need help with diagnostic code

[xtreme.97]

aight guys so its been a couple of weeks and still having the same problem. so could an exhaust leak really cause this? to be honest, i kinda skipped over that suggestion because i didn't realize that could cause it. wouldn't be the first time i was wrong though. so yesterday i was talking to a buddy about it. we were standing next to the passenger side fender (the side im never on) and i walked to the other side to start it. he looked at me funny and asked what that ticking noise was. i walked back over there and sure enough, i hear that ticking sound of an exhaust leak. i think its the exhaust manifold on the passenger side (bank 2 right?) which is the code i get 95% of the time. so back to my original question, could an exhaust leak really cause these codes? if so, what is the best way to find the leak? my first thought was to spray some soapy water on it lol. i think its a small leak cuz after it runs for about 30 seconds the ticking goes away. im guessing that as the manifold heats up, it expands enough to seal up the leak pretty well. any thoughts?

 

[barebones 1500]

sea foam. pour some sea foam in there and watch for any smoke coming out places it shouldn't. also it will clean out your motor which will help. might want to have a buddy with you to look at places where you can't see.

 

[Aloicious]

yes, an exhaust leak can cause that problem, it lets in unused oxygen into the tailpipe and makes the O2 sensor think you're running lean (which is why you get the bank 2 lean code), in turn it starts adding fuel to fix the lean problem, but there really isn't one, so that fuel is just wasted, i.e. low fuel mileage....so that sounds like it is your problem.

it has to be leaking BEFORE the front O2 sensor for that code to come up, so its either going to be leaking between the head and exhaust manifold, or where the exhaust manifold mates to the Y pipe...its also possible there is a crack or rusted through spot on the pipe or manifold that could be leaking as well, but that scenario is much less likely.

the seafoam is a good trick to use. if you are careful you can also feel around and find the spot that air is leaking out. you might also see an area around a seal somewhere that has black soot around it (depending on how long its been leaking and how dirty everything is to begin with) which indicates a likely leak. but it probably wouldn't hurt to just change both the exhaust manifold gasket as well as the donut gasket.

edit- yes bank 2 is the passenger side bank.

 

[97sierra]

sea foam helped me find an exhaust leak on my truck, also explained why the previous owner said the truck had a tendency to take out O2 sensors, on the same side and everything imagine that haha

 

[BURBAN GUY]

Sounds like a intake leak to me. Vortec's have intake gasket probs.