Re: Can you clean 02 sensors?
[Re: mickm]
#2875277
01/16/21 09:56 PM
01/16/21 09:56 PM
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Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 4,923 new berlin wisconsin
Mr T2U
master
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master
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 4,923
new berlin wisconsin
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high zinc oil and leaded gas are enemies of O2 sensors. my friend had a chassis dyno with a heated O2 sensor. he dynoed a car with water injection. it destroyed the O2 sensor on the first pull.
i have heard you can take a propane torch and heat up the sensor part and that sometimes helps.
perception is 90% of reality
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Re: Can you clean 02 sensors?
[Re: mickm]
#2875278
01/16/21 09:57 PM
01/16/21 09:57 PM
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Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 259 Khemi, Stygia
Mebsuta
enthusiast
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enthusiast
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Posts: 259
Khemi, Stygia
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An additive called Techron does it for my Honda Accord and clears the check engine light. You can get it at auto parts place or its in Chevron gas.
I know nothing about O2 sensors in antique cars though.
68 Roadrunner. 383 4-spd. Beat up.
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Re: Can you clean 02 sensors?
[Re: mickm]
#2875280
01/16/21 09:57 PM
01/16/21 09:57 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 12,301 Benton, IL.
DaveRS23
Special needs idiot
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Special needs idiot
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 12,301
Benton, IL.
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Shouldn't need cleaning, but you should test it. I have done this many times. As long as you can get close to 1 volt, and it reacts quickly, it is good. It sometimes takes a little experimenting to get the heat just right to make the O2 react. www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKsS6AELPuM
Master, again and still
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Re: Can you clean 02 sensors?
[Re: mickm]
#2875517
01/17/21 01:33 PM
01/17/21 01:33 PM
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 6,018 Salem
Grizzly
Moparts Proctologist
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Moparts Proctologist
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Posts: 6,018
Salem
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Wow, great answers/opinions everyone. Yes, you can clean an O2 sensor with oven cleaner Mick. I've done it a couple of times and it works. Fill a small glass with oven cleaner and soak from the threads down in it for an hour or two. Blow it out with compressed air and good as new. I do it twice to make sure everything gets taken off the element. If you still get wild readings after cleaning it then the sensor has to be replaced. A propane torch burns at 3500 degrees and normal car exhaust burns at about 4 to 500 degrees. I guess you can imagine what will happen to the element in an O2 sensor when you touch it with a propane torch. Yep, probably wreck a perfectly good $150.00 sensor.
Mo' Farts
Moderated by "tbagger".
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Re: Can you clean 02 sensors?
[Re: Grizzly]
#2875600
01/17/21 03:53 PM
01/17/21 03:53 PM
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 19,641 north of coder
moparx
"Butt Crack Bob"
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"Butt Crack Bob"
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 19,641
north of coder
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oven cleaner soak. i'll try that sometime with a couple of sensors [4 wire] i have here [used] on the shelf. when my 99 minivan set the cat O2 code, i took it out and it looked dirty. [had 200k plus miles on it] i had a couple of fairly low mile O2 sensors from a ford ??? that had the same wire colors in the same pattern on the sensor, but with the ford connector on the end. i transferred the minivan plug to the ford sensor, installed it, and code gone. it seemed to be working as it should through the scan tool in real time frame, and 20k something miles later, still no codes while my "bus" is running like a top. so are these sensors basically the same, but with different connectors ?
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Re: Can you clean 02 sensors?
[Re: Grizzly]
#2875628
01/17/21 04:44 PM
01/17/21 04:44 PM
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Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 4,179 California
mickm
OP
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OP
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California
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Wow, great answers/opinions everyone. Yes, you can clean an O2 sensor with oven cleaner Mick. I've done it a couple of times and it works. Fill a small glass with oven cleaner and soak from the threads down in it for an hour or two. Blow it out with compressed air and good as new. I do it twice to make sure everything gets taken off the element. If you still get wild readings after cleaning it then the sensor has to be replaced. A propane torch burns at 3500 degrees and normal car exhaust burns at about 4 to 500 degrees. I guess you can imagine what will happen to the element in an O2 sensor when you touch it with a propane torch. Yep, probably wreck a perfectly good $150.00 sensor. Thanks. Will give that a shot. Makes sense about the propane torch, somehow that didn't seem right... Don't know when I'll get to it, but will try to report back.
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Re: Can you clean 02 sensors?
[Re: mickm]
#2875649
01/17/21 05:22 PM
01/17/21 05:22 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 12,301 Benton, IL.
DaveRS23
Special needs idiot
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Special needs idiot
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 12,301
Benton, IL.
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A propane torch is a valid test to know if the O2 is reacting correctly or not. Actually since the element is shielded, it can be difficult to get it hot enough to react. If the O2 is good, as soon as it comes into it's operating range, it reacts nearly instantly. And looses it just as fast so it is not necessary to hold the heat on for any length of time. I guess it is possible to overheat it, but is not as easy to do as you might think. And as an FYI, I have tested dozens of O2s over the years like that and they either reacted okay or they didn't. Even multiple tests rendered the same outcome. No deterioration in performance.
An O2 needs to typically exceed 600* in order to operate and their heaters often hit 1,200*. If propane scares some of you then use a candle, it only goes to about 1,000*.
Dismiss these tests if you like, but how else can you know know if the O2 actually functions correctly? Whether they are clean or not.
Master, again and still
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Re: Can you clean 02 sensors?
[Re: moparx]
#2875809
01/17/21 11:08 PM
01/17/21 11:08 PM
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 6,018 Salem
Grizzly
Moparts Proctologist
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Moparts Proctologist
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 6,018
Salem
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By your experiment, I think they are all the same Moparx. They all go from 0.1 to 5 volts, and I think Bosch or NTK are likely the supplier to the OEMs. Physically, the only difference I see is the size of the holes on the outer shield. They all have to relay 14.7 air fuel ratio which is 0.5 volts I believe. Every engine has to hit that number, so I can see why that Ford sensor works for you. Glad you went ahead and did this, I'll know for next time I'm at Pick n Pull.
Mo' Farts
Moderated by "tbagger".
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Re: Can you clean 02 sensors?
[Re: mickm]
#2875943
01/18/21 07:02 AM
01/18/21 07:02 AM
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 8,162 USA
360view
Moparts resident spammer
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Moparts resident spammer
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USA
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Keep in mind that there are two types of Oxygen Sensor, narrow band 0.1 to 1.0 volts and Wide Band 0.1 to 5 volts. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxygen_sensorIf you have a small gasoline engine powered device like a lawn mower or electric generator you can make a test device by making a pipe section with a threaded side hole for the Oxygen sensor. Slip this pipe over the muffler outlet and let the exhaust flow through past the Oxygen sensor. With the engine running normally the Oxygen sensor should read slightly lean, engage the Choke on the engine and it should read rich. You can actually use this same test device to check the correct running of your natural gas furnace. Most Oxygen sensors will go bad if you get metal deposits on their CeO2 ceramic, such as Zinc from burning lubricating oil in the cylinder, or Lead from running Tetra-Ethyl leaded gasoline, such as Aviation or Race gasoline.
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Re: Can you clean 02 sensors?
[Re: Grizzly]
#2875973
01/18/21 10:36 AM
01/18/21 10:36 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 12,301 Benton, IL.
DaveRS23
Special needs idiot
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Special needs idiot
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Posts: 12,301
Benton, IL.
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We used to inventory more higher mileage vehicles than we do now which meant that we had to deal with more O2 sensors. I always kept a number of O2s on the shelf that I had pulled from the pick-a-part yards. All we really had to deal with were the 4 wire narrow bands. There were basically 2 brands; one with the round end on the shield and one with a flat end on the shield. Often they would interchange and work, no problem. But occasionally for what ever reason, a vehicle would not like anything but the style it came with. So, I would usually replace an O2 with the same style that came out of it. Wasn't usually necessary, but since I had a handful to choose from, it just ensured that I wouldn't need to revisit it.
And being used, I always tested them before installing them. They needed to swing through their voltage range very quickly, and needed to hit at least .9v. Preferably, a full 1v. The connectors were usually different from one car to another so it would need to be changed. And although the sensor itself was usually the same, downstream O2s usually had much longer leads.
I also used the narrow O2s in a tail pipe fixture that I had made with a meter to set the cruise on some of my buddy's carbed stuff. Probably like the fixture that was mentioned in an earlier post. It was good to get the cruise in the mid 14s. Every Holley that I have checked has been way rich on the cruise, often 4 jets sizes or more.
Because of our change in inventory, I don't see much O2 trouble codes anymore. Now it's TPMS. So, I carry a scan tool and pull them at the yards so that I can keep them handy. It's always something.
Master, again and still
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Re: Can you clean 02 sensors?
[Re: 375inStroke]
#2876250
01/18/21 07:32 PM
01/18/21 07:32 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 12,301 Benton, IL.
DaveRS23
Special needs idiot
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Special needs idiot
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 12,301
Benton, IL.
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Yes, it could. But a random misfire usually sets it's own code, too. It is important to figure out if there is one code and one code only. Or if there are multiple codes and which is the primary offender. That often takes clearing the code(s) and seeing what comes back and how soon and in what order.
Master, again and still
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