friends equinox had shorted o2 wire due to rubbing on steering column. been fighting odd codes and poor idle issues for awhile. replaced fuel pump too for low fuel pressure code. he has 3.0 v6 so he has 4 sensors. and had replaced the 3 he could see. seems 4th is hard to see. dealer says it is 3 hrs to change. I think a wire that is routed poorly on a newer vehicle is probably due to a poor design. or was it a good design but poor assembly?
Probably a little of both. The assembly should not require great levels of skill from the worker, it should be designed so that the pieces go together and stay together properly. Anyway, does the extended warranty on pollution control systems apply?
Here’s what I found for new vehicles from GM:
Emission Control System Limited Warranty
For light duty trucks, see “How to Determine the Applicable Emissions Control Systems Warranty” under Emission Control System Warranty on pg. 21 for more information. Defects and performance for car and light-duty truck emission control systems are covered for the first 2 years or 24,000 miles, whichever comes first. From the first 2 years or 24,000 miles to 3 years or 36,000 miles defects in material or workmanship continue to be covered under the New Vehicle Limited Bumper-to-Bumper Warranty coverage. Specified major components are covered for the first 8 years or 80,000 miles, whichever comes first. Defects and performance for heavy duty truck emission control systems including those found in 6.6L Duramax® Diesel Engines are covered for the first 5 years or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first.
** - California: Defects and performance for cars and trucks with light duty or medium duty emission control systems are covered for the first 3 years or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first. Specified components for cars or light duty trucks equipped with light duty or medium duty truck emission control systems are covered for the first 7 years or 70,000 miles, whichever comes first. Defects and performance for emission control systems found in trucks equipped with 6.6L Duramax® Diesel Engines are covered for the first 5 years or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first. Specified components for the emission control systems of 6.6L Duramax® Diesel Engines are covered for the first 7 years or 70,000 miles, whichever comes first. Some California emission vehicles may have special coverages than those listed here. See “California Emission Control System Warranty” on pg. 21 of your Chevrolet Limited Warranty and Owner Assistance Information booklet.**
Wiring problems can indeed be perplexing. I had that problem with the alternator wire that got eaten by battery acid. Here’s another weird wiring problem I heard recently. The owner says the car won’t run well when it rains. The shop can’t get it to happen whether its raining or not, the car always runs perfectly. Finally the owner and the shop tech go for a drive together, in the rain. Sure enough the engine coughs, hisses, and runs very poorly. Turns out the driver puts his sunglasses on the mirror when it’s raining. When it is sunny he wears them. Putting the sunglasses on the mirror shorts out a wire in the mirror, and causes low voltage to the ignition system.