How-To Tuesday: Replacing the Oxygen Sensor in Your Lexus IS
Today’s How-To Tuesday article focuses on replacing the oxygen sensor in your Lexus IS 250 or IS 350 between the model years 2005 and 2014. It’s a moderately difficult DIY, but only because it takes a special tool and a little elbow grease.
As you may have guessed, step one is locating the two sensors. Once you’ve located the sensors, apply a “penetrating lubricant” (like WD40) and let it sit for 12 to 24 hours.
After you’ve pre-lubed, it’s time to go in with the not-so-heavy machinery: a normal wrench with offset or an O2 sensor socket. Since the sensor is connected to a quick-disconnect harness, one of these special tools is necessary. But once you’ve got that, it should only take you about 15 minutes to get the job done.
The whole process is explained with step-by-step details in the article, as well as in the video below. And it’s an important fix indeed, as the oxygen sensor checks your exhaust and reports the ideal air to fuel ratio, which is vital for your car’s optimal performance. If the sensor goes on the fritz, it does so slowly, causing rough idle, engine pings, bad mileage, and higher emissions.
Typically, a sensor replacement should be done every 60,000 to 90,000 miles. It’s often misdiagnosed, so if you’re rocking an experienced IS, or dealing with any of the above symptoms, perhaps it’s time to DIY.
