[acsmith1972]

I watched a video on YouTube and it looks like it's the o2 sensor the connects right under the driver's side from inside. I bought a Denso 234-4209 o2 sensor, but it says it's for downstream left. The guy who did the video posted a link for one that says downstream right. Which is weird since he clearly removed it from the left side.

Does it matter if it's downstream left or right? What is downstream, front? I'm guessing there are four o2 sensors then. I looked when I changed the transmission fluid, but I didn't have jack stands and only had 2x6 for extra height and couldn't see.

 

[rav4system]

Downstream means after the catalytic converter or downstream of the converter....you should have 4 sensors on the v6...one before each cat and one after each cat...and yes it matters where they go if only for the fact that the wires are made for that particular location...bank 1 is the bank against the firewall I believe...sensor 2 would be the one after the cat on that section of exhaust...I have not done any of these so can't help more than that...

 

[acsmith1972]

Yeah, but does left downstream or right downstream make a difference? I emailed both Denso and Bosch and neither one can give me an answer. I suppose I can ask at Advanced Auto but it's really weird no one online seems to know.

 

[neggy]

hell ya it makes a difference, downstream bank 1 is one side, downstream bank 2 is the other.

now that you know it is downstream, you have a 50/50 chance of getting it right unless you figure out what bank is what.

 

[acsmith1972]

The guy in this video uses Denso 234-4501 which according to Amazon is downstream right, but he has the same code for bank 1 sensor 2. So my question is downstream right goes on the left side and downstream left goes on the right? That's what's confusing me.

Here's that video: https://youtu.be/UvEhE6NDrs0

It looks easy to do.

 

[Rickl]

Junebug posted this theory in 2012.

He assumed that the front of the engine is where the pulleys and belts are (based on rear wheel drive cars from decades ago) and therefore bank #1 (nearest the firewall) would be the right side of the engine.

Now I have not confirmed it by personal inspection, but doesn't the pipe from the manifold on the firewall side (right) , appear to be on the left where the sensor is located under the vehicle.

 

[rav4system]

if I remember correctly bank 1 is the right side...bank 2 is the left side...so the exhaust pipe that comes down between the engine and radiator is the left side or bank 2...the exhaust pipe that comes down between the motor and firewall is the right side or bank 1...also the wire for the sensor probably only fits where it belongs...

 

[acsmith1972]

if I remember correctly bank 1 is the right side...bank 2 is the left side...so the exhaust pipe that comes down between the engine and radiator is the left side or bank 2...the exhaust pipe that comes down between the motor and firewall is the right side or bank 1...also the wire for the sensor probably only fits where it belongs...

But right side from where, the front or the back? There's a youtube video of a guy doing it on a 2007 Rav4 V6 and he says it's on the driver's side in the front. But both autozone and advanced auto swear it's on the right. I asked Denso and Bosch and neither one could tell me. I don't want to pay to have a shop do it if it's an easy fix but I also don't want to change the wrong one.

 

[Rickl]

Maybe this will make it clearer.

 

[rav4system]

But right side from where, the front or the back? There's a youtube video of a guy doing it on a 2007 Rav4 V6 and he says it's on the driver's side in the front. But both autozone and advanced auto swear it's on the right. I asked Denso and Bosch and neither one could tell me. I don't want to pay to have a shop do it if it's an easy fix but I also don't want to change the wrong one.

Always remember that when talking left or right with cars left or right is determined as if you were sitting in the drivers seat...driver side is left and passenger side is right...when talking left and right on an engine the front is ALWAYS where the belts and accessories are...so on the rav4 the right side is the side between the engine and firewall and the left side is the one between the engine and radiator...remember the front is always where the belts are no matter what way the motor is turned in the car...

 

[acsmith1972]

Okay, that doesn't help me since I have no idea where the firewall is. Sitting in the car is bank 1 sensor 2 on the driver's side or passenger side?

 

[Rickl]

Okay, that doesn't help me since I have no idea where the firewall is. Sitting in the car is bank 1 sensor 2 on the driver's side or passenger side?

According to Wikipedia,
"In automotive engineering, a firewall is the part of the bodywork that separates the engine from the driver and passengers."

Let me try and clarify this further. The following statements are true for North American RAV4's with a V6 engine.

The front of your RAV4's V6 engine has pulleys and belts. This faces the passenger side fender. This is also called the "right" fender, since it is on your right when you are in the normal operating position.

The left side of the engine therefore faces the radiator, (it also faces the grill, if your not familiar with where the radiator is), and this area of the car is more commonly referred to as being the front of the car (even though the front of the engine faces the right side of the car). This side of the engine that faces the radiator (the left side) contains the bank #2 cylinders.

The right side of the engine faces the sheet of metal between the engine compartment and the passenger compartment. This sheet of metal is what most people refer to as the "FIREWALL". This side of the engine (RIGHT or FIREWALL side), contains the bank #1 cylinders.

If you look at the PDF I attached on my earlier post you can see how the exhaust pipes from both the right and left side ( or firewall and radiator side) come down to the pipes that contain the O2 sensors.

 

[rav4system]

Okay, that doesn't help me since I have no idea where the firewall is. Sitting in the car is bank 1 sensor 2 on the driver's side or passenger side?

Without trying to sound like I jerk I don't think you have any business attempting this repair...you seem to know very little about working on cars and can't seem to figure out much on your own...the 02 sensors are mounted in the exhaust pipes and they really are not on the left or right side of the car...on the v6 one pipe starts on the right side of the motor and the other pipe starts on the left side of the motor...both pipes are more in the center of the car...also things can go wrong doing those sensors that require some sort of experienced person to handle...if you screw up a bung you may need a new one welded in...if you are insistent on doing this yourself watch as many videos as you can and take notes...it would also be advised to have someone on tap that can help if needed...again I'm not trying to sound like a jerk, but doing this kind of work properly is important...good luck either way...

 

[acsmith1972]

So then in this video is this guy doing it wrong or is the engine backwards on the 2007 than it is on my 2009, because he's clearly on the left side by the driver seat.

Watch "RAV4 Replace Bank1 Sensor2 (B1 S2) Oxygen Sensor Toyota 2007 V6" on YouTube
https://youtu.be/UvEhE6NDrs0

 

[Rickl]

because he's clearly on the left side by the driver seat.

Yes he is working on the pipe that is closest to the drivers side of the car (the LEFT SIDE OF THE CAR). But if you follow that pipe back to the engine you will see that it goes to the side of the engine closest to the firewall (see my previous post to learn where the firewall is). According to my previous post (perhaps you missed it), the side of the engine closest to the firewall is the RIGHT SIDE OF THE ENGINE. So the guy in the video is replacing the sensor for the RIGHT SIDE OF THE ENGINE. And if you read my previous post you will know that the RIGHT SIDE OF THE ENGINE contains the bank #1 cylinders. The O2 sensor closest to the engine is know as the "bank #1, sensor #1" or B1S1. The sensor furthest from the engine (the one in your video) is known as "bank #1, sensor #2" ( or B1S2), which is why the YouTube video was titled the way it was.

The second pipe you see in the YouTube video (the one nearest the passenger side, or RIGHT SIDE OF THE CAR) runs under the engine an connects to the LEFT SIDE OF THE ENGINE.

Perhaps what you may not know is when you purchase parts for an engine they are labelled as to where they fit on the engine, either right or left side OF THE ENGINE.

EXAMPLE: If a sensor was mounted on the left side of an engine, but the electric cable was plugged into a connector on the right side of the engine, how do you think it would be described in the parts catalog?

 

[rav4system]

So then in this video is this guy doing it wrong or is the engine backwards on the 2007 than it is on my 2009, because he's clearly on the left side by the driver seat.

Watch "RAV4 Replace Bank1 Sensor2 (B1 S2) Oxygen Sensor Toyota 2007 V6" on YouTube
https://youtu.be/UvEhE6NDrs0

You're killing me LOL...the electrical connection is inside the rav...it plugs in behind the center stack (the center stack is the area that the heater controls and radio are located in)...the actual sensor is in the exhaust pipe and if you pay attention to the video the section of pipe that the sensor is screwed in is almost dead center of the rav...

 

[Dr. Dyno]

Yes he is working on the pipe that is closest to the drivers side of the car (the LEFT SIDE OF THE CAR). But if you follow that pipe back to the engine you will see that it goes to the side of the engine closest to the firewall (see my previous post to learn where the firewall is). According to my previous post (perhaps you missed it), the side of the engine closest to the firewall is the RIGHT SIDE OF THE ENGINE. So the guy in the video is replacing the sensor for the RIGHT SIDE OF THE ENGINE. And if you read my previous post you will know that the RIGHT SIDE OF THE ENGINE contains the bank #1 cylinders. The O2 sensor closest to the engine is know as the "bank #1, sensor #1" or B1S1. The sensor furthest from the engine (the one in your video) is known as "bank #1, sensor #2" ( or B1S2), which is why the YouTube video was titled the way it was.

The second pipe you see in the YouTube video (the one nearest the passenger side, or RIGHT SIDE OF THE CAR) runs under the engine an connects to the LEFT SIDE OF THE ENGINE.

Perhaps what you may not know is when you purchase parts for an engine they are labelled as to where they fit on the engine, either right or left side OF THE ENGINE.

EXAMPLE: If a sensor was mounted on the left side of an engine, but the electric cable was plugged into a connector on the right side of the engine, how do you think it would be described in the parts catalog?

Wow, I happened to watch that video a few days ago and thought I understood it. Sure hope I don't have to figure it out for real! :egad:Sounds like it would take an engineer. :wink:

 

[Rickl]

Wow, I happened to watch that video a few days ago and thought I understood it. Sure hope I don't have to figure it out for real! :egad:Sounds like it would take an engineer. :wink:

Say Fred, I thought you were an engineer, and I recently heard that you enjoy these types of challenges.:wink

Since this member is real close to you (Connecticut), perhaps you could help show him where the firewall is located in his particular RAV4. You could also check if I made a mistake when I said the right side of the engine was nearest his firewall. Perhaps they did put the engine in differently on his RAV4.

 

[acsmith1972]

Okay, I think I have it. I saw it last time I crawled underneath to change the transmission fluid. I didn't have any 17mm sockets so I couldn't do the filter, stupid shield in the way, but at the time I was only up on 2x6s for extra height. I have jack stands now so when I do the oil, coolant, diff fluid, and transfer case I'll take a closer look. It looks like a 15 minute job. Ironically, I've been idling half the day and the check engine light hasn't come on today (I keep clearing it).

 

[Dr. Dyno]

Say Fred, I thought you were an engineer, and I recently heard that you enjoy these types of challenges.:wink

Oh yeah, that's right I am!

Since this member is real close to you (Connecticut), perhaps you could help show him where the firewall is located in his particular RAV4. You could also check if I made a mistake when I said the right side of the engine was nearest his firewall. Perhaps they did put the engine in differently on his RAV4.

Yep, and tomorrow, April Fools day would be PERFECT for it!