Oxygen Sensors?

[Boomyal]

Looking for suitable O2 sensors for my Daughter's Mitsubishi Lancer. There are a considerable number of brands and prices. One of the better known names, with pretty decent prices is Bosch. They claim them to be OE so I assume the connectors are plug and play. Does anyone have anything negative to say about Bosch O2 sensors?

 

[bruceb58]

There are some Bosch that have the OEM connectors and others that you need to splice so make sure you order the ones you want to get.

Make sure you check Rockauto to see what their prices are like. Also Amazon.

 

[bigdee]

NTK is Chrysler's OEM and IMO the ones I would use.

 

[bruceb58]

Rockauto claims Denso is the OEM. Denso is the OEM for Toyota too.

 

[Scott Danforth]

the OEM's use multiple sources for components such as O2 sensors. Bosch, Denso, Nippon, etc. all supply the automotive market. if one of those companies offers a $0.15 price redux over their competators to an OEM, they are the new supplier of choice for that OEM.

My experience is they all fail or start to drift between 80-120k the universal ones provided with a connector that you must attach will be less money simply because the labor was provided by you, and not the sensor manufacturer

 

[bigdee]

Rockauto claims Denso is the OEM. Denso is the OEM for Toyota too.

Depends on year. NTK/NGK are high quality with gold plated pins. Either way NTK/NGK or DENSO are a good choice.

 

[MTboatguy]

They all do the same thing which is Fail at a certain mileage, you will never actually know who the OEM in your car is, I have put dozens of them in over the years and have yet to see one with the manufactures name on it, Companies us the one that is offered to them for the least expensive cost. When I have to replace one, I look for the least expensive I can find for that application and the least expensive always seem to last as long as the most expensive.

 

[bruceb58]

Out of curiosity, what year is the Lancer?

 

[Boomyal]

Out of curiosity, what year is the Lancer?

It is a 2002 2.0L with a failed cat code. All indications are that the cat may or may not be bad and that you should definitely change out the O2 sensors before replacing the cat. Then reset the CEL and see what happens. The Lancer Cat is not the cheapest because it is a one piece combination exhaust mani and Cat.

RockAuto does have the Denso Sensors. They are about $4 ea, more than the Bosch.

 

[alldodge]

What code is it throwing?

 

[Boomyal]

What code is it throwing?

It's a P0421. The car has just over 100k miles on it.

 

[bruceb58]

Denso is the OEM for your car. The reason I think that is important is that I have seen non OEM O2 sensor have cable lengths that don't match the original length which is a pain if the O2 sensor has to go through the floorboard to reach a connector inside the car. That's just my personal experience with one non OEM sensor. The fix was to just splice the old cable with the new one.

Worked on a friends of mine's car that needed both a new cat and a new O2 sensor. He had been running a long time with a miss that was a combo of bad spark plug wires and worn out spark plugs. Sure way of ruining a cat. In his case the O2 sensor was throwing a code and he was failing smog tests because of the failing cat. Once I replaced his cat as well as the O2, he passed smog.

BTW, Amazon also carries them for a few dollars more if shipping is high from Rockauto. If you order from Rockauto, do a google search for the 5% discount code.

 

[alldodge]

Maybe check the voltage at the sensor before replacing it. Got this from Just answers
The front sensor is fluctuating properly at idle between 0.2V and 0.8V roughly, and every 1 second or so. The rear oxygen sensor you will want to see between 0.4 and 0.8V roughly, and a -fixed- voltage... meaning very little fluctuation/deviation.

If you see a front oxygen sensor that is stuck at one voltage, the front sensor is at fault.
If you see a rear oxygen sensor that is stuck at very low voltage (0V, 0.1V etc) the rear oxygen sensor is at fault.
If you see the front sensor fluctuating normally and in range, and the rear oxygen sensor fluctuating as well, and within 80% of the front sensor voltage for more than 12 seconds or so, the catalyst is failed.

 

[Boomyal]

Maybe check the voltage at the sensor before replacing it. Got this from Just answers
The front sensor is fluctuating properly at idle between 0.2V and 0.8V roughly, and every 1 second or so. The rear oxygen sensor you will want to see between 0.4 and 0.8V roughly, and a -fixed- voltage... meaning very little fluctuation/deviation.

If you see a front oxygen sensor that is stuck at one voltage, the front sensor is at fault.
If you see a rear oxygen sensor that is stuck at very low voltage (0V, 0.1V etc) the rear oxygen sensor is at fault.
If you see the front sensor fluctuating normally and in range, and the rear oxygen sensor fluctuating as well, and within 80% of the front sensor voltage for more than 12 seconds or so, the catalyst is failed.

....and how is it that you check the voltage? These apparently are heated sensors and probably have multiple wires.

 

[alldodge]

....and how is it that you check the voltage? These apparently are heated sensors and probably have multiple wires.

Follow the wires up to a connector on the engine. Most of the connectors have enough of an opening to get a meter probe on. The best way is with a OBD scanner with a readout so you can read what the car is seeing while it's running. Need one which will give live data
Something like this,
http://www.amazon.com/INNOVA-3160-D...id=1420661664&sr=1-19&keywords=obd-ii+scanner

They make cheaper ones and the voltage can be read with a digital meter, just a bit harder

 

[Scott Danforth]

the forward cat on the lancer is $280, the aft cat is $130. thats cheap compared to the cats on my last audi at $1170 each

 

[Boomyal]

the forward cat on the lancer is $280, the aft cat is $130. thats cheap compared to the cats on my last audi at $1170 each

Do you have a link, Scott? I've seen a variety of prices but none that good for the forward cat. The rear one is a moot point because it is not monitered.

 

[bruceb58]

Is this a CA emission car? Hopefully not. I know that the CA ones are often a completely different CAT with different mounting.

 

[MTboatguy]

Hey Boom, when I was in Vancouver last month, I had to go out to Pick an Pull on 78th street and noticed they had nice low mileage cats out there for good prices, so you might check with them to see what they might have to fit your rig.

 

[Boomyal]

Hey Boom, when I was in Vancouver last month.....

Uh Huh! Another year goes by and you didn't give a shout out. Yeah, I'll drive by and give it a looksee. Thanks