Few questions on '05 outback following accident

[gritle]

Hello,

I got in a wreck about three weeks ago and have a few questions of curiosity/exploration now that I got my vehicle back.  I suffered a collision (t-bone) of my passenger side front wheel and door.  This was repaired pretty easily.  In the process it was found that my ball joints were rusted and I was missing boots.  So plenty of work done on front end.  ust before the accident i was checking on an engine light matter that first said it was an o2 sensor.  It seems an o2 sensor will affect HPG and when the check engine light on the cruise is disabled.  I had my auto body guy look at it and he said there are too many o2 sensor to pinpoint with his time and my estimate.  Is there any way to pinpoint which o2 senosr is malfunctioning? My initial search showed the part as 200 itself? (autozone quote)  Can these be found for less?

 

Then this just happened on my way to work after picking vehcile up from body shop this morning.  I noticed  a loudish grinding noise coming from the right rear ( sounds kind of like a card board on bike spokes.)  It sounds almost like a an exhaust issue but I am not sure (new muffler in august).  The sound increases in speed and volume as the the car accelerates.  I wonder if this might be a wheel bearing issue.  I had this repaired about two years ago.  Do these go out so quickly and what is a general estimate for something like that?  I just put 760 into the car and am not keen on taking it in again.  How big of a problem might a bearing issue be?

 

I know there is usually a lot of great advice coming from this forum.

 

THANKS.

 

[86 Wonder Wedge]

As he is a body man, his inability to decide which sensor is reasonable.

 

However, with a CEL on, ANY auto part chain can plug in their OBDII scanner and retrieve the current codes for you. This code will tell you (if it IS a sensor and not a lean/rich code, EVAP or any other that are commonly blamed on a bad O2 sensor) which O2 sensor is bad.

 

Also, (assuming you have a 2.5) there are only 2 sensors. One on the passenger side exhaust before the converter and another after the converter. Sensors 1 and 2, respectively. There will only be a "Bank 1".

 

Since this problem was present before the accident, it is a safe bet that the wiring to the sensor is intact, but I have seen several that have had corroded sockets, frayed wires, ect.. so either you or your trusted mechanic should inspect those first. But chances are (if it throws an "O2 heater circuit" or "O2 unresponsive/unchanging" code) the sensor itself is bad, rockauto.com is THE best place to go for cheap, good stuff. I'd look for either a Denso or NTK replacement (NTK I BELIEVE is OEM on our cars).

 

For your grinding noise, find a large, open (flat, deserted) area and do some large and tight circles in both directions maintaining a constant speed with the windows down and radio off. (May help to have a second person in the middle of the circle listening as well) Listen for the noise to get worse/better/different with the different directions. If so, you probably have bad bearing in the side OPPOSITE of your turning direction (puts higher load on outside bearing making it louder). Sometimes a bad bearing will also present itself as loose/wobbly wheel when that corner is lifter and shaken with hands at the 12 and 6, 3 and 9, and 10 and 4 positions.

 

The bearing issue, depending on the wear, can become dangerous. If the bearing fails and separates, there is nothing but the CV axle holding your wheel on. And those don't generally hold on.

[gritle]

thanks.  Sounds l;ike some good steps to take. I forgot about the lifting and shaking the wheel thing.  I just know that I had those bearings replaced about 2-3 years ago.  Although with the solid impact to my right side/front wheel..tower business it could have joslted a lot.

 

The 02 sensor was actually an issue before the accident. (yes to 2.5l)  I was just leaving autozone after having the code read and about to get a second a opinion when I pulled out into a obsucrred visibility intersection. Thanks for the suggestion on parts.

 

From what I have read bearing replacement could run 500 or more???

 

Thanks.

Edited April 4, 2013 by gritle