Ok so my check engine light has been on for about 5 months now. Apparently my car is running to rich. I get a code 45 when I do the paper clip trick. I took it to autozone and had them hook up a scanner and the worker told me that the engine is running rich. In the past few months, I have changed my gas filter, spark plugs, distributor cap and rotor, cat-back, and air filter. Could it be the oxygen sensor? Does anyone know what the problem might be?

Oh and I checked my spark plug wires with a multimeter and they are within spec.

 

take your spark plugs out and look at them see if they look it would be running rich i think that they should look black if it is running rich if it is white the car is running correct/lean so then change the o2 sensor

 

I checked the spark plugs and it does in fact appear that the engine is running rich, but can the O2 sensor be the only cause? I don't want to buy one, and then the CEL is still on. Another thing, I notice that every time I reset the computer, it takes about 50 miles for the CEL to come back on. If I were to get my car inspected while the CEL was off, do you think I would pass inspection?

 

If you haven't changed the O2 sensor then that has to be the problem.....

 

Is there two of them? If so, are they the exact same?

 

Another thing, if the problem is the o2 sensor than why doesn't it throw an o2sensor code? And could someone answer my qustion about passing inspection?

 

I had this problem, and it wasnt the O2 sensor, my computer was bad.

But yes, 99% of the time, the 02 is to blame.