What can damage o2 sensor?

[wolf_06]

Hi people,

I post earlier today that i change my o2 sensor, and its was dark black,very bad. Is fuel additive have soething to do with this sensor, can it make a shorter life of the o2 sensor?

 

[bdcardinal]

Could be that, or excessive oil burning.

 

[wolf_06]

Originally Posted By: wolf_06
Hi people,

I post earlier today that i change my o2 sensor, and its was dark black,very bad. Is fuel additive have soething to do with this sensor, can it make a shorter life of the o2 sensor?
http://dodgeforum.com/forum/2nd-gen-ram-...gen-sensor.html

 

[wolf_06]

It was carbon fooled too

 

[wolf_06]

Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
Could be that, or excessive oil burning.
no my car doesnt burn oil at all

 

[spasm3]

If the sensor is bad, the engine could run rich thus coating the bad sensor with carbon. The carbon is a result rather than a cause of the bad sensor.

 

[mechtech2]

It could be the O2 sensor itself, a rich fuel condition from faulty parts, or a combination.

 

[LeakySeals]

When additives make the claim "safe for oxygen sensors" all that means is it wont melt/eat the sensor. It doesn't mean the additive wont foul the sensor. Some additive are high in oil content (like seafoam and MMO for example). If the sensor gets a coating of an oily substance, it will attract carbon/burnt fuel like flypaper and clog the sensor, making it lazy. Just hit it with TB or MAF cleaner and put it back. If that doesnt work dipping the tip in straight gas for a few hours should get the rest.

 

[440Magnum]

O2 sensors are damaged by the same things that damage catalytic convertors. Lead, manganese, and other heavy metals primarily. Silicates and acetates from some gasket-forming materials will also hurt them, but not so much catcons.

Black deposits mean your engine is running stupid rich, not necessarily that the O2 sensor has any problem at all (although a bad O2 sensor can make an engine run rich, it usually doesn't make it STUPID rich like a bad MAF/MAP or leaky fuel injector can.

I disagree that oil burning will make an O2 sensor look black. O2 sensors are located in the hottest part of the exhaust stream- if the fuel mixture is right, an oil-burning engine will still not have BLACK deposits there, it will have crusty white ashy residue- just my experience.

 

[wolf_06]

Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
O2 sensors are damaged by the same things that damage catalytic convertors. Lead, manganese, and other heavy metals primarily. Silicates and acetates from some gasket-forming materials will also hurt them, but not so much catcons.

Black deposits mean your engine is running stupid rich, not necessarily that the O2 sensor has any problem at all (although a bad O2 sensor can make an engine run rich, it usually doesn't make it STUPID rich like a bad MAF/MAP or leaky fuel injector can.

I disagree that oil burning will make an O2 sensor look black. O2 sensors are located in the hottest part of the exhaust stream- if the fuel mixture is right, an oil-burning engine will still not have BLACK deposits there, it will have crusty white ashy residue- just my experience.

yes you are right, i used lucas fuel treatmemt a lot, its very oily, is the high rev or too much cleaner im oil and gaz do that?

 

[Tegger]

Originally Posted By: wolf_06
Hi people,

I post earlier today that i change my o2 sensor, and its was dark black,very bad. Is fuel additive have soething to do with this sensor, can it make a shorter life of the o2 sensor?

Next time you pull the spark plugs, have a look at the pistons inside. They will be BLACK. The cause is soot. Soot is a normal byproduct of combustion. Your oxygen sensor is also covered with this normal byproduct of combustion, as is the exhaust manifold and most of the rest of the exhaust system.

Questions:
1) Was your Check Engine light on?
2) If so, what was/were the code(s)?

If the Check Engine light was NOT on, then there was nothing wrong with your oxygen sensor that was worth doing anything about, and you would have been best to leave it alone.

 

[Trav]

Spray silicone is a major culprit. Some people use it around the engine compartment, it can kill an O2 in short order.
Some older or off brand cheap silicone gasket maker will do the same thing.
Leaded fuel, although it can can recover from short term use.

Any gasket maker should have O2 sensor safe on the package.
Most non automotive stuff like kitchen and bath while cheaper are not to be used in the engine compartment, the fumes can be inhaled by the engine and damage the O2.
All the other stuff other folks have mentioned.

 

[yonyon]

Oldschool "green" antifreeze used silicates for corrosion protection. That stuff can kill an O2S pretty quickly.

 

[mechtech2]

Originally Posted By: wolf_06
Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
O2 sensors are damaged by the same things that damage catalytic convertors. Lead, manganese, and other heavy metals primarily. Silicates and acetates from some gasket-forming materials will also hurt them, but not so much catcons.

Black deposits mean your engine is running stupid rich, not necessarily that the O2 sensor has any problem at all (although a bad O2 sensor can make an engine run rich, it usually doesn't make it STUPID rich like a bad MAF/MAP or leaky fuel injector can.

I disagree that oil burning will make an O2 sensor look black. O2 sensors are located in the hottest part of the exhaust stream- if the fuel mixture is right, an oil-burning engine will still not have BLACK deposits there, it will have crusty white ashy residue- just my experience.

yes you are right, i used lucas fuel treatmemt a lot, its very oily, is the high rev or too much cleaner im oil and gaz do that?


Stop using Lucas fuel treatment. It is motor oil with a few detergents.
Almost useless and it's not cheap.
This is not because of the dirty O2 sensor, but good advice.

 

[HerrStig]

Silicone spray should not be introduced into the intake system. (Was cleaning around a throttle plate once...grabbed the WRONG spray can) Scratch one A/F sensor.

 

[artificialist]

My father said that when the carb failed in his 1987 Hyundai Excel, the excessive unburnt gasoline destroyed the O2 sensor, and that made the whole repair job extremely expensive.