapped air out of the system.
Fill reservoir to max line.

Then you can figure out if it's losing antifreeze from a leak, or if it's blown the head gasket....