Hi

Which o2 sensor manufacurer would anyone recommend from the following:

Bosch, NGK or Lucas

regards
Phil

 

Just make sure you get one with a long enough harness to the connector.

get cheapest of course! Aftermarket ones are ok too, check out rockauto

Larry

 

The OEM O2 sensor is a 3-wire type with the actual O2 signal passing through one wire and the other two wires are used to run a heater circuit. This type relies on a ground signal for the O2 sensor signal passing through from the unit screwing into the exhaust pipe.
I have used a later 4-wire type of O2 sensor in place of this OEM one since it was what I had in stock at the time. The only difference is the addition of a fourth wire that must be extended to run to a ground point on the engine near where the other grounds are for the engine management system. This extra ground means the actual O2 sensor signal does not rely on the ground signal passing through the exhaust system to the rest of the chassis or engine of the car. Instead it uses this dedicated ground wire that is the 4th wire in the 4-wire sensor plug.

 

Hi Phil,

The original O2S on your car was probably made by Bosch, but other companies make fine sensors too, as Larry mentioned. The most important thing, in my opinion, is to buy a sensor with the correct electrical connector already installed. Some of the less expensive sensors are called "universal," and you must attach the correct connector yourself. There are a lot of reports on the forums of this type of sensor not working, and I suspect that the problem is that when the connector was soldered on, too much solder was used. This type of sensor relies on ambient air drawn through the tiny spaces between the copper electrical conductors as a reference for comparison to the exhaust gasses. If the spaces between the copper conductors are plugged with solder, the sensor cannot work. I believe that in the factory the connectors are crimped on rather than soldered.

Another tip is to use a battery terminal brush to clean the threads in the O2S port in the exhaust before installing the new sensor, and use only a very small quantity of anti-seize compound on the threads of the new sensor so you don't fully interrupt the ground path. Steve's 4-wire solution is even better, but obviously requires studying the wiring schematics and adding the additional ground connection to the appropriate wire.

My two cents.

Cheers,

Don