Replacing the Atmospheric Pressure Sensor on a 2020 Outlander After 100,000 Kilometers
First, let me briefly describe the vehicle situation. I purchased it in July 2020, a 2020 model 2.0 Enjoy 7-seater, with some minor modifications but no major changes to the vehicle. Regular maintenance has been performed, using 020 full synthetic oil changed every 10,000 kilometers, and the transmission fluid is changed every 40,000 kilometers, with one gravity change and one oil pan removal; other fluids have not been changed. The new car had a warranty claim for the air conditioning control panel within six months; I have replaced the brake pads and all four tires, but have not changed items like spark plugs. For the past three years, I have been refueling at a local gas station, using 95 octane for six months and 92 octane for the rest of the time, and the vehicle has been driven just over 100,000 kilometers. Now, regarding the fault situation, I changed the oil before reaching 100,000 kilometers, and after running two or three tanks of fuel, I felt a lack of power at startup. The engine RPM drops faster than before, and at a speed of 50-60 km/h, the RPM is around 1100, whereas it used to be around 1300-1400. The noise at nearly 2000 RPM is much louder than before, and fuel consumption is higher. Within three to five days, the engine fault light came on, then went off the next day, and later came on again.
I initially thought the fuel might be the problem, so I refueled with half a tank of 95 at Sinopec, but after three or four days, the fault light came on again. The idle was unstable, and I could feel significant vibrations inside the car, plus the air conditioning was not cooling at idle (I didn’t notice this because it was cool outside). I suspected it might be a spark plug or ignition coil issue, so I called 2S to check the computer for fault codes, but they said the technician was not available and to come back the next day. I then called a friend who runs a repair shop, and he said he also had a computer, so I went there. Below, I will illustrate the process with images, as I was in a hurry and did not take photos during the inspection and repair process, so I will use some images from the internet.
The engine fault light appeared several times.
Fault code P2229, atmospheric pressure sensor fault; during the inspection, I mistakenly read it as P3339. Using an image from the internet, please delete if infringing.
The atmospheric pressure sensor is integrated into the vehicle’s main computer board (quite unusual), located in the engine compartment next to the air filter box.
In the lower right corner, the red box indicates the location; do not fully open the computer box as it will not seal properly; just cut a small opening in this area. Using an image from the internet, please delete if infringing.
This is the 3879 chip, which sells online for a few dozen yuan. I didn’t have the tools and was afraid of damaging it, so I had someone else repair it, costing 400 yuan. Using an image from the internet, please delete if infringing.
This is such a small component, not even the size of a fingernail. Using an image from the internet, please delete if infringing.
After the repair, everything returned to normal, and driving became much more comfortable. To summarize: 1. After identifying the fault code, I found online that this issue is a common problem with Delphi computers; fellow car owners with the same computer should take note, as seen in the third image where the Delphi logo is visible; 2. If a fault code appears, it is essential to investigate the cause promptly to avoid further issues; early detection and repair can prevent larger problems; 3. I don’t understand why this component is integrated into the computer board; the experts have developed a repair method that only requires replacing the chip, which is not too costly. If I had gone to the dealership, would they have insisted on replacing the entire computer, which would likely cost several thousand yuan?
