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P2198: Oxygen sensor signal biased or stuck rich (bank 2, sensor 1)

The bank 2 oxygen sensor before the catalyst reads rich and will not respond. It may be the sensor or too much fuel on that side of the engine.

Code P2198 at a glance
CodeP2198
SystemEngine and transmission
GroupP21xx, Throttle, injection and emissions
TypeGeneric: it means the same on every make
Can you keep driving?With care

What P2198 means

On engines with two banks, the sensor ahead of the catalytic converter on bank 2 keeps reading rich (little oxygen) even when the ECU takes fuel away. The sensor may be contaminated or faulty, or that side of the engine is really getting too much fuel.

Most common causes

  • Contaminated or worn oxygen sensor
  • Sensor wiring touching another wire or shorted to voltage
  • Leaking bank 2 injector
  • High fuel pressure
  • Purge valve open when it should not be
  • Bank 2 cylinders burning oil or coolant

Symptoms

  • Engine warning light on
  • Fuel smell from the exhaust
  • Higher fuel consumption
  • Black smoke in some cases

Can you drive with P2198?

With care You can drive, but get it checked soon: if the fault is real, you burn extra fuel and the catalytic converter suffers.

How to check it

Watch the bank 2 sensor live when you lift off the throttle while moving: on overrun it should drop to lean. If it stays rich, the sensor or wiring is at fault. Comparing with bank 1 shows whether only one side is affected.

How to read and clear P2198 with Final OBD

Plug an OBD2 scanner in under the steering wheel, switch the ignition on and open Final OBD. Under Faults you’ll see P2198 with this same explanation and whether it’s confirmed, pending or permanent.

With Free you read this code with its short description for nothing, and clear it if the engine stores it over standard OBD. With Pro you get the full explanation, how the car was running when it was logged (revs, temperature, load) and clearing in every control unit.

Clearing the code only turns the light off: if the cause is still there, it comes back. Clear it once it’s fixed, and not right before the ITV. It’s all in how to read and clear fault codes and in the ITV and OBD.

Similar codes

P2198 is a generic code, so it means the same on any make, for example on BMW, Fiat, Ford, Mazda, Peugeot, Volkswagen. See what Final OBD does on your car in makes and models.

What does code P2198 mean?

On engines with two banks, the sensor ahead of the catalytic converter on bank 2 keeps reading rich (little oxygen) even when the ECU takes fuel away. The sensor may be contaminated or faulty, or that side of the engine is really getting too much fuel.

Can you drive with P2198?

You can drive, but get it checked soon: if the fault is real, you burn extra fuel and the catalytic converter suffers.

How do you clear P2198?

With an OBD2 scanner and an app like Final OBD, which clears it for free if it’s stored by the engine control unit. But clearing it only turns the light off: if the cause isn’t fixed, P2198 comes back.