Hi,
My honda civic 2000 LX check light is on and I took it to meineke car care. I was informed that O2 sensor needs replacement and it would cost 245$. But, from a friend, I heard it should cost about 150$. Not sure if i should give it to car care or take it to someone else.

 

Also, can someone please suggest best autoshop for this kind of repair.

 

You should do it yourself It is not too hard.

o2 sensor prices will vary depending on the brand. Also, repair shop labor rates will vary per shop. I think anywhere from $150 to $250 is in the right ball park.

 

You're better off just buying a short breaker bar, a o2 socket, and the o2 sensor itself. You can go to autozone and they can show you what you need. Just make sure you don't tighten the sensor too hard with the breaker bar..just a nudge with do.

 

It is always good to have a larger jack and jack handle. I cannot tell you how many times this like 5ft long (can break into two even sections) jack handle has helped me. Leverage is usually the answer if you end up getting stuck at anytime removing a bolt/screw in sensor.

You may even be able to "rent" the o2 sensor socket (for the full price) and return it afterwards for a refund. Many places like Pepboys and such offer this.

 

thanks all. yesterday, i took the car to a auto care shop to fix it (I am new to car mechanics..). he noticed that there is a crack on the part (forgot the name) that surrounds the port for O2 sensor. so, he might have to replace the complete part. It might cost me 750$.
he informed me that I can run the car, but might be at the risk of more gas. I am planning to wait for building some cash and giving it sometime this month when I am ready to go. Is there a better way as investing 750$ on this car is like quarter price of the car, which is hurting me.

 

The cat / manifold assembly on the model you have is prone to crack. A crack can cause bad running and a sensor code even though the sensor is OK. The part is expensive, Honda was replacing them for free for a while but that may have run out.

 

this is what a guy suggested..as the cat converter is not showing its code, we can weld the portion and replace with a new O2 sensor - as the computer unit shows fault code only on O2 sensor. this would be cheaper and i can finish in 350$ compared to 700+
Is this a good idea