Part Selection Help - O2 Sensor
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 28,467
Likes: 3,288
From: Hartford WI
"You seem to think knowledge is the be all and end all of things" - 
"If they think that more service will scare away the customer to another one that reports less service needed, they won't tell you if they can help it." -- WTF??? -
who defines the scheduled - you, or do you have knowledge of this secret maintenance schedule GM doesn't want me to know about???
50 million car on the road without datalogging, and I doubt 0.01% are testing and/or replacing O2 sensors on any kind of regular schedule. doctors and smoking, and switching the subject to oil and powerstrokes - WTF are you talking about?
i'm impressed with your comments, but then again, it doesn't take much to impress me.
"If they think that more service will scare away the customer to another one that reports less service needed, they won't tell you if they can help it." -- WTF??? -
who defines the scheduled - you, or do you have knowledge of this secret maintenance schedule GM doesn't want me to know about???
50 million car on the road without datalogging, and I doubt 0.01% are testing and/or replacing O2 sensors on any kind of regular schedule. doctors and smoking, and switching the subject to oil and powerstrokes - WTF are you talking about?
i'm impressed with your comments, but then again, it doesn't take much to impress me.
2 similar cars. One has to maintain 20 items a year and the other has to maintain 10 a year. I can certainly make a case for "average maintenance cost" as a selling point, can I not? Is that part difficult to understand?
Assuming the laboratory I commission to do the testing tells me that based on the sample of engine oil and the number of miles I put on it, says it can go another 1000 miles, why wouldn't I consider their input more valuable than GM?
I see. That is a compelling argument for "Monkey see, Monkey do". Being the skeptic that I am, I prefer to, where I can, "Trust but verify". Chrly also went along with "MSMD". Perhaps he could have gone on longer and be losing 7 mpg even longer?
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 28,467
Likes: 3,288
From: Hartford WI
Your local store is brick and mortar. Usually costs more money. If you can schedule it, I'd bundle it with other orders.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 17,982
Likes: 1,074
From: Lansing MI
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 209
Likes: 24
They are considered a wear item just like spark plugs and (like spark plugs) they do lose performance over time. There are a lot of factors in play that will determine how long the sensor will perform at it's peak. Things like fuel quality and the general repair of the engine. Things like burning oil, wrong kind of gasket sealer, or a degraded ignition system will cause deposits on the sensor that reduce it's performance. Like many have pointed out here they rarely just go out completely. More commonly they get inaccurate. My personal view of this topic is that since they are generally pretty cheap I change mine every time I change my spark plugs. I run copper plugs in my cars so that means I change them a little more frequently about 25 - 35K miles. Is that excessive? Maybe. But I drive a Corvette which is a performance car so I maintain it to keep it performing at it's peak, not just the longest and cheapest maintenance schedule. Remember the Factory really only cares about your car lasting until the end of the warranted period. After that they want you to buy a new car. That's what keeps them in business. So while a good place to start the factory recommend maintenance schedule should be considered a bare minimum and if you plan to keep your car then more frequent maintenance and high quality products should be considered.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 28,467
Likes: 3,288
From: Hartford WI
Absolutely. By the roadside isn't the place to buy online and get it next week. OTOH, it's snowing so I can wait. All depends on how much I need it today. Local stuff tends to have more limited selection and higher prices
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 28,467
Likes: 3,288
From: Hartford WI
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Instructor
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 111
Likes: 12
Yes you can. Get an ALDL to USB cable from Moates.net and load TunerPro ( http://www.tunerpro.net ) onto your laptop. Once the software is configured you will be able to view the live data stream and datalog right from your ECU live while driving. This is a very helpful diagnostic tool if you understand what you are looking at. For the purpose of this discussion about O2 sensors..
They are considered a wear item just like spark plugs and (like spark plugs) they do lose performance over time. There are a lot of factors in play that will determine how long the sensor will perform at it's peak. Things like fuel quality and the general repair of the engine. Things like burning oil, wrong kind of gasket sealer, or a degraded ignition system will cause deposits on the sensor that reduce it's performance. Like many have pointed out here they rarely just go out completely. More commonly they get inaccurate. My personal view of this topic is that since they are generally pretty cheap I change mine every time I change my spark plugs. I run copper plugs in my cars so that means I change them a little more frequently about 25 - 35K miles. Is that excessive? Maybe. But I drive a Corvette which is a performance car so I maintain it to keep it performing at it's peak, not just the longest and cheapest maintenance schedule. Remember the Factory really only cares about your car lasting until the end of the warranted period. After that they want you to buy a new car. That's what keeps them in business. So while a good place to start the factory recommend maintenance schedule should be considered a bare minimum and if you plan to keep your car then more frequent maintenance and high quality products should be considered.
They are considered a wear item just like spark plugs and (like spark plugs) they do lose performance over time. There are a lot of factors in play that will determine how long the sensor will perform at it's peak. Things like fuel quality and the general repair of the engine. Things like burning oil, wrong kind of gasket sealer, or a degraded ignition system will cause deposits on the sensor that reduce it's performance. Like many have pointed out here they rarely just go out completely. More commonly they get inaccurate. My personal view of this topic is that since they are generally pretty cheap I change mine every time I change my spark plugs. I run copper plugs in my cars so that means I change them a little more frequently about 25 - 35K miles. Is that excessive? Maybe. But I drive a Corvette which is a performance car so I maintain it to keep it performing at it's peak, not just the longest and cheapest maintenance schedule. Remember the Factory really only cares about your car lasting until the end of the warranted period. After that they want you to buy a new car. That's what keeps them in business. So while a good place to start the factory recommend maintenance schedule should be considered a bare minimum and if you plan to keep your car then more frequent maintenance and high quality products should be considered.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 28,467
Likes: 3,288
From: Hartford WI
Yes you can. Get an ALDL to USB cable from Moates.net and load TunerPro ( http://www.tunerpro.net ) onto your laptop. Once the software is configured you will be able to view the live data stream and datalog right from your ECU live while driving. This is a very helpful diagnostic tool if you understand what you are looking at. For the purpose of this discussion about O2 sensors..
They are considered a wear item just like spark plugs and (like spark plugs) they do lose performance over time. There are a lot of factors in play that will determine how long the sensor will perform at it's peak. Things like fuel quality and the general repair of the engine. Things like burning oil, wrong kind of gasket sealer, or a degraded ignition system will cause deposits on the sensor that reduce it's performance. Like many have pointed out here they rarely just go out completely. More commonly they get inaccurate. My personal view of this topic is that since they are generally pretty cheap I change mine every time I change my spark plugs. I run copper plugs in my cars so that means I change them a little more frequently about 25 - 35K miles. Is that excessive? Maybe. But I drive a Corvette which is a performance car so I maintain it to keep it performing at it's peak, not just the longest and cheapest maintenance schedule. Remember the Factory really only cares about your car lasting until the end of the warranted period. After that they want you to buy a new car. That's what keeps them in business. So while a good place to start the factory recommend maintenance schedule should be considered a bare minimum and if you plan to keep your car then more frequent maintenance and high quality products should be considered.
They are considered a wear item just like spark plugs and (like spark plugs) they do lose performance over time. There are a lot of factors in play that will determine how long the sensor will perform at it's peak. Things like fuel quality and the general repair of the engine. Things like burning oil, wrong kind of gasket sealer, or a degraded ignition system will cause deposits on the sensor that reduce it's performance. Like many have pointed out here they rarely just go out completely. More commonly they get inaccurate. My personal view of this topic is that since they are generally pretty cheap I change mine every time I change my spark plugs. I run copper plugs in my cars so that means I change them a little more frequently about 25 - 35K miles. Is that excessive? Maybe. But I drive a Corvette which is a performance car so I maintain it to keep it performing at it's peak, not just the longest and cheapest maintenance schedule. Remember the Factory really only cares about your car lasting until the end of the warranted period. After that they want you to buy a new car. That's what keeps them in business. So while a good place to start the factory recommend maintenance schedule should be considered a bare minimum and if you plan to keep your car then more frequent maintenance and high quality products should be considered.
I get the NGK TR55 and toss them every year. Seems like my cap gets old and gives misfire sometimes so cap, rotor and plugs and while I am there, do a compression test. Maybe toss the O2 sensor after a couple 3 years
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 28,467
Likes: 3,288
From: Hartford WI
So the story goes. I'm going to get the hardware and they also have software that is free, ALDL Scan
http://www.1320electronics.com/12pinALDL.html
Last edited by aklim; Dec 14, 2017 at 09:04 AM.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 28,467
Likes: 3,288
From: Hartford WI
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 275
Likes: 34
From: Stoughton Wisconsin
My sensor just showed up and it has a protective cover on the sensing end including the threads. When I removed the cover the threads were coated with Neversieze.
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 153
Likes: 17
From: Boyds MD
Pricing things out, the C5 conversion sure seems to be the most cost effective option, and to get greatest gains, expecially if doing all 4 wheels.
But I also saw some third party alternative:
I saw SSBC had two kits... not only the conversion to c4 stock HeavyDuty 13", but also
Tri-piston option for the front, that allowed larger pads than the Stock C4 HeavyDuty, similar to the C5, for around a grand, that's suppost to have a smaller footprint for the smaller rims..
also I saw Willwood had a lower cost 2 piston conversion kit for C4 around a grand for the front.
Not sure if those two had proprietary pad sizes or larger standard sizes. Both have template. I just took my rim off, and gonna go see.
But I also saw some third party alternative:
I saw SSBC had two kits... not only the conversion to c4 stock HeavyDuty 13", but also
Tri-piston option for the front, that allowed larger pads than the Stock C4 HeavyDuty, similar to the C5, for around a grand, that's suppost to have a smaller footprint for the smaller rims..
also I saw Willwood had a lower cost 2 piston conversion kit for C4 around a grand for the front.
Not sure if those two had proprietary pad sizes or larger standard sizes. Both have template. I just took my rim off, and gonna go see.