I replaced my CPS (OEM black) shortly after buying my 7.3, a little less than 30k miles and almost exactly 2 years ago. It is giving signs of going out. Bad luck or par for the course?

 

Most go forever, some don't. They are a Hall Effect device with no moving parts internally, so theoretically nothing to wear out.

 

I have had dark blue Motorcraft CPS ( RockAuto) crapped on me after 6 months.

 

What was your reason for replacing the OEM black sensor shortly after buying your 7.3L?

Did you replace it preemptively simply as a precaution, due to the former recall of sensors, or did you actually experience signs of the original sensor going out?

Did those signs go away after you installed the new sensor 2 years ago?

If you experienced signs with the OEM black sensor, what were the actual and specific signs that made you think it was going out?

Fast forward to today... what are the signs that you are experiencing now that cause you to believe the new sensor you installed is going out?

 

The original replacement was just to do it, and it was either a grey or blue one so decided to get rid of it.

With the new one, truck has randomly shut off without warning. Fired right back up each time. Code I got was for CPS. I think it was P0340. Haven't ruled out the pigtail. Just assumed CPS.

 

Thanks for confirming the reason for your original replacement, and more significantly, for clarifying that the original CPS that you previously replaced was actually NOT an "OEM black" as your first post stated. Accuracy in these reported details help hone the evolutionary knowledge base of the 7.3L PSD community at large (not just limited to FTE).

Exceptions to the rule of experience are very interesting and thus important to consider. Yet awareness of the general rule is what most of us rely upon, and in fact, is exactly what you asking in the title of this thread... what is the CPS lifespan, as a general rule.

As a general rule, the OEM black production CMP (CPS) have lasted indefinitely. I have remained skeptical of these sensors themselves being the root cause for inspiring Ford's recall of them with in 99-03 Ford applications. My memory is failing and mind is falling apart, but I have no recollection or research pertaining to any parallel recall applicable to school bus and Navistar built truck applications using the T444e.

In my humble opinion, the grounding scheme of the PCM in relation to the firewall ground of the wiper motor and the electrical noise generated when the wiper motor is operated in standby intermittent mode is what caused Ford light trucks with this engine to stall, more often than not. These issues did not present in the IC Bus chassis or the IH 3800.

Ford cited "circuit degradation" as the reason for the recall. I won't add to the speculation challenging Ford's stated reasons for the recall. I have been in a truck where the CMP failed, on a busy highway leading out of an international airport in a foreign and far away country where they drive on the wrong side of the road... and admittedly, it is scary when it happens. But we diagnosed the cause as electrical noise generated by an aftermarket HID lighting system, NOT the original OEM black CMP sensor.

For 23 years now and counting, I still run the original equipment production black CMP sensor as installed by International on the Indianapolis Engine Plant manufacturing floor in 1999. I bought an extra OEM black sensor to have on hand back in 2001, long before Ford decided to issue a recall. I also bought an OBS "purple / blue" and eventually, a recall gray sensor (that was 1/5 the price of the other two sensors... amazing how the price of parts comes down when there is a NHTSA regulated mandatory recall). I've never even opened the original bags of the other 3 CMP sensors that I have carried in the truck "just in case" for over two decades.

Based solely on my experience, I would say that a CMP sensor (CPS) can have a very long lifespan. With this in mind, in your situation, I would take inventory of what other EMF noise sources could have been at play when you experienced your new sensor going out. Was it raining? Do you have aftermarket headlights? Are all the diodes in your alternator working? Etc.

 

I am on my 4th CPS which includes the original one. The average life in my case, 2002 F350 DRW, is 7 years or 170,000 miles.

 

"clarifying that the original CPS that you previously replaced was actually NOT an "OEM black" as your first post stated"


First post was confusing. I meant I replaced the original one on the truck(grey or blue) with a black CPS. The black one has been in for about 30k and appears to be acting up.

Interesting info, thanks for posting. No aftermarket lights. Nothing but stock for appearance items.

I haven't put in the second black CPS yet, it's sitting on my dash right now. No idea about health of diodes on alternator. If problem persists after second CPS you've given some good leads to follow.

Hoping I just got a bad one. Sounds like they should last forever but don't always.

 

Sounds like running a hefty ground cable directly from the engine to the battery would be a great hedge against more than one issue.

 

Wrong thread sorry