Possible causes

– Faulty Front Heated Oxygen Sensor Bank 1
– Front Heated Oxygen Sensor Bank 1 harness is open or shorted
– Front Heated Oxygen Sensor Bank 1 circuit poor electrical connection
– Inappropriate fuel pressure
– Faulty fuel injectors
– Intake air leaks may be faulty
– Exhaust gas leaks

Tech notes

Replacing the Front Heated Oxygen Sensor Bank 1 usually takes care of the problem.

There is a factory service bulletin for the following Toyota models:

2003 Toyota Corolla
2003 Toyota Matrix
2003 Toyota Corolla and Matrix Factory Service Bulletin OBDII Code P0133

When is the code detected?

The response of the voltage signal from the sensor takes more than the specified time.

Symptoms

– Engine Light ON (or Service Engine Soon Warning Light)
– High Fuel Consumption
– Excessive Smoke from Exhaust

P0133 TOYOTA Description

The front heated oxygen sensor (or O2 sensor 1) is placed into the exhaust manifold. It detects the amount of oxygen in the exhaust gas compared to the outside air. The heated oxygen sensor 1 has a closed-end tube made of ceramic zirconia. The zirconia generates voltage from approximately 1V in richer conditions to 0V in leaner conditions. The heated oxygen sensor 1 signal is sent to the Engine Control Module (ECM). The ECM adjusts the injection pulse duration to achieve the ideal air-fuel ratio. The ideal air-fuel ratio occurs near the radical change from 1V to 0V.

TOYOTA Technical Service Bulletins for P0133 code