Bank 1 vs. bank 2
 

I have what should be an easy question to answer. When a car (in my case a 1998 e320) throws a code such as P0156/P0161 and it comes back as Bank 2 / Sensor 2, which side O2 sensor is affected?

Is Bank 2 the...

Right (passenger) side?

Or

Left (driver) side?

thanks :D

Bank 1 is #1 cylinder and on to 4 on a V8 MB.
Bank 2 is #5 to 8.
Sensor 2 is second sensor down stream .

Bank 1 and 2, Sensor 1, is always the first sensor the exhaust gas sees.

Some vehicles have 4 sensors, so Bank 1 and 2 and Sensor 1 and 2, identifies which sensor the ECU code referes to.

These are all the O2 codes ..........

P0130 O2 Sensor Circuit Malfunction (Bank 1 Sensor 1)
P0131 O2 Sensor Circuit Low Voltage (Bank 1 Sensor 1)
P0132 O2 Sensor Circuit High Voltage (Bank 1 Sensor 1)
P0133 O2 Sensor Circuit Slow Response (Bank 1 Sensor 1)
P0134 O2 Sensor Circuit No Activity Detected (Bank 1 Sensor 1)
P0135 O2 Sensor Heater Circuit Malfunction (Bank 1 Sensor 1)
P0136 O2 Sensor Circuit Malfunction (Bank 1 Sensor 2)
P0137 O2 Sensor Circuit Low Voltage (Bank 1 Sensor 2)
P0138 O2 Sensor Circuit High Voltage (Bank 1 Sensor 2)
P0139 O2 Sensor Circuit Slow Response (Bank 1 Sensor 2)
P0140 O2 Sensor Circuit No Activity Detected (Bank 1 Sensor 2)
P0141 O2 Sensor Heater Circuit Malfunction (Bank 1 Sensor 2)
P0142 O2 Sensor Circuit Malfunction (Bank 1 Sensor 3)
P0143 O2 Sensor Circuit Low Voltage (Bank 1 Sensor 3)
P0144 O2 Sensor Circuit High Voltage (Bank 1 Sensor 3)
P0145 O2 Sensor Circuit Slow Response (Bank 1 Sensor 3)
P0146 O2 Sensor Circuit No Activity Detected (Bank 1 Sensor 3)
P0147 O2 Sensor Heater Circuit Malfunction (Bank 1 Sensor 3)
P0150 O2 Sensor Circuit Malfunction (Bank 2 Sensor 1)
P0151 O2 Sensor Circuit Low Voltage (Bank 2 Sensor 1)
P0152 O2 Sensor Circuit High Voltage (Bank 2 Sensor 1)
P0153 O2 Sensor Circuit Slow Response (Bank 2 Sensor 1)
P0154 O2 Sensor Circuit No Activity Detected (Bank 2 Sensor 1)
P0155 O2 Sensor Heater Circuit Malfunction (Bank 2 Sensor 1)
P0156 O2 Sensor Circuit Malfunction (Bank 2 Sensor 2)
P0157 O2 Sensor Circuit Low Voltage (Bank 2 Sensor 2)
P0158 O2 Sensor Circuit High Voltage (Bank 2 Sensor 2)
P0159 O2 Sensor Circuit Slow Response (Bank 2 Sensor 2)
P0160 O2 Sensor Circuit No Activity Detected (Bank 2 Sensor 2)
P0161 O2 Sensor Heater Circuit Malfunction (Bank 2 Sensor 2)
P0162 O2 Sensor Circuit Malfunction (Bank 2 Sensor 3)
P0163 O2 Sensor Circuit Low Voltage (Bank 2 Sensor 3)
P0164 O2 Sensor Circuit High Voltage (Bank 2 Sensor 3)
P0165 O2 Sensor Circuit Slow Response (Bank 2 Sensor 3)
P0166 O2 Sensor Circuit No Activity Detected (Bank 2 Sensor 3)
P0167 O2 Sensor Heater Circuit Malfunction (Bank 2 Sensor 3)
P0170 Fuel Trim Malfunction (Bank 1)
P0171 System too Lean (Bank 1)
P0172 System too Rich (Bank 1)
P0173 Fuel Trim Malfunction (Bank 2)
P0174 System too Lean (Bank 2)
P0175 System too Rich (Bank 2)


.

Just to amplify... BANK 1 on a Mercedes engine (V6/V8/V12) is the RIGHT side (passenger) USA version.

ALSO fuel trim codes rarely suggest O2 sensor problems but instead mean that the computer has gone to an adjustment level that can't be changed by O2 sensor inputs.

There are also 10-20 O2 codes that start with P1 instead of P0 & those codes vary from car to car/ fuel system to fuel system.

Well, that is interesting.

I was reading a thread in the BenzWorld site. the owner of a 1998 E320 pulled codes P0156 and P0161. His mechanic changed the right hand side (passenger) post cat O2 sensor. Seems that he should have replaced the left side O2 sensor.

Another poster had the same codes and his mechanic changed the right side post cat O2 sensor. He should also have changed the left side O2 sensor.

Two different mechanics both making the same mistake (replacing the wrong side O2 sensor).

What is going on here? :silly:

Yes..that is a problem & why I said on MERCEDES that bank 1 is the right (passenger) side!

ON many other brands the bank 1 is the left (drivers) side.

As a general rule across brands for V (6 or 8) engines, does Bank 1 always correspond to cylinder 1 as marked on the engine?

Does an inline engine such as the MB 104.995, would OBDII only report bank 1 errors?

So could my code scanner be finding a problem on the left side and be reporting as a bank 1 (right side) dtc?

I have replaced both right sensors and still get p0133.

When I first received the p0133 I replaced the bank 1, sensor 1, which didn't fix it. Then I used a "car chip" dtc scanner that graphs data onto my PC. Bank 1 sensor 2 seemed to be inop with constant voltage at about 1.35volts (other 3 sensor data displayed an active wave of voltage between .1 and .9 volts). So I then replaced Bank 1 sensor 2. This still has not fixed my problem (check engine light with p0133).

it's a 1997 S500

Starting a new thread will generate more responces...

P0 1330 on a 1997 S500 means that the right front sensor is lazy!

Is the sensor lazy because it is bad?? about 75% of the time the answer is YES, however many times a vacuum leak or fuel pressure regulator can cause the sensor to function too slow as well.

You need to carefully check the intake manifold & crankcase breather hoses for possible leaks.....You did use a OE Bosh sensor designed for that application? not a generic splice in sensor?

M.B. Doc,

Thanks for the reply.

1997 S500 112,000miles

The car became rough at idea. I had a friend take a look and he was thinking I may have two problems. 1. an O2 sensor issue and 2. a fuel contamination issue.

I changed the fuel filter and added some fuel treatment. At first I tried a Cheveron injector cleaner. Then I used Redline Fuel System Cleaner which seemed to be more effective at improving idle smoothness. The filter change also made a significant improvement.

still getting the P0133 slow response, so I changed out the last two sensors. All sensors have now been replaced with Bosh sensors, no generic splice sensors.

It's late, so I'll look into the vacuum leak / fuel pressure reg tomorrow.

thx

Just to clarify this Oxygen Sensor # 1, # 2 thing for a few people.
Number 1 is the sensor before the catalytic converter.
Number 2 is the sensor after the catalytic converter.
While # 1 sensor will oscillate very fast , to control fuel tightly (this is called cross-counts, i.e. the speed with which the sensor recognizes & changes rich/lean ), the # 2 sensor will oscillate as well, but not as fast as # 1, because it looks at the reaction of the catalytic converter.
Again, this is just to shed a little light on this " Black Magic ". ;)

Reviving an old thread here, but I have these same questions, especially the second one.