O2 Sensor problem

[capt jack]

Not a Volvo, but my daughters Mini Cooper, 2008 vintage, 1.6 non-turbo, 90,000 miles.

Driving the car home from getting new tyres the check engine light came on. The codes were P0131 and P0132, bank 1 sensor 1, incorrect high and low voltage on the heating circuit.

Now I'm very wary of the Mini, firstly because it's not my car, and secondly everything is so tightly packed in that even changing a light bulb results in the involuntary removal of several layers of knuckle skin!

I decided to assess the options, and so rang the Mini dealer - they said that it would be £75 to check the codes, plus parts and labour, which knowing Mini, this could run into multiple £hundreds. They promised a call back with a firm quote, but this never materialised.

A local garage quoted £50 to read the codes, plus "around £200" to fit a new sensor, but they couldn't fit it in for over a week.

A Bosch sensor from our local motor factor is £100, and it looks to be a simple enough job to unscrew the old and screw in the new. And no way worth paying hundreds to a garage ...... or is it?

• Is this one of those jobs that's best left to the professionals?
  
• Is it worth trying a fuel additive cleaner?
  
• Is it worth trying Halfords £35 O2 Sensor cleaner service?

We want the car to be back in action as soon as possible, but I hate to think of my girl being ripped off. The new tyres just set her back almost £500, and so right now another £250 bill would be less than welcome. I get the sense that neither Mini nor the local garage were really interested, which suggests to me that it's either a pig of a job, or so simple that they know that they're not really in the market because there are vastly cheaper options. But which is it?

As ever, advice would be welcomed.

Cheers

Jack