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Leading cause of bad O2 sensors?

Achilles

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 31, 2004
Messages
447
Location
Back in Sunny California!
Corvette
1982 CE, 03 MY Z06
I've got another bad O2 sensor on my 95 after just replacing them less than 4000 miles ago. Prior to that my 02 sensors lasted less than 3000 miles before they were replaced at no charge by Pep Boys. Now they're going bad again. They are Bosch sensors which I thought would be good. The ones I had before the Bosch lasted about 30,000 miles, but I don't know what brand they were since they were installed by a mechanic.

So am I getting bad O2 sensors from Bosch, or is something else going on to cause them to fail?

Should I go with AC/Delco?
 
I just had my first one go bad at 178K miles on my '96, had a heater circuit problem. I'd say you got something else going on.
good luck
 
One of the common causes for O2 failures is overtightened while installing.
 
I think it could be a rich condition. I remember the last time the left sensor was covered in black soot. Once I have a chance to look at them again, if the left side is sooted up again, I'll assume I have a bad injector.
 
I just had my first one go bad at 178K miles on my '96, had a heater circuit problem. I'd say you got something else going on.
good luck

Lone 73 - May be a silly question, but when you're throwing a code for a heater circuit problem for an O2 sensor does replacing the sensor always work (assuming the replacement sensor is good)? Or could it be something else also?

Thanks,
Chetzki
 
When I looked up the code I believe it did say something about a possible wiring issue. I checked the terminals on the connector thinking that if there was a problem with wiring it'd probably be there at the exhaust pipe. It looked ok so I tried another sensor. I had a spare that I threw on there as a test. Worked. I left it in place. I think I have another used sensor, I'll have to look. If you are showing a bad one and want to give it a try I'll give it to you. Let me know...
good luck
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I have a 96 CE LT4 coupe. I know: you are happy for me! :)

At any rate.........I have almost 90,000 miles and I have all four (4) original O2 sensors.

Bosch is the Original Equipment Manufacturer.

I have been told that the Denso sensors are very good. Might be more expensive than Bosch.

I could not tell you why your Vette would be eating sensors. Sounds very unusual.

SAVE THE :w
 
My thoughts as well.
If he has lost more than one sensor I don't think it is silicone.
Using a silicone that is not o2 friendly can destroy it but after the silicone cures and the fumes dissipate then it would not be a problem so after 12 hours the silicone would not harm the o2 sensor.
 
excessive use of injector cleaner, or water absorbing fuel additives, added to the fuel or coolant seaping into the exhaust or an excessively rich a/f ratio will eventually kill an O2 sensor
 
excessive use of injector cleaner, or water absorbing fuel additives, added to the fuel or coolant seaping into the exhaust or an excessively rich a/f ratio will eventually kill an O2 sensor


Water absorbing fuel additives such as alcohols....
Chetzki
 
"Water absorbing fuel additives such as alcohols...."

Im NOT sure if its the alcohol or something ELSE in the cans of products similar to (DRY GAS) and similar additives LIKE injector cleaners but its been depressingly common to see the O2 sensors quit after awhile if that type of products been used frequently, Ive got brother-in-laws and friends that regularly dump that stuff in thier tanks and we replaced O2 sensors almost yearly untill I got them to just change the oil and all the filters regularly and stop dumping the latest wonder additive in the tank every other fill up
but ID also point out that alcohols HYDROSCOPIC (SPELLING??) IT tends to absorb moisture and the combo of excess moisture,leaded fuels leave clogging residues, heat and exhaust tends to eat sensors, keep in mind a mild sulfuric acid is formed from exhaust gases and moisture
 
I finally had a chance to pull the O2 sensors and again the left side is covered with soot. Realizing that not long after getting this car in 2002, I had a sensor go bad. Since I had a mechanic doing the work at the time, I told him to go ahead and replace both. I'm thinking that it is a continued problem with the left side going bad.

I replaced all my spark plugs and noticed the left bank has a lot of black soot. So I'm thinking I have a rich condition on the left side. Hooked up a FP guage and pressure holds steady at 40-42 psi. Checked the readings on the injectors and all read 12.4 - 12.5, except for one on the right side read 12.7 ohms. Pretty low readings I think. So I sent my injectors off to RC Engineering to get rebuilt and recalibrated. Should get them back in about a week.

Hopefully this will solve my O2 sensor woes.
 
Leading cause?

Fouling. From not fixing tune problems that throw fuel trim to max pulsewidth. (Cats foul too uh huh).
 

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