A while back I picked up a P 2096 code along with the Engine Service Light. I have an aftermarket exhaust that I fitted several years ago (at about 60,000 miles), using their flange gasket. I've been hearing a slight exhaust leak on occasion and decided to replace the flange gasket near the rear oxygen sensor. I currently have 124,000 miles on the car.

When I jacked up the car and ran the engine, I couldn't feel any exhaust leakage from around the flange but there was a bit of water dripping out of the joint (car had just been started after sitting overnight). When I removed the two bolts the gasket basically fell apart. It was one of those foil-type gaskets with a thin layer of insulation in between. Much less robust than the OEM gasket, which I had on-hand to install. Fitted the new OEM gasket, tightened the bolts and could immediatly tell that the exhaust leak was gone. Now, after 4 days of driving to work, the Check Engine light went off!!

I'm very happy that all I had to do was replace the flange gasket: no trips to the dealer or specialty shop, just a new gasket. Definitely worth looking into if you have an aftermarket exhaust with supplied gasket or just have enough miles to have caused the original gasket to have deteriorated.

Eric