O2 sensor choice??
 

So after driving 2000 miles this previous week and monitoring everything with Torque, I have came to the conclusion that my bank 2 sensor 2 is gone. It would just stick on lean after 10 minutes of expressway driving after every stop for gas... so it sounds like it is time to change it out.

I see all kinds of options out there including the "universal 4 wire" option that I am assuming you chop and splice the existing wire... anyone have any luck going this route? or do anyone have any words of wisdom to share when changing the O2 sensors in our beasts?

Thanks for your help :)

I would replace it with the same one (brand and type) that came with the X from the factory.

:iagree:

I just have a hard time paying double for something that I KNOW is the same...

I can follow some directions and splice some wires to save myself $100


I guess I'm not the typical BMW owner

sum tims ya jus gota git dat good wud ifen u don wan the stov ta smok ya outa yur hous

Billy Bob 6

Whoa.....

When you say the same, does that mean same brand and type? If so, go for it. If the same means all O2 sensors from different manufactures are the same, then to each one's own.
I'm all for saving some $$$, but not in this case. O2 sensor is 100k miles maintenance item. Saving $1 every 1K miles isn't worth it for me, especially when correct air/fuel mixture is based on the performance of the O2 sensor.

I am @ 100k miles on the clock... You would replace all 4 instead of just the one failing?

I would replace the failing sensor with OE item, not universal. o2 sensors aren't necessarily "scheduled maintenance" they usually get replaced when throwing codes for failing

I would do the pre-cat O2 sensors which control air/fuel mixture. The post cats are there to monitor the performance of the cats, and have nothing to do with proper air/fuel mixture.
J, even when you have no code, they can still get "lazy" and throw off the mixture.

au contraire, you are the typical 3rd or 4th or 5th BMW owner. First Owner will never have to worry about repair cost because he is under the service plan. The second owner may be a CPO so he doesn't have to worry about repair cost also, but starting with the 3rd and there on forward all BMW owners have to worry about the cost of repair.

touche!

I love it :)

If Torque indicates that the short and long term fuel trim is lean that means the engine is actually running rich, that is why the 02 is "Taking fuel away from the mixture". I would look at the Fuel Pressure regulator as a tear in the diaphragm will cause a rich condition (can't hold the vacuum).

You can add the "drive it like it's stolen" (from sig) to the not typical of 1st or 2nd owner list.

Im jus a contree boy but dat maks no cents to me. lit me tel ya feller, firs chain I got frum dat Seers katlog. I was thinkin sinc it were frm Seers it tuffer dan rod kil possum, dam thing kep brakin. I stl got dat dar saw but its a dooze to git goin an it don cut good. I gits a good idear. I git on wit ona dem xtended fix it for nuttin deals but nottin brok dat them fellers pade fur. I got it kornerd now. I git me one frm that dar Wall mert in da city an tak it bak wen da cuttins dun an git a shinee nu one dat has mor stuf ta mes wit. Lik to do dat wit wivs but don hav dat mane kusins. Now dat maks cents.

Billy Bob 7

You don't understand.. it's not a fuel trim thing, torque is showing 0v from that specific O2 sensor and it doesn't change!

Local auto parts store such as O'Reilly, Pep boys and Autozone carries parts for our truck. When I needed a new coil for the BM Trouble U on a Friday night because Torque indicated that I had a misfire with fuel shutoff I was able to buy a new coil for the truck at Autozone.

I order a"BMW" wheel sensor from a well know BMW supplier, however after waiting for a week to get the part, they sent the wrong part. Informed them that the part that they sent me didn't look like the wheel sensor in the car. They replied that according to their computer the parts was for my car. I went on line and found out that the part that they sent me was for a 2005 and later BMW. Brought that to their attention and returned the parts but I was out the shipping cost both way. Guess I should consider myself lucky that they didn't charge me a 15% restocking fee for their mistake. Went to my local O'Reilly and they have the correct part the next day, with a life time warranty on the part. Nothing wrong with buying from a local supplier as long as you get a guarantee on the part.

Change both pre cat o2 sensors now and change the post cat sensors when they go bad

Bosch 15738 Oxygen Sensor, Universal Type Fitment : Amazon.com : Automotive

OE Brand. Fits your car.

dont buy the universal type 02 sensors. The actual correct o2 sensors for our cars from Bosch are not that expensive to start with. You dont need OEM as BMW does not have a o2 sensor plant run by frauleins in bavaria. from what I could gather, there are really only 1 or 2 companies that make the sensors, and they sell them to OES who rebrand them. For example, I dont think Bosch actually makes the Bosch sensors they sell for our cars I think NTK does (or maybe thats for the e36?).

However, good rule of thumb, get Bosch or NTK.

as far as your code, its possible that the post cat sensors are bad, but likely the pre cat sensors are not operating correctly which in turn causes the post cat sensors to act up. For example on my e36 with 168K miles and likely the original o2 sensors, both pre/post were throwing codes. I replaced the fronts, cleared the codes and the rear's never tripped again. I also did a bunch of other work to the engine like replacing VCG, throttle, emissions stuff, etc.. so that may also have been part of the problem.

Also, on our cars, I think there is a relay for the o2 sensor heaters. Theoretically, that could go bad as well, but i would think it would manifest as errors on all 4 sensors.

The Bosch upstream lambda sensors are: Bosch 17254 (upstream right) & Bosch 17255 (upstream left) - for the N62 engine 2004. To chose the correct part, use the Bosch parts finder.
Also, someone from a different forum (e39) changed the pre-cat sensors with Denso. He claimed the Denso's are faster in response than Bosch, and he noticed a slight gas consumption improvement. Denso are a tad more $$ than Bosch.
On the e39 after an oil change I got a "ageing lambda probe" code, after which I changed both sensors. The mileage was around 70K.

Are you using an Oiled Air Filter? If you are getting P0430 code, clean the Mass Air flow sensor with special cleaner at parts store. I had this issue and could not figure it out for years. It is due to using an over-oiled air filter.

This is exactly why they should be replaced at 100k regardless, and using only Bosch direct sensors, not splice-in ones. 02's read off resistance, so crappy slices can screw up everything. I paid $85 a piece from AutoZone, if the OP can't afford $170, then this is a case of someone buying the wrong vehicle.

My sentiment exactly. I seen this on the PORSCHE forums and Lotus Owners forums. People with Champagne taste but only a beer budget income.

Listen, I talk this exact same shit, because this annoys me in general. But lets be honest. When this car was new and cost 70k, that owner wouldn't blink at the cost. We didnt pay 70k for our cars. I paid about 1/7 of that. So proportionately, BMW's are significantly more expensive to maintain at this stage of ownership.

Having said that, if you want to be in BMW's, you've got to be prepared for expensive repairs and plan accordingly.

I always say BMW's have multiple stages of ownership.

1st new
2nd cpo
3rd used car dealer
4th early 20's climber
5th highschool kids
6th collectors!

Perhaps I should change my last statement:

Champagne taste but only a McDonald income. :D

I'm piss when people try to make do or MacGyver something together instead of fixing it right. I know of a Lotus owner that MacGyver Corvair stub axles to his Lotus because he didn't want to buy Lotus stub axles.

Or people who post on this forum if they can use some other type of Aux Fan because the one made for their BMW is too expensive.

And there's this saying: "Afford to buy a BMW =/= Afford to own a BMW"

Sometimes there are aftermarket parts that are better than the original and cost less. Many times the is a source for OE parts at a discount that are worth purchasing. Sometimes there are OEM parts that are certainly worthwhile to purchase but I cringe when I am forced to buy almost any part from the dealer just because I always leave saying "how can they charge me that much for this?"

for sure, especially since the OES for most OEM wear parts are readily accessible. OEM BMW o2 Sensor made by Bosch = 200 OES Bosch O2 Sensor = 100 bucks. No brainer.

Any tips on removing the driver's side upstream sensor? It's hard to access with the drive shaft in the way. The Crowsfoot gets on, but its not possible to turn it with a socket wrench. Do you need one of these?

GearWrench 81204F 2-Piece Flex Ratchet Set with Cushion Grip 1/4-Inch, 3/8-Inch - Amazon.com

The best way to remove O2 sensors is with s special socket.

bmw o2 socket - Yahoo! Image Search Results

Something like this?
http://ts2.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.48524...51425&pid=15.1

What is the correct pre/post cat oxygen sensor socket for a 2002 525i? - Bimmerfest - BMW Forums

You can rent this tool from Autozone

What is the correct pre/post cat oxygen sensor socket for a 2002 525i? - Bimmerfest - BMW Forums

This is the BMW type socket.

There are other sources less expensive this is just for clarification.

Oxygen Sensor Socket - CTA 2065 - Free Shipping

P0134 Oxygen 02 Sensor Circuit No Activity Detected (Bank 1, Sensor 1).

Where exactly would this sensor be? Pre or post cat? side?

Thanks.

BTW, AutoZone sells Bosch O2 sensors that plug and play for $56.

you need to put your engine type in your signature. Assuming you have a 3.0, I believe that's the top front sensor.

:iagree:

Depend on the mileages, it might be time for both pre-cat O2 sensors. No need to replace the post-cat ones since they're there to monitor the cats performance only.

I am not completely devoted to one vendor but i would suggest checking Rockauto for O2 sensors and plugs. Genuine Bosch 13477 runs $44.79 as of yesterday and the Bosch 4417 E53 3.0 plugs are $3.77 each. Cheap, quick shipping too.