VT II, V6 sedan. No supercharge or Turbo oxygen sensor

[commodoredave]

Was getting intermittent fault codes so changed passenger side oxy sensor (bought from repco)
the old one was white coated. However, the dashboard fault light ( listed as drive train light in the manual)
was coming on intermittently so removed the new sensor but it was black soot coated not white like the previous sensor.
Go figure??? Since removing the new sensor the fault light has stopped illuminating. Any ideas appreciated.
BTW, just a general note of thanks and appreciation to all those who respond and make helpful and insightful suggestions to previous posts. It has made big difference,

 

[RiffRaffMama]

Are you sure Repco sold you the right part? Like are you really sure? I have zero confidence in Repco's recommendations. I had to buy a new battery a few months ago and I went to Repco. They told me to get the Repco (Century) 57MFR. They hand me the battery, I'm like yay, new battery, I pay, put it in my boot and drive home.
I get home and go to swap it for the tiny one I'd been punishing for the past 2 weeks [Fun fact: a battery out of a 1998 Hyundai Excel hatchback will start a VX Berlina about 3 and a half times before needing to be externally charged again] and it won't fit. Curious, I go to the Repco website, enter my rego so it knows exactly what car I have and search batteries. Three come up with "FITS YOUR VEHICLE", including the one I was just sold. None of them would fit my car, I can see from the pictures. There is nothing different about my car compared with the thousands of other VX Berlinas out there. HALF A MILLION VT and VX Commodores were produced. You could reasonably expect that one of Australia's largest spare parts retailers would know what incredibly common parts fit them. There's no shortage of VT/VX owners needing batteries. How many of them are being sold the wrong bloody one by Repco staff?
What was so wrong with the battery, you ask? Let's play "what's wrong with these batteries?". The picture on the left shows the engine bays of several perfectly normal VX Commodores, (pictures sourced from places like ebay and Carsguide). Pay particular attention to their batteries (that is what we're talking about, after all). Click it if you need a good look. Compare this to the picture on the right, which is a screenshot taken from repco.com.au on 17/3/2023, clearly showing which model of car I'm seeking parts for (Holden Berlina VX) and Repco's recommendations. Pretty damn obvious what the problem is.

Neither Autopro nor Supercheapauto have made this mistake (feel free to check - I'll save you googling it: Autopro VX batteries / Supercheap VX Batteries)
Like I said, zero confidence. Don't assume that because Repco told you what to put in your car that you were given the right advice.

 

[Lex]

Are you sure Repco sold you the right part? Like are you really sure? I have zero confidence in Repco's recommendations. I had to buy a new battery a few months ago and I went to Repco. They told me to get the Repco (Century) 57MFR. They hand me the battery, I'm like yay, new battery, I pay, put it in my boot and drive home.
I get home and go to swap it for the tiny one I'd been punishing for the past 2 weeks [Fun fact: a battery out of a 1998 Hyundai Excel hatchback will start a VX Berlina about 3 and a half times before needing to be externally charged again] and it won't fit. Curious, I go to the Repco website, enter my rego so it knows exactly what car I have and search batteries. Three come up with "FITS YOUR VEHICLE", including the one I was just sold. None of them would fit my car, I can see from the pictures. There is nothing different about my car compared with the thousands of other VX Berlinas out there. HALF A MILLION VT and VX Commodores were produced. You could reasonably expect that one of Australia's largest spare parts retailers would know what incredibly common parts fit them. There's no shortage of VT/VX owners needing batteries. How many of them are being sold the wrong bloody one by Repco staff?
What was so wrong with the battery, you ask? Let's play "what's wrong with these batteries?". The picture on the left shows the engine bays of several perfectly normal VX Commodores, (pictures sourced from places like ebay and Carsguide). Pay particular attention to their batteries (that is what we're talking about, after all). Click it if you need a good look. Compare this to the picture on the right, which is a screenshot taken from repco.com.au on 17/3/2023, clearly showing which model of car I'm seeking parts for (Holden Berlina VX) and Repco's recommendations. Pretty damn obvious what the problem is.

Neither Autopro nor Supercheapauto have made this mistake (feel free to check - I'll save you googling it: Autopro VX batteries / Supercheap VX Batteries)
Like I said, zero confidence. Don't assume that because Repco told you what to put in your car that you were given the right advice.

Back in Dec. 2014 walked into Autobarn. I'll have a battery that will fit vt v6 Commodore please. Gave me a battery, didn't take much notice of it.
I was on the push bike, had a crate on the rack on the back. Put the battery in the crate, get home & try fit it to the car. The guy gave me a battery with terminals reversed. Made it fit.
Wasn't taking it back, then carting back to my place again.
My fault for not looking.

That battery lasted until Jan 2020. 5 years.

 

[RiffRaffMama]

Back in Dec. 2014 walked into Autobarn. I'll have a battery that will fit vt v6 Commodore please. Gave me a battery, didn't take much notice of it.
I was on the push bike, had a crate on the rack on the back. Put the battery in the crate, get home & try fit it to the car. The guy gave me a battery with terminals reversed. Made it fit.
Wasn't taking it back, then carting back to my place again.
My fault for not looking.

That battery lasted until Jan 2020. 5 years.

Yeah, not gonna lie, it was after 5pm on a Friday when I got home and I'd been getting around (just) with the battery out of a Hyundai Excel and I was tired of asking strangers to jump start me, so I made the bloody thing fit too. Just for the weekend. Then I put the little terminal caps back on and returned it to Repco on Monday before crossing the road and buying a better, cheaper one that actually had the terminals in the right places from Autopro.
I'm wondering now - if the level of a town's bogan-ness is measured in auto parts stores to population, what do you reckon the ratio would be? Asking for a friend *cough*.

 

[vr304]

Are you sure Repco sold you the right part? Like are you really sure? I have zero confidence in Repco's recommendations. I had to buy a new battery a few months ago and I went to Repco. They told me to get the Repco (Century) 57MFR. They hand me the battery, I'm like yay, new battery, I pay, put it in my boot and drive home.
I get home and go to swap it for the tiny one I'd been punishing for the past 2 weeks [Fun fact: a battery out of a 1998 Hyundai Excel hatchback will start a VX Berlina about 3 and a half times before needing to be externally charged again] and it won't fit. Curious, I go to the Repco website, enter my rego so it knows exactly what car I have and search batteries. Three come up with "FITS YOUR VEHICLE", including the one I was just sold. None of them would fit my car, I can see from the pictures. There is nothing different about my car compared with the thousands of other VX Berlinas out there. HALF A MILLION VT and VX Commodores were produced. You could reasonably expect that one of Australia's largest spare parts retailers would know what incredibly common parts fit them. There's no shortage of VT/VX owners needing batteries. How many of them are being sold the wrong bloody one by Repco staff?
What was so wrong with the battery, you ask? Let's play "what's wrong with these batteries?". The picture on the left shows the engine bays of several perfectly normal VX Commodores, (pictures sourced from places like ebay and Carsguide). Pay particular attention to their batteries (that is what we're talking about, after all). Click it if you need a good look. Compare this to the picture on the right, which is a screenshot taken from repco.com.au on 17/3/2023, clearly showing which model of car I'm seeking parts for (Holden Berlina VX) and Repco's recommendations. Pretty damn obvious what the problem is.

Neither Autopro nor Supercheapauto have made this mistake (feel free to check - I'll save you googling it: Autopro VX batteries / Supercheap VX Batteries)
Like I said, zero confidence. Don't assume that because Repco told you what to put in your car that you were given the right advice.

Yip I too have had similar issues with repcos website ordering parts they say fit my car only to find they don’t when I actually get them, more than once too I might add

 

[OldBomb]

Funny you should say that. Was in Repco a few weeks ago & there was a lady complaining the battery they sold her had died after a month.
I've never had a problem with car batteries. Usually just by the branded ones marked "super-duper extra heavy duty"

 

[OldBomb]

Had the same problem with an Idle Air Control sensor I bought from Repco. It fit, but ran like ****. Put the old one back on with a new o ring & what do you know - better. "made to OEM specifications" my ass.
What annoys me is parts resellers like repco know these are crap, so sell the genuine OEM products at a ridiculous price.
Supercheap Auto where selling the same Goss shyte, but it was a "special order". Autobarn used to offer genuine Trident products that fit well, however since the Australian auto manufacing industry was killed off they only stock the basics.

 

[Lex]

I'm wondering now - if the level of a town's bogan-ness is measured in auto parts stores to population, what do you reckon the ratio would be? Asking for a friend *cough*.

By reading on just this web site (jc) l think its everywhere. Can't blame the sellers really. They are employed to sell sh#t! And thats what they do.

Somebody got on here one day claiming to work for l think one of the major companies, that did buy the stock in, he said the bosses want him (her) to buy that cheap sh#t in? So, its the big bosses to blame?

 

[RiffRaffMama]

Funny you should say that. Was in Repco a few weeks ago & there was a lady complaining the battery they sold her had died after a month.
I've never had a problem with car batteries. Usually just by the branded ones marked "super-duper extra heavy duty"

The one I ended up buying has a 5 year warranty, so I have scheduled a convenient catastrophic failure of the battery at about 4 years and 11 months.