mineralpony

I took off my off road h pipe today and the inside of the pipe was all black. I had my CEL on as well and the car did keep stalling at a stop. All the o2 sensors are pitch black. Are they still useable?

mineralpony

Also, how can i test if a o2 sensor is still good without it being on the car?

cliffyk

What are the codes that triggered the SES lamp?

You can bench test a narrowband O2 sensor with a propane torch and a multimeter...

mineralpony

I didn't check the codes but i'm assuming they're o2 sensor related. Also are the front and the back sensors the same? How do I know where they go?

cliffyk

They likely are, however are they codes caused by good sensors reporting fueling problems, or fueling problems caused by bad sensors? When DTCs are thrown further discussion is pointless until they are read and known.

The stock sensors are the same except for the pig tail length and connector keys.

I do not understand what you are asking? The front sensors are in the front, the rear in the rear--the left on the left and the right on the right...

mineralpony

1. Is it ok if I use the rear o2 sensors in the front?

2. Does each o2 sensor have to go in a certain location or are they universal?

cliffyk

Yes--The stock sensors are the same except for the pig tail length and connector keys.

The stock sensors are the same except for the pig tail length and connector keys. You may have to cut one or more keys out of the connector to make them fit. There are three connector configurations:

passenger's side (bank 1) front


driver's side (bank 2) front


The front connector's keys are the same; don't let the pin numbers on the front's fool you. The harness wires have the same functions.


passenger's side (bank 1) rear


driver's side (bank 2) rear


The rear connector key's are different from the front and from each other.

So, to use the rear sensors on the front you will have to cut off male connector keys as necessary...

mineralpony

Thank you. Now, i cut the front o2 sensor pigtail in half. There are black, gray , and 2 white wires. How do I know which white wire goes with the other one one the opposing side? (I'm soldering it together)

cliffyk

What you have there is an after market sensor, probably Bosch (see below)

The white wires are the power to the sensor's heater. The heater is a resistance type unit, non-polar and isolated from the sensor body--short answer, it doesn't matter which white wire connects to which. If it did i would be pretty stupid to make them the same color, wouldn't it?

The black wire is the sensor's output signal, the gray the signal return (ground).

You may find you cannot soft solder the wires because often they are made of Monel, a nickel/copper alloy. You will have to silver solder them or use crimped butt connectors, which if done correctly is just as good as soldering.

Fill the connectors with dielectric grease, and use a good full compression crimping tool like this one from Harbor Freight:



If you have a cheap set like this:



Smash them with a BFH and toss them in the ocean or a deep river--or give them to someone you do not like, that's always fun...



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