
If it’s not getting any voltage, attach the test light to the harness plug and shake the wiring a little bit. You can also use a voltage test light to determine whether or not the oxygen sensor is getting any voltage at all (they’re about $5 at Walmart). If it ends up being a wiring issue, it’ll save you money over buying an unnecessary O2 sensor. If you don’t have access to a multimeter, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to check the wiring to between the fuse box and the Oxygen sensor first. If you use the multimeter, you’ll know whether or not the voltage coming to and from the oxygen sensor is within spec, this can help you determine if it’s your Malibu’s O2 sensor, or wiring harness that’s the issue. It is possible to diagnose the P0138 with a multimeter.
Poc 11 poc32 poac4 2013 chevy malibu eco how to#
The downstream sensor is especially susceptible to this problem Here’s how to find a short in the wiring harness (Youtube). This is due to the fact that O2 sensors are under the chassis where they are subject to punishment from road debris, and they are subjected to a lot of exhaust heat.
Poc 11 poc32 poac4 2013 chevy malibu eco code#
Here are the most common issues that cause the P0138 code in the Chevy Malibu.

A poor air fuel mixture going through the catalytic converter But, like anything that causes the service engine soon light to come on it is a good idea to have it fixed as soon as possible. Most of the time, it’s not a breakdown risk. In some cases, there can be other symptoms as well. Typically, the only symptom of P0138 is going to be the service engine soon light. Here’s a pretty helpful video from AutoEclinic on diagnosing the code: There are also some less likely problems that can cause P0138.

The voltage at the sensor remains above threshold for 20 seconds or more.P0138 is a common OBDII code that occurs in many vehicles, including the Chevy Malibu.
