Desperate for help! CEL P0152. Literally bought Viper 4 months ago & can't drive!

[ViperperfectionGTS]

I have exhausted all of my personal resources & am desperate for assistance from the community. I purchased a Paxton Supercharged '06 coupe over the summer & immediately had a major issue. The CEL comes on constantly:CEL-P0152- 02 Sensor Circuit High Voltage (Bank 2 Sensor 1). I have changed the O2 sensor 6 times & tried every brand. It is not the O2 sensor itself. The car was built by a well known viper tech in Florida & maintained in California. When I received the vehicle & this issue began; I brought it to a local Viper tech (I'm in Dallas). He discovered that the wires on the harness that the O2 sensor plugs into were burned up by being improperly routed & touching the Belanger headers. He cut out the burned areas & repaired them, rerouted away from the headers & put them in a high temp sleeve. I received the car back & it actually ran for about 100 miles without issue...Then the CEL came back on. The car has a tune from a shop in California using mopar software that was manipulated to change the PCM (No SCT device). I purchased a new factory PCM (knowing it wouldnt run great without a tune) to see if I could at least get it to go more than a mile or two without throwing the code. No such luck (the other reason I bought a factory PCM is b/c I was having trouble getting t to pass emissions). This is my sixth viper...This one runs HOT; I mean REAL HOT. It is starting to melt the plastic wire looms that organize misc wires. I was advised to remove the heat shields from the belangers; but that made it worse. The engine temperature (coolant) is perfect. When I reset the CEL; it instantly runs perfectly...until it throws it again 5 minutes later. I drive the car for a few minutes, the P0152 code is thrown & it instantly runs terribly. The engine is stock other than the Paxton & Belangers if that matters. The passenger side 5 cylinders are also running rich according to the shops scanner. If you have any suggestions or need additional info; please let me know. I literally bought this beautiful car that has basically served as a statue from day one.

I hope I posted in the correct area & appreciate your time sincerely

 

[SEEEEYA]

My 06 threw that code all last year, took it to dealer after I changed upper O2 sensors myself, started to bog down while driving, I have hi-flos and 3" side pipes on with no crossover anymore, they worked it , burned up 2 sensors while working on it and also replaced the PCM, he told me he fixed it GUARANTEED, supposedly a harness from PCM to sensor was grounding out. Had no issues until after woodward dream cruise this year when bogging came back but no codes, Had my sons friend hook it up to a computer while we drove and it showed idle(782rpm) even though we were running at 2500 rpm, felt like a parachute behind car, no one yet has come up with a soluton, my car did run cooler though since I removed the crossover and extra cats, plugs look clean, dumb to even think Icould change the wires on this thing but damn it only has 6k miles on it, I am at my wits end too, this is happening to alot of 06 cars for it to be just a coincedence

 

[ViperperfectionGTS]

Wow; What an absolute nightmare this is. Its a shame... I got all excited to get my new car & it has been a nightmare from day 1. I have talked to many techs...Dan Cragin, Doug Levin, Lou Belenger, Dan Lessen, Sean Roe...I've tried everything suggested & am now in a helpless position. If you find anything please let me know...Any suggestions from anyone will be tried. Thanks

 

[ViperJeff]

I only know of one other case that is remotely similar to yours. Bad news, it was on a Viper Truck. Because I don't know how the PCM wire bundle is routed in your Viper, this post is probably pointless. However, the PCM wire bundle was too close to the headers on the passenger side and had melted some of the plastic coating on the wires, when cold, things seemed to be OK, as the wire bundle got hot, truck would go into limp mode (or seemed to be) and would run like crap with various codes. Fought the problem for months, changing just about every sensor on the engine. Ended up replacing the harness because he didn't want to fix a bunch of wires...

I know in your opening post you mention heat damage to the o2 harness, there is a remote possibility that damage is also in the main harness. Wish I had more info but I don't, just tossing this out as I know you're at the end of your rope

Good Luck
J

 

[ViperperfectionGTS]

Actually Viper Jeff, I think you could be absolutely spot on. I talked to Chuck Tator & Sean Roe today & they both came to that idea. Apparently, Chuck has seen this on numerous Gen 3's with Headers. The wires dont necessarily need to be showing damage either. Many times they melt together in the loom & you can't see the damage. Sean is also convinced that there is wire damage somewhere between the PCM & the harness that the o2 sensor connects to. Did your friend replace the entire engine harness? I was thinking about cutting out a massive length of the wires between the two components & replacing it...Then obviously heat shield the entire thing. Will know in a week or so...They both sure sounded convinced that would fix it. Im praying they're right.

 

[ViperperfectionGTS]

I see; he didnt know where the problem was so he replaced the entire engine harness. It may come to that. I'm having a rough time finding an engine harness & pricing. Dealer said its not available.

 

[ViperJeff]

He was having the same problem. People wouldn't just sell the harness if they had the motor, simply because people won't buy a motor without a harness. I wish I could say how/where he got his harness, I just don't know. I know he was doing searches on people parting out SRT-10's and calling vendors to see if they had a spare lying around. I know some of the Vendors on the Truck Forums had extra harness's because people modified there 10's beyond needing a factory harness.

I'll keep my eyes open for an 06 harness as I do other things
J

 

[ViperperfectionGTS]

Thank you. I found part # 5030399AC "'06 coupe Engine wiring harness." there is one in the USA, I am hoping someone can verify that this is the harness that the Upstream O2 sensor plugs into. It is described as the "Engine waring Harness" but there are so many harnesses for the car; I want to be sure since it is $$$$ & not returnable. Thanks again

 

[ViperperfectionGTS]

Also, I am going to heat shield the entire harness. Can anyone provide a suggestion on exactly what to use (if there is an option that will work & not break the bank that would be great...Obviously it working is the main thing though). Additionally, if it was your car would you seek the silver heat shield or black? My car has yellow valve covers & polished supercharger set-up. thank you

 

[Viper Specialty]

Thank you. I found part # 5030399AC "'06 coupe Engine wiring harness." there is one in the USA, I am hoping someone can verify that this is the harness that the Upstream O2 sensor plugs into. It is described as the "Engine waring Harness" but there are so many harnesses for the car; I want to be sure since it is $$$$ & not returnable. Thanks again

No, its not. The O2 wiring is part of the front chassis harness.

 

[ViperperfectionGTS]

Ok, thanks dan. I'll hunt that down

 

[ViperperfectionGTS]

Yep, Dan's right as usual. the harness is called "Headlamp to dash wiring harness" comes with relays & fuse box for a measly $1989.

 

[ViperDad]

It seems to me that if there are crossed wires one could take an ohm meter and check for shorts around the suspected cluster? I would consider this as a less invasive as well as cost saving? It would **** if the cluster is replaced and the issue is still present. If the suspicion is around the O2 control sensor (?) consider that it takes a bit of juice for the built-in preheaters; I'm assuming the sensors are 3 or 4 wire as I haven't investigated. Maybe with the additional heat plus the 02 draw was enough to take it to a melt?

 

[SEEEEYA]

See my dealer did replace a "harness" for about $140 and it ran good rest of year and some of this year,but like someone said it doesnot happen for the first 15 min or so then it starts,once everything gets Hot, I am going to have to go back to dealer and question the service manager who kept this car "under his wing" while it was there and ask him exactly which harness they replaced and if another one was close by, maybe the same $140 dollar one burned up again , if so this time a ton of heat repellant will be used.

 

[ViperperfectionGTS]

Here's what I'm thinking....does it makes sense to have my tech replace as many feel of wiring as possible from the start of the harness where the O2 plugs into all the way past the belanger headers & as far as we can go within reason? Does anyone know the precise gauge & material that should be used to replace factory ie: 12 gauge copper, etc -I just made that us for illustrative purposes. Please recall that when he cut out the 4 " area that was burned up after touching the belangers that the car ran for the longest consecutive mileage Since I've owned it (almost 80 miles); until p0152 was thrown again. Yes, they are rerouted it as far from the belangers as possible & heat shielded. Lastly, the under hood heat Is abnormal probably partially due to the supercharger. The headers had heat shields on them; I took them off. Should I leave them on or off? It was 32 degrees in Dallas this week & I took it for a spin. I ran beautifully for a good 8-10 miles; which I believe was simply due to the outside temp. God bless you all.

 

[Viper Specialty]

Absolutely not, do it right,or dont do it at all. Disassemble the harness until you locate the issue, or just replace the harness. Dealer techs do however scare the hell out of me when it comes to work like this. Wiring is probably one of the most lacking skills seen at dealerships.