The leak would be before the upstream O2 sensor, so that could be the exhaust manifold gasket, loose fasteners, plausible.

 

Here’s some pictures of the manifold and flex pipe that I took in July.

 

The upstream (#1) sensor controls the Air/fuel. The downstream (#2) sensor checks the health of the cat.

 

That was last July, loads of time , I suggest you inspect again, and the wiring harness for burnt connections, bent pins, corrosion

 

An updated development, haven’t had a chance to look at the car yet. I will this weekend.

Driving home, I parked in a parking lot at the store and the car shutoff. It started back up okay and seems to have the correct RPMs in Drive but when getting home and back in park the RPMs dropped way low almost to the point of shutoff.

Could this be the fuel pump?

Thanks,

Nick

 

You could "borrow" a fuel pressure gauge from an auto parts store.

 

Got a chance to work on the car today. I tested the fuel pressure, it is holding steady at 60 psi. I changed the spark plugs out with the 41-103, tightened down the fuse box, and also ended up installing a new flex pipe catalytic converter downpipe I got from eBay. However, the flex pipe I removed appears to be perfectly fine so I may end up going back to it if needed. I inspected the manifold again and did not see or feel any cracks or issues.

The check engine light has not gone off yet, but I only drove around the block briefly so I will give it some time. The codes are showing pending at the moment. The new downpipe came in 2 pieces and the provided clamp seems odd. There is a slight leak where the two parts meet. I will need to get a different clamp or have the parts welded. The car seems to be a little peppier given the new spark plugs but it could be a mandella effect.

Not sure the next steps should the code stick around. Possibly replace the O2 sensors again, check fuel injectors or the ignition coils.

Thanks for the help.

Nick

 

Don’t use Bosch O2 sensors. 2006 2.2 injectors have fine orifices and are prone to clogging.

 

Got in the car to drive to work this morning and see if the issues were gone. Got not far down the road before I recieved a "Reduced Engine Power, Engine Shutting Down" light on the dash. Not sure if this is related to the slight exhaust leak or the spark plugs or something different entirely. A couple of new codes that I didnt have time to look up. Never stops with this car.

EDIT: I am in Georgia and it is around 15 degrees at the moment. Not sure I've ever drove the car in this cold of weather.

 

What codes do you have now?