P0161 - something to do w/ bank 2 sensor 2 voltage. I did some searches on the board and got some info but still had a couple questions.

I'm a newb and was wondering which sensor was having the problem. Also, what causes this trouble code and does it require me getting a new o2 sensor. any help would be appreciated.

 

P0161 Heated Oxygen Sensor (HO2S) heater circuit Bank 2 Sensor 2

It's the post cat sensor on the passenger side. It does not affect performance. The sensor is just there to check on the performance of the cat. Could be a wiring/connection issue or the sensor, itself.

 

should i replace the o2 or not worry about it and just turn the light off whenever it pops up?

 

ttt

 

could this code be due to a bad cat?

 

this code? very unlikely
a bad cat would get a catalyst efficiancy failure code, not an o2 sensor circuit code

 

so you recommend I just replace the sensor then?

 

the odds are that it is the sensor, check the sensor and all the fuses first, if all that looks good, replace the sensor

 

Could be the heater in the sensor, or could be the power supply to the sensor heater. Easy way to check is to swap the post-cat sensors side-to-side. If the problem follows the sensor, its a sensor probelm. If the problem stays on the passenger side, its the wiring or the power source.