How do I know when its time for a new Oxygen Sensor ?
- Thread starter Mr Magoo
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your honda may cause a cel after a few miles down the road. on some it may take about 20 min or more of driving or so. some do not cut a light at all but will cause poor mileage and poor or higher idle.
you can also remove and test it via various ways by removing it. but on some cars its a pain if its the original to remove or get to. so if you get it out you might as well replace it anyway.
most oe sensors will last a very long time some do not. i've had a ford go out at 77k and toyota go out a 180k.
Denso has first time fit and and Universal which are the same but one has the pig tail on it and the other you have to cut and solder on. these are good replacements and are normally much cheaper than the autozone bosch sensors which were $70 for my application. Denso plugs are also very good.
here is a generic install instructions and a wire color coded chart also which will tell you what wire is what also.
i use www.sparkplugs.com and use coupon code clubtgc to get 10% off. Generic Install
you can also remove and test it via various ways by removing it. but on some cars its a pain if its the original to remove or get to. so if you get it out you might as well replace it anyway.
most oe sensors will last a very long time some do not. i've had a ford go out at 77k and toyota go out a 180k.
Denso has first time fit and and Universal which are the same but one has the pig tail on it and the other you have to cut and solder on. these are good replacements and are normally much cheaper than the autozone bosch sensors which were $70 for my application. Denso plugs are also very good.
here is a generic install instructions and a wire color coded chart also which will tell you what wire is what also.
i use www.sparkplugs.com and use coupon code clubtgc to get 10% off. Generic Install
They tend to gradually degrade over time. As muddawgs mentions, poor mpg and performance are typical. Though often things tend to go bad very slowly, so you may not notice it.
O2 sensors are generally conisdered a wear item. If you have 177K miles, then my opinion is that the time to change them is now.
I usually change them out around 50K - 60K miles.
O2 sensors are generally conisdered a wear item. If you have 177K miles, then my opinion is that the time to change them is now.
I usually change them out around 50K - 60K miles.
I only change them when necessary. If they actually fail, you'll get a check engine light. If the performance of the sensor is simply degraded, fuel economy may suffer. If you keep records of fuel economy and there's a significant decline in fuel economy with no other explanation, it may be time to change it/them.
If you are experienceing poor mpg and/or performance I'd consider a change. If everything seems fine, I wouldn't worry about it. O2 sensors are not cheap, at least not in my car. If yours are original, I bet they will be a bit tricky to get out.
I bought Bosch and I like them. Mine was $50 and my car takes four. So far I've replace two of the four.
I bought Bosch and I like them. Mine was $50 and my car takes four. So far I've replace two of the four.
I've replaced all 4 of mine, but waited til the codes actually came up saying 2 of the 4 were bad - that was at 152k miles.
In a 1997 Del Sol I used the Walker sensor available at http://www.oxygensensors.com -- worked fine and was a $200 savings over the dealer piece.
How much did the dealer want for an O2 sensor for your car?
$250 or so (not my car, one of my co-workers cars).
The Bosch aftermarket one sold by Autozone had a similarly ridiculous price, too.
I was going to put a universal one on it when I found out that the Walker ones only cost about $50 from that website...
EDIT: http://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com has the OEM sensor for "only" $147.57, list is $196.76
The Bosch aftermarket one sold by Autozone had a similarly ridiculous price, too.
I was going to put a universal one on it when I found out that the Walker ones only cost about $50 from that website...
EDIT: http://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com has the OEM sensor for "only" $147.57, list is $196.76
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OBDII will notify you when the O2 sensor(s) are shot. However, you will suffer poor gas mileage for possibly tens of thousands of miles due to a lazy O2 sensor before OBDII decides it's time.
A pre-cat sensor should be replaced when gas mileage begins to suffer. I'd expect to get 70k to over 100k miles out of the factory O2 sensors. The post-cat sensor needs to be replaced only if it triggers a CEL -- unless you have an engine management system that allows operation of the engine in extremely lean modes (not yet common in the US, I believe.
I'd stick with an OEM quality O2 sensor. NGK/NTK work well and last long in my Audi. Not sure what brand Honda uses.
I went to AutoZone and got the code scanned. It was the 02 sensor, so I bought an OEM Denso oxygen sensor online.
My gas mileage has been slowing going down.......even thought I have new spark plugs, cap/rotor, air/fuel filter, PCV valve, correct tire pressure, etc.... so I had a feeling it was the sensor.
THANKS for all your help guys
My gas mileage has been slowing going down.......even thought I have new spark plugs, cap/rotor, air/fuel filter, PCV valve, correct tire pressure, etc.... so I had a feeling it was the sensor.
THANKS for all your help guys
Some of the hondas have wideband sensors which are much more expensive than the regular O2 sensor.
My wife has a '95 Honda Civic FX (high Mileage) and a year or two ago it set a CEL and the dealer said it was o2 sensor but reset the computer and the code never triggered again. On emissions testing this year it passed high speed with flying colors but nearly didn't pass the low speed test. Maybe a lazy sensor is the cause. Do you suppose the lowered efficiency shows up in the lower temp test?
I've never had to replace an O2 sensor in a honda unless it was mechanically damaged (collision). you can test them easily enough, there are test procedures on the web for in and out of car testing. I have pulled junkyard O2 sensors from 200k+ mile cars that tested as good as new.
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