Oxygen Sensor
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Oxygen Sensor
I was reading other posts in dealing with emissions and have several questions... how do you know when its time to change the O2 sensor? Is there a schedule to follow for replacement? What symptoms will a bad sensor contribute to?
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Oxygen sensor
I used to work at a dealership - well, for a different brand....but it seems like they last until they go bad 
or about 80-90 thousand miles. Since they are constantly heated and cooled, they eventually wear out. As they wear, they become less sensitive to the amount of oxygen in the exhaust. A new sensor can help restore mileage and prevent the catalytic converter from "seeing" too much gasoline. I almost consider them a tune up item as part of a comprehensive service when your truck nears 100k. 
or about 80-90 thousand miles. Since they are constantly heated and cooled, they eventually wear out. As they wear, they become less sensitive to the amount of oxygen in the exhaust. A new sensor can help restore mileage and prevent the catalytic converter from "seeing" too much gasoline. I almost consider them a tune up item as part of a comprehensive service when your truck nears 100k.
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Are they hard to get off? My bronco has 190,000 miles. I put the last hundred or so in the past 5+ years that I have had it. I have never changed it and don't know if the previous owner had... I already purchased it but I didn't have time to install it today as I was fumbling around with codes... recently my truck has had the "hiccups" at idle and it has been getting worse the past few days. The codes I got indicate that the EGR sensor is out of whack and I need to replace it but another code says that the HEGO (HO2S) sensor is at fault and running rich... is this due to the EGR sensor out of whack? OR is it that the O2 sensor is bad?
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I tried taking mine out the other day when I put a new Y-pipe on. I went out and bought a new one, but before I did, and didn't think about replacing it, I tried getting the one out of the old y-pipe...wow. I even had the old y-pipe out and could get any leverage I wanted and it didn't budge. When you do get it out, and get a new one, put some more of that anti-seize stuff on it. There's already some on it, but a little more probably wouldn't hurt for future removal.
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I just referred to the Chilton repair manual and it says that it should replaced every 30k miles... I don't think mine will want to come off after its been in there all this time and my truck is going to miss it when its finally gone, it will be like chopping off your finger and replacing it with a new one!
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It wasn't that hard to take off! I told the company mechanic about it and he said that he would have it replaced in three minutes, sure enough he went outside with a wrench and piece of cardboard took it off and put the other one on... in about 3 minutes! While he was down there he also fixed a ground strap that had become loose and also told me to use the commercial account we have on auto parts... could have saved myself $20.00 bucks!
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16 mpg?!?! Don't touch it. That's amazing, not decent. I don't think I could get 16 mpg on a highway, going downhill, with an 85 mile per hour wind at my back. Are you sure it's 16?
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yes. 15-16 if i drive easy around town i can also get this. i can normaly get 10 at the worst in the city or 12 at best, the worst milage ive ever had was during the winter and i got 9 mpg cause i was in 4wd most of the time. is urs efi? or carb, cause mines a 5.0 efi..that might make a diff.
Last edited by wozxxx86; Jul 1, 2004 at 09:50 AM. Reason: just left sumthing out
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yes 302, yr 88, only work thats been done to the motor that i know of is a new timing chain and a few starters and one alt. and the only other things are a K&N and dual exaust,, but people that have heard it run say it must be camed to but the guy i bought it from didnt say anything about having that done.