Hi,

I have read several of the excellent threads on this topic, but I stil have a question. Check engine light on, Advance auto pulled a P0031 code, Bank 1 Sensor 1. I had read several postings of people stripping the threads on this o2 sensor, so I decided to check with my mechanic first. They have a new service manager, so I called and spoke with him, and gave him the code. He said he couldn't give me a quote on the phone because he said he had to see the car and determine if it was a CA engine, then he could try to find the part and get me out by the end of the day. This caused me a little concern because everyone says this is a 20 minute job and Advance Auto listed one sensor, a Denso OEM for 89.95. They didn't say anything about needing to know if it is a California engine etc.

Bottom line, I am a little nervous based on my conversation with the service manager (trust wise), so I am asking for a sanity check to see if any of this sounds correct. Also, I guess is there any way (maybe from the VIN) that I can check and see if my car is a CA car or is this all a line of BS. Any advice or guidance would be greatly appreciated. I'm thinking of doing this myself, but like I said the stripped threads stories have me nervous. Thanks very much.

Brian

If your vehicle is a California Compliant model then it should have a decal on the inside of the hood similar to the attachment, with the statement "... and to California regulations ..." at the bottom. See the attachment for a sample decal.

If you go to Toyota Parts - Genuine OEM Toyota Auto Parts and Accessories (http://www.toyotapartszone.com/) and enter your VIN, then search for the part you need, it will tell you if this is the correct part or not for your vehicle. To locate the sensor, first select "ELECTRICAL" as the category, then "SWITCH & RELAY" as the sub-category. Multiple O2 sensors are listed, so pick the correct one you need.
If you have a Toyota Part Number (usually a 5 digit number, then a dash, then another 5 digits) you can enter that and immediately jump to the part & then verify with the VIN.

As far as the dealer needing to SEE the car to determine if it's a CA model, that's TOTAL BS! The VIN will tell them if it's a CA model or not. Sounds like he's just interested in getting you in there & then do the hard sell crap.

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