I want to change my o2 sensors where are they located and how many are there.
There is one before each catalytic converter (usually up right near the exhaust manifolds), and one after each cat (or if you have a Y-pipe exhaust that brings the two sides together to one pipe and one converter, then there's one after that single converter). Why do you want to change them? Have you gotten failure codes or are you having poor gas mileage? Or have they just been in there a long time? They're usually good for about 60k miles, although of course they can fail early. Usually the symptoms are poor fuel economy, running rich (seen by black smoke out the tailpipes and some rough idling, as well as blackened spark plugs), or fault codes dealing with system-lean or system-rich descriptions. Those symptoms are indicative of bad primary O2 sensors (the ones closest to the engine). If your secondary sensor(s) are failing (the post-cat sensor or sensors) you'll trip a check-engine light warning you of poor catalytic converter efficiency.
If the O2 sensors haven't been changed, then you're right in changing them - they're definitely due. You'll need to buy or rent an oxygen sensor socket to do this though - it's a special socket sized for an O2 sensor but with a cut down the side to give clearance for the wires. You'll do well to spray the sensors down with PB Blaster or Deep Creep penetrating oil to help break them free - the heat from the exhaust can seize them into place. Hit them with the oil a couple of times an hour for a couple hours before you try to remove them, so you'll have less trouble.
Blue smoke is usually a sign of some oil burning - take a look at the engine below the valve covers, and pull out a spark plug as well, and see if you see signs of oil seepage below the covers or any oil on the spark plug. If you do, you should change the valve cover gaskets (a very simple task that you can do in your garage with a few basic hand tools).
Changing the plugs is a good idea as well - chances are they're ready to be changed if they haven't been in a couple years. Most auto parts stores sell them preset to the proper gap as well, so you can just put them in without having to set them (ask the salesperson if they're pre-gapped though, just to be sure, so the car runs smoothly).
You can change your air filter yourself as well - they're usually in the $15-20 range and the airbox opens up with a few screws or clips (much cheaper than paying a shop $50 or more for the part and the labor).
You could buy a new set of spark plug wires as well and install them - many times they're numbered to show where they go, but if not, you can take off one at a time and replace them by matching the length of the one you take off to the length of one of the new ones. Just do one at a time so you don't get any of them installed and run to the wrong cylinders.
Finally, if you change your own oil, you can save quite a bit as well - AutoZone often has specials where they'll give you the oil filter free when you buy five quarts of oil.
You may find that for tuneup work like this, you dont' have to go to a shop at all - you can do almost all of it with basic tools. And many shops will call a parts store and buy the parts for the same price you buy them for, and then mark them up 50-100%, so you will save that money too.
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I want to change the starter on my lexus es 300. Can I do it myself
SOURCE: How many O2 sensors on a 1997 Lexus ES 300?
according to the manual i have... it has three.... one in the exhaust manifold.... and two in the exhaust pipe..... slightly vauge on the exact location of the last two sensors... but looks like it is after the catylitic converter.
SOURCE: i to find where the fuel filter is located for lexus es 300 2002 so i can change thanks
is in the tanks w/the fuel pump,i hope this help good luck.
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my car has 90,000 miles on it and I am taking it in for a tune -up. I want to do some of the work myself to save money. It is starting to run a little rough and puffing a little blue smoke on start up. fliuds changed regularly and look good.
Thanks for you assistance and any suggestions
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