OBD code P1033...any ideas

[battlepigeons]

1999 V6 Ltd. w/193k miles

This is an odd one for me. Last week I got a P1033. I've looked on a few websites, called autozone and even looked on a published 4runner repair guide and this code is not listed for the 4runner. The closest I've found is on a Mitsubishi and it says "OxSenor malfunction". Any ideas?

Not sure if it is related, but for the past few years it's had a lack of power going up hills and accelerating, and over the last year, idle has been low a few minutes after start-up and stays low (6k) until it cuts off at a stoplight. I've got to juice the throttle to keep it alive.

In the past 3 years I've personally replaced or checked the MAF, air filter, Ignition coils and wires, compression check (low but within specs) and replaced spark plugs all with no change. Wife took it to a shop and they said they replaced the fuel filter. Took it to another shop for a test drive and they said "It's a 4runner with 193k miles, you got what you got". I've gotten no improvement in uphill power or acceleration.

Any ideas?

 

[bak3rme]

1999 V6 Ltd. w/193k miles

This is an odd one for me. Last week I got a P1033. I've looked on a few websites, called autozone and even looked on a published 4runner repair guide and this code is not listed for the 4runner. The closest I've found is on a Mitsubishi and it says "OxSenor malfunction". Any ideas?

Not sure if it is related, but for the past few years it's had a lack of power going up hills and accelerating, and over the last year, idle has been low a few minutes after start-up and stays low (6k) until it cuts off at a stoplight. I've got to juice the throttle to keep it alive.

In the past 3 years I've personally replaced or checked the MAF, air filter, Ignition coils and wires, compression check (low but within specs) and replaced spark plugs all with no change. Wife took it to a shop and they said they replaced the fuel filter. Took it to another shop for a test drive and they said "It's a 4runner with 193k miles, you got what you got". I've gotten no improvement in uphill power or acceleration.

Any ideas?

i BELIEVE that this is bank 1 sensor 1 oxygen sensor, my car has the same deal, but my CEL went away yesterday for some random reason. its been on for a couple months and autozone said it was an o2 sensor. they run at 114$ at my local napa, usually when u replace o2 sensors you have to replace (2) at a time, there is 2 located under your car. i hope someone here can confirm that this is a faulty o2 sensor.

IF that is the problem and you do buy it. try to do it yourself to save the labor, its pretty easy to do and local shops will charge you like 50-60 bucks for labor when its a pretty easy task.

 

[TheDurk]

There is no P1033 in my '99 4Runner FSM. It does seem to be o2 on a few other cars, but 1000+ is manufacturer specific so that may not mean anything. Any chance engine (and ECU) came from another car? P1133 and P0133 are both sensor related on the V6, any chance your number was misread?

In any case, if it is o2 sensor, I would go here URD Sensor Page to get the correct OEM Denso part number. Then look around for the best price. Amazon is a good bet but they have lousy application info--you need the part number. I would not buy Bosch, people report a lot of pain with those.

Oh yeah, get 2 new S/S nuts from the dealer (#90179-08059), you will probably need them.

 

[battlepigeons]

I'm an idiot. I read it wrong. P0133. I could have swore up and down it was the other way around. What a waste of time. But it is still in line with the OxSen problem. My question now is now, should I replace both or just the front? It is 10 years old with almost 200k on it!

 

[bak3rme]

I'm an idiot. I read it wrong. P0133. I could have swore up and down it was the other way around. What a waste of time. But it is still in line with the OxSen problem. My question now is now, should I replace both or just the front? It is 10 years old with almost 200k on it!

i got the same problem..however my CEL goes on and off during the month...it just went away the other day after about a month of staying on. usually your suppose to replace both at a time. and like i said napa here quoted me 114 for just one sensor..no labor.

if someone can clearify if we need to change both or 1..coz i have the money to fix one..but not 2 right now.

 

[TheDurk]

There is no real harm in waiting to do the rear one. It has zero effect on drivability, performance or economy. It just sets codes. If it's original, sure, change it. If you have owned the truck for less than, say, 75k, and don't know how old it is, I'd let it go and see how long it lasts. Might be good for 30-50k.

 

[SkidPalace]

I'm an idiot. I read it wrong. P0133. I could have swore up and down it was the other way around. What a waste of time. But it is still in line with the OxSen problem. My question now is now, should I replace both or just the front? It is 10 years old with almost 200k on it!

Umm, there's no P0133 in the 4runner service manual either. You may have gotten a P1133 or a P1130.
Both codes are for the Air/fuel sensor, bank 1 sensor 1. 1130 is a range/performance malfunction and 1133 is a response malfunction.
I just got finished with a battle between me and my a/f sensor described in this thread.
The end result was a new a/f sensor from Amazon.com for $124.
This assumes you have a Cali spec car (two cats). If you have a 49 state car then you have two O2 sensors which are less expensive.
I am guessing you have a cali spec since O2 sensor malfunction trouble codes are P0136 and P0141.
Let us know how it goes.

 

[TheDurk]

Umm, there's no P0133 in the 4runner service manual either.

Yeah, there is. Page DI-216 of Vol. I of the '99 4Runner FSM. P0133:Heated Oxygen Sensor Slow Response (Bank 1 Sensor 1) (Ex. CA Spec.). Note that the OP has a '99.

You couldn't have this with an Cali.type A/F sensor, I believe, because on a Cali. voltage is set by the ECU and the A/F sensor causes the current to vary. This code would mean he has a 49-state truck, and needs to change his front O2 sensor. Other causes are air induction system, injector, fuel pressure, or the sensor wiring.

 

[battlepigeons]

Finished

So I ended up going the long way around on this one. In order to save money by not replacing part after part, chasing down the problem of the low idle and P0133 code, I took it in to a shop hoping the mechanic would testing the sensor as part of the diagnosis. Hoping to save $130 on buying a new sensor if I didn't need one, I spent $210 on a diagnosis! Crap.

Mechanic cleaned the MAF and throttle body. Brought up the idle from 550 to 600 rpm at idle, but the P0133 still came up after a few days. But at least the engine only died once a week, not every day at stoplights. Mechanic said he couldn't say for sure if it was he OxSensor because his computer wasn't picking up anything. But he could scope it for another couple hundred to see if it was the throttle bodies.

I ended up saying screw it and just paid the $130 for a new sensor. Now idle is around 625, power has picked up a little bit and it hasn't died since. Wish I would have followed my previous mantra and just replaced it....

 

[battlepigeons]

i got the same problem..however my CEL goes on and off during the month...it just went away the other day after about a month of staying on. usually your suppose to replace both at a time. and like i said napa here quoted me 114 for just one sensor..no labor.

if someone can clearify if we need to change both or 1..coz i have the money to fix one..but not 2 right now.

I replaced just the front one for P0133. It's REALLY easy to do. Two nuts, one plug. 15 minutes tops.