Hi everyone, I have 2016 RDX and emissions light is on. Local mechanic who specializes in Honda cars told me the code told him it's a bad o2 sensor. It was coming on and off so he told me to leave it for now and just use quality name brand premium gas to see if it goes away. One month later, the emissions light just stays on constantly. Anyone know how difficult this is to replace and approximate cost to repair?

The reason I ask is that the honda mechanic is a little far for me plus I would need to use their loaner car. Still trying to stay safe during these COVID times so I have local mechanic that is a 5 min drive from home who does simple things I trust them with like oil changes, brakes, AC service. Is this something I should trust with local do it all mechanic or take it to a honda "expert".

Also, incidentally, I only have 72,000 miles on the car. Is this normal for o2 sensor to go bad? My mechanic said it could be because I don't use premium gas. I change between regular, mid and premium plus I have not driven the car much this year due to COVID.

Thanks in advance for responses

 

o2 sensors can be funky, but generally they're not hard to change. Sometimes they can go bad at early mileages, but I wouldn't be too concerned. I'd try running premium for a month and see if the issue comes back.

 

the price of the part + $50 bucks or so...

 

the catalytic converters get soaked in fuel upon start up...this is by design to get the car to warm up faster.

the non-premium fuel theory could be plausible, as the cats get soaked, so does the 02 sensor.

 

I'm assuming you don't have the trouble code. There are more than one oxygen sensor and the trouble code would tell you which one is bad. From what I can see, the V6 RDX have two catalytic converters and four O2 sensors, 2 in front of the converters (the likely culprits) and the 2 after the converter. If the 2 after the converter go bad, the converter itself may be bad.

I would use a genuine Honda/Acura O2 sensor which will cost you $100+ from the mechanic. They will likely charge you an hour labor rate.

If you're handy, it's not a difficult repair but you need to know which sensor to replace. It's most likely one of the two front sensors but you need to know which one.

Good luck.

 

I agree 100% with this.

You'll wanna check which O2 is causing the issue first. As it may give hints as to what side of the engine is causing the issue.
A bad O2 before the cat can show its getting dirty from improper combustion for example. An a O2 code from the rear one could indicate a failing cat. But you want to check what code your getting because it will tell you more information. (emission out of spec, vs a voltage short, etc)

1hr of labor on a lift should cover it easy, or some DIY on the ground with some ramps and rental O2 tools from your local auto shop

As for the cost of the o2, always use a OEM spec replacement NTK. Rockauto has them for the 2G RDX for fair prices. Rockauto lists the pre-cat O2 sensors for about $75 from NTK, and $45 for the ones after the cat.

chose the ones that say 'Actual OE Part"

 

Depending on what state you are in, your emissions warranty may not be expired. CARB states are 6 years and 70k

 

manual and gas cap say to use premium. otherwise could be the reason you have to buy o2 sensors now.

 

I seriously doubt this is the case. Using TopTier fluid is far more important. Also, the VCM can cause some oil consumption that can foul the CAT.

The VCM system is supposed to be much better in RDXs starting in 2016, but as the miles stack up, trouble caused by this system can still emerge.
I think checking the plugs on the cylinders that shut down would be wise at this time. If they are fouled, or even a little oily, I would look into a VCM disabling device.
Honda/Acura did have a warranty extension on the piston rings used in this engine, but that does not include these model years. Acura will be happy to replace the rings
at your expense. On other boards with this engine it is suggested that one muzzle the VCM, add some Techron, and floor it a lot. Also, change the oil sooner during this process.

 

It's not the fuel. If this was the case, there would O2 sensors failing in these cars left and right. Not everyone uses premium gas and there is no such thing as cheap fuel in the US.

Your local mechanic can do this repair easily. Have him check a few other things while he has your car on the lift. Maybe he can find a cause for the O2 sensor failing.

Before he does any repairs, make sure he tells you what the code is. There are diagnostic sheets associated with each code.

Good luck.


Based on your mileage and model year, I'm assuming you do a lot of highway driving.