So I finally decided to attack this.. I almost regret it. First of all I bought a lambda socket tool. Of course, it turned out to be 22mm. I need 17 mm.







I therefore decided to cut the wires and I used this long extension. After 24 hrs of soaking in wd40 it finally came lose.





But now I have no idea how to install the new one.. Using hands only I could barely fit it into position, and there is definitely no way I can fit a wrench there..





So, do you guys have any ideas? I saw a 17 mm tool for land rover on ebay that might work.. Is that the only and best option?

 

I haven't had to do this in situ but from looking at your pictures I would suggest

1. Make your own socket by taking a slice out of a standard deep socket with an angle grinder. Should be comfortably strong enough for tightening.

2. Use a standard Crows Foot Spanner (similar to the socket you showed but not as long and should give more mobility in tight space and a good tool to have in the box longer term)

3. Use a Flexible Head Flare Nut Spanner (not many of these around - I have a set made by Gearwrench but haven't seen them by anyone else).

 

I am continually amazed why owners with perhaps no mechanical aptitude attempt to work on these cars.
I replaced both oxygen sensors (one each downpipe) on my 1996 XJR several months ago. A half hour job perhaps from my memory using both a normal 17 spanner & stubby 17mm spanner. (No wire cutting involved)
Yes difficult to get at but after working on my Jags for over 25yrs one gets used to it.
It strikes me many just want to make major issues out of small ones.

John Herbert

 

Wow.. Thanks for your utterly useless input there John. The point of these forums is seeking advice for those of us who have not yet been fiddling on these cars for 25 years. But when I've reached that stage, I'll make sure not to hang around here with an attitude towards newbies.

 

Thanks for the tip.. I found this set that made it all a lot easier.

 

That set is what's called a crows foot, or a use a stubby spanner. Easier to do it from underneath too if you have a hoist to get the car up.

 

Just a summary ; I changed the second sensor from underneath the car with a standard 17mm wrench. It was easier than the first one which I removed from the top with the crows foot. Fairly easy job with the correct tools.


I took it for a test drive, and it idles very well now. But I guess its too early to say if this was one contributing factor to my idle issues. I reset the codes with the Torque app, and they did not come back after a 30 min drive.


HOWEVER ; according to this Torque app I am getting some weird readings. First of all, they still show this same reading as before I changed the sensors :



Does it means that one of the O2 sensors are not working properly?


And a second thing that puzzles me is the Vacuum reading on this app.. I vaguely remember that the vacuum reading was giving figures in the region of 18.. And now it's showing 75! I have no idea what it means, or what it should read. Not even sure if this is a good app, but I will be very happy to be enlightened, if anybody knows.