Lambda sensor and tales of radiator woes - advice please

[tree73]

My wee car's nae well .
Temp gauge went off the scale yesterday, managed it into Perth and Grassicks, told them what seemed wrong. Picked car up at end of day to be told t'was a knackered lambda sensor which had been replaced and all was well with the world.

Got to the Broxden roundabout and the gauge went off the scale again - back to Grassicks. Oh it's the radiator oops, sticking plaster repair but it'll need replaced..... Going very quiet has an effect; I've been offered a nice all in price to replace radiator (car's 06 reg), but in reimbursing me the initial invoice they'll take back their (now nearly) new lambda sensor. Should I just accept cars can cost far too much at inappropriate times of the year and be grateful I didn't hit the sales or is the lambda sensor really essential. I know it monitors engine efficiency etc but is it just high falluting gadgetry or will my fuel consumption go through the roof without it?Cheers, Cherry

[Mon the fish]

Can't see how a lambda sensor should make the engine overheat - it's in the exhaust isn't it? AFAIK, the only thing the lambda sensor could do would be to trip the EML light, or possibly limp mode (with increased fuel consumption).

Typical main dealer though - throw money at a car rather than proper diagnosis. I would certainly expect a refund for that part of the work

[ELFMAN]

It obviously WASN'T a faulty Sensor, so surely your original sensor should be OK and be refitted? Did they refit it? I wouldn't think they'd send the car out without it, leaving a hole... (as Mon says - a faulty Lambda Sensor would light up your EML, there are two I think, and they monitor engine emissions before and after the Cat - mine used to trip on my R53 because I was running a 'Sports' Cat which let more 'gas' through to the 2nd sensor, so it thought there was a fault. This has happened once on my R56, but the dealer re-set it and it's been OK since, but it could come back on) You sound as if you no longer have it... if they binned the old one, that's their lookout and you should get the new one F.O.C.

If the radiator needs fixed, that's just that, but a competent garage could do that cheaper than a MINI Dealer with their killer hourly rates - up to you... But this is all you should be paying for as they mis-diagnosed the initial problem - if they've reimbursed you for the previous work with no argument that's fine.

[tree73]

Cheers for the advice. Not sure if the previous sensor has been binned, I kinda assume it will have - I knew it was playing up but it got knocked when exhaust replaced last summer so was surprised but still rather naively trusted their diagnosis. No longer however...... Would now just be great if the snow cleared so i can get up the steep frigging hill in the car, buses pah!