Oxygen Sensors, Does Anyone Elses Car Seem To Eat Them?

[666DAN]

I find i'm replacing the O2 sensor on my car at least every 20,000kms....does anyone else seem to go through them that quickly? The AFRs aren't anything crazy currently (used to happen when stock as well)

I get the same symptoms long before the check engine light ever comes on, stalling at lights, stalling if braking hard, erratic low idle that doesn't respond to AAC adjustment.

Running the O2 sensor diagnostic to check the recommended "5 flashes @ 2000 rpm" and always get zero flashes, replacing the sensor and I usually get 7 - 10 flashes straight away and car runs like new again for another 20,000kms.

Bloody things are starting to become a general service item for me.

[vinnie32GTS4]

just unplug the o2 sensor mate..the car will run in safe mode which means it will just run a little bit rich but u wont be getting the problems your getting and you wont be forking out money to buy 02 sensors ever 20000 kms...thats what ive done and its fixed the problems.

[psi]

yea, I ate a few for awhile and couldn't seem to beat it. We thought about fuel as an issue, and then heat. I noticed that everything around the sensor was cooking, so I fitted a body washer between the oxy sensor and the pipe. Then I wrapped the pipe and this seemed to keep the thing cooler and its been in there for two years now..

[666DAN]

just unplug the o2 sensor mate..the car will run in safe mode which means it will just run a little bit rich but u wont be getting the problems your getting and you wont be forking out money to buy 02 sensors ever 20000 kms...thats what ive done and its fixed the problems.

I can't, my fuel consumption falls through the floor, 3 weeks of driving like that will cost me the equivalent of a new sensor.

[Adriano]

Have you considered fitting a heatsink, Innovate motorsport recommend it for applisations where it may get too hot. Is it a 2 wire sensor?

[QWK32]

yea, I ate a few for awhile and couldn't seem to beat it. We thought about fuel as an issue, and then heat. I noticed that everything around the sensor was cooking, so I fitted a body washer between the oxy sensor and the pipe. Then I wrapped the pipe and this seemed to keep the thing cooler and its been in there for two years now..

is that like a fibreglass washer?

[blind_elk]

What colour is the sensor probe when you take them out? If they are black, it may be that you are driving far too vigourously (ie RICH) and coating the sensor in carbon so it doesn't sense correctly.

[paulr33]

i assume its in the standard location and mounting ?

[666DAN]

No current one is mounted in a ceramic coated CES split dump pipe, prior to that they were shitting themselves in the stock location

[paulr33]

its in the upright position?

what sort of tune have you got?

do u know of any else using same dump pipe on ER34 ?

[666DAN]

Nup on the CES dumps the sensors are located downwards, I know a few people using them I think Adam (abo bob) has the same dump.

Tune is pretty conservative off-boost, on boost is static 12:1 AFR

[paulr33]

a or b

[paulr33]

if yours is Type A id say you've found the culprit

02 sensors are very pedantic about location, how they are mounted and temperature/pressure in the exhaust

so it could be pressure is too high (unlikely) or temp is too high (have you checked EGT?) - again unlikely in normal turbo applications

upside down is big no no, they will die a short death each time, its plastered all over the bosch install guide somewhere if you can find it

try searching for Bosch LSU install or google it, youll find it for wideband 02 but its the same dealy for narrow band

[666DAN]

Yep it's more like A....why would CES do something like that?

[paulr33]

wow im surprised at that, upside down 02 sensor

no wonder you keep killing them....

get another dump pipe and it will be fine

what a shame hey, im surprised no one else has picked up on that or noticed?

who installed it?

[Haines]

isnt the rule not to go below 3 o'clock (90deg)

something to do with moisture etc IIRC