From: tjz6624@zeus.tamu.edu (ZINGALE, THOMAS J)
Subject: Re: 86 chevy sprint
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In article <wfnMBJG00WBOE3L2c0@andrew.cmu.edu>, Srinagesh Gavirneni <sg48+@andrew.cmu.edu> writes...
>I have a 86 chevy sprint with a/c and 4doors. It's odometer turned 90k
>and the sensor light started blinking. I went to the dealer and he said
>it was a maintenance light saying I need to change the Oxygen sensor. He
>said, It is to be changed every 30k, but since I bought the car when it
>had 77k, I don't know if the same thing happened at 30k and 60k.  He
>quoted $198 for the part and $50 to install it. The part cost $30
>outside, but the mechanic I went to could not fix it saying the sensor
>is placed too deep in the engine parts. He suggested I wait till it
>malfunctions before I do anything.  If anyone out there owns a chevy
>sprint, I want to know how they got their Oxygen sensors changed. Also,
>did you face any problem with fixing it without the dealer's help. Also,
>what are the results of the oxygen sensor malfunction. 
>  Any help would be greatly apprecisted
>   Thanks

>      Nagesh
I have owned my Sprint from the beginning and that sensor light comes on every
30K to let you know it's time for a check up.  When that light goes on, I just
take it to the delaer tell them "It's that time" and they work on it for 4 hou
and you pay $5 for parts and $100 for labor. (Ahh...what they get for labor)
I currently have about 95K on my Sprint and of all the times I took it in for
service, I never say on the payment sheet anything about the replacement of the
Oxygen sensor.  What the heck is an Oxygen sensor?  As far an I know of, I have
never had that thing replaced in my car and the car is purring like a kitten.
Now, I don't have a/c (Mother Nature does that for me :-) ) and that might have
something to do with it, but I still never heard of an Oxygen sensor.  The only
MAJOR service job I have had on my car (besides getting the tires replaced
if you want to call that a service job) was getting the Rotor, Distributor and
Gasket replaced.  And that was all done within the past 2 months.  

What I do at 30K is have a good tune-up, let them replace what ever they need
to, pay the bill (about $125) and go home and don't worry about the car for
another 30K.  Oh, I just remembered something.  If that little sensor light
bothers you, in the fuse box right below the turn-signal lever up against
the dash, there is a swith on the right side.  Flip that switch and the light
will go off.  I do that so that little light won't annoy me.  If you can't
find it, look it up in the car manuel.  I hope that I have helped a little
and good luck with the _Oxygen sensor_?

				- Thomas -

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