Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting types of oxygen sensors

I've been meaning to replace the O2 sensors on both my '98 and '96 Zetecs and noticed there are two types: universal and OE. Which is the best to get? I assume OE is best, but what makes the universal one different othe than it's about $10 cheaper?

Also, what brands have you bought/recommend, and how much do they cost?

Thanks everyone.

I Replaced Mine With Both Bosch And OEM...But If You Have A Check Engine Light And Thats The REason Youre Replacing Them, I Would Do A Little Research First. The O2's May Not Even Need To Be Replaced...Many Different Things Can Cause A Check Engine Light Related To The O2's. Research,Research,Research!!!!

No, no CEL for me on either one. I just figured with the milage on both of them, it's about time to change those sensors.

What did you pay for them?

I've been getting codes like P1131 and P0171 that would normally clear out after cleaning things like the MAF. But now at over 100K the P1131 keeps coming back. The normal life for an Oxygen Sensor is around 30 ~ 50K. They can last as long as 100K, but they don't work very well at that point. Like on my car I think it is flat lining at random times. When this happens it puts the car into a mode that adjusts the fuel ratio to awaken the sensor. You really can't feel this change unless you are one with the car force Gods. Where as you may have gotten 22MPG in the past you would get something like 19 with the one Sensor going bad and with 2 bad things would get much worse because it can't read any data. Odds are you may drive years with a bad sensor, but nothing is stored until it's about dead. With that being said if your car is over 75K miles and those sensors have never been changed it might be a good idea to replace them before they kill the catalytic converters.

This is a good place to order these sensors.
http://oxygensensors.com/

OE fits the connector, universal requires cutting and splicing wires. Get OE.

Thanks. I'll go with an OE type.

Has anyone purchased sensors from oxygensensors.com? What brand do they sell? So far, they seem to have the best prices I've seen.

Does anyone have any opinions or preferance to brand?

What happened to the GB?

OE is a commonly used term as well. OEM is original equipment manufaturer. OE is just original equipment. But yeah, OEM is probably the term on the box.

Thanks for the replys, everyone.

I'll probably go with something from oxygensensors.com or call Steve at Tousley Ford - they have great pricing there!