Hi everyone! My truck has the CEL (check engine light) on. Scanned it and it said o2 sensor bank 1! But my truck has 4 o2 sensors! 2 in the front and 2 near the rear! How do I know which one is bank 1??? By the way, it's a 2000 xlt 5.4 v8 flareside ext cab. Thanks in advance for any and all input!!!

 

A more advanced scanner will give you a bank (which side its on) and a lean(front or back). Bank 1 is on the drive side, bank 2 is passanger side. Lean 1 is front, 2 is back (not 100% sure on that one). My CEL for o2 sensors has been on since I got the truck and I havnt had problems with it

 

Thanks for the info! I'm going to tackle this as soon as i get some free time!!!!

 

Bank 1 isn't in the drivers side. Fords #1 cylinder is on the right. Making the right side bank 1. Drivers side is bank 2. Sensor 1 is before the cats, sensor 2 is after the cats.

 

Exactly as Zack said.

 

Napa told me 1 was on the drivers side. Back to advanced from now on!

 

NAPA = No Auto Partspeople Available.

The guy behind the counter is only as good as what he has learned or been taught. Most can't actually tell you where certain parts go or how they operate. The computer is a crutch for these newer parts-people. They have absolutely NO hands on experience. Hell, most can't take an actual parts catalog (not using a computer look-up module), and find a hard to research part. They can't do it, or won't. ASE certification is really nothing more than taking a test to match part A with part B. It's simple to pass and get certified.

When you have a partsman with certification and also find that (s)he is ASE certified as a mechanic, then (s)he's the person you want to sell you parts. It's even better when he or she has had IM certification. (S)He's been in the trenches and knows what to look for.

 

Haha I agree with you 100%. when I was buying my O2 sensors the guy seriously asked me what there purpose was on a vehicle......he was at least 30-35, I'm 18. I thought he was a disgrace to the store.

 

I managed an Advance for years. Those places are total hit or miss. Advance started what they called the Parts Pro program. They have at least one guy in there during normal business hours who is getting $14/hr, and has some level of experience. You have to have a reasonable level of expectation going into a retail store like that. Most of the people there are making $8/hr, and about half of them are part time. How much experience do you think you are going to command at $8/hr. Besides, most of the employees there aren't primarily there to help customers. Those of you who have worked retail know what I'm talking about. A retail store takes a tremendous amount of work to maintain. You have cycle counts, stock refills, display resets, paperwork, and regular cleaning, etc. That takes up more time then most people think, and there is always something to do in retail.

When I was a manger there, I got my ASE certification as a Parts Specialist. The only difference between the Parts Specialist ASE test, and the one for general automotive is the format. Everything is in this A and B format. Parts Specialist A says this, and Parts Specialist B says this, who is correct? They replace the words "Auto Technician A" with "Parts Specialist A." The actual content between the two tests is basically the same. Most of the questions on the Parts Specialists tests had to do with maintenance and automotive work, not selling parts. They never bothered to rewrite the test specifically for Parts Specialists. That being said, you need 2 years of automotive experience just to take the test. Retail stores have a huge turnover rate, and 90% of the employees don't get to the 2 year mark.

Kurt

 

I have to agree 100%. Up here in Alaska until recently (last 10 years or so), we only had Carquest (was privately owned and called B&C), NAPA, and numerous independent stores. Grand Auto (now O'Reilly's) was just new. We had real parts stores then. Times have changed. O'Reilly's (4 or 5), Carquest and Napa are all that's left. There are only 2 independents still in business in Anchorage. The corporate conglomerates rule. The days of the $20 an hour parts guys has left. Now it's nothing more than a Costco with (some, very little) help.

I've worked parts for over 30 years, (all phases, from warehouse, wholesale parts, mechanic's counter, front counter, asst. manager, manager, owner) until I broke my back in a fall. I've seen partsmen, and I've seen wannabees', most falling into the latter. It's become one size fits all, and if one guy can't find it, you don't need it. No more actual SERVICE. That is why I look up my own parts before going shopping. Luckily I still have my own personal jobber account with one of the independent parts stores. Kurt you know what those are. Hard to get, worse to lose. lol