Powertrain, generic · Fuel and air metering

P0153 O2 Sensor Circuit Slow Response Bank 2 Sensor 1

Check engine lightOn
EmissionsRelevant
Drive cycleRequired
Limp modeNo

The oxygen sensor before the catalytic converter on bank 2 (sensor 1) is the main control sensor for the mixture. It is either a switching sensor (about 0.1 V lean to 0.9 V rich) or a wide-band sensor that works with a pump current evaluated by an interface chip. Bank 2 exists only on engines with two exhaust manifolds. P0153 is the bank 2 counterpart of P0133: the sensor reacts too slowly to mixture changes. GM measures passively the average response time in both directions across 300/400–600 mV over 60 s and also fails too few transitions; Ford modulates the mixture itself and evaluates amplitude, signal line length or response times. The test runs once per drive at warm part load, two trips. The previous obdex title of this code wrongly repeated P0152's 'High Voltage'.

Likely causes

Aged, sooted or poisoned upstream sensor (oil, silicone, coolant, additives)
Exhaust leak ahead of the sensor (manifold gasket, crack)
Sensor heater weak or intermittent (sensor too cold)
Mixture fault: air leak, injectors, fuel pressure, air flow sensor
Wiring resistance or aftermarket sensor with different characteristics

Symptoms

  • Check engine light on (after two drive cycles)
  • Slightly higher consumption
  • Higher emissions, possible emissions test failure
  • P0430 may follow

Repair estimate

DifficultyMediumDIY possible
Parts and labour€60–300
Time0.5–2 h

Typical range across vehicles; the real cost depends on what the testing finds.

Parts involved

oxygen sensor bank2 sensor1oxygen sensor wiringengine control module

Related codes

P0133P0154P0155P0174P0430P2197

References: law.cornell.edu, gsi.ext.gm.com, newtonnet.co.uk, saabwisonline.com.