Oxygen sensor question

I need a front 02 sensor for my 03 DC 4x4 and I know the bosch ones are crap. My question: is the oem 02 sensor a denso? and if not, are the denso 02 sensors good to get? I would think they would be good since denso is used through out the truck for various parts. and also whats the part# that I need for the forward 02 sensor(before cat)

 

I just found that out yesterday, expensive! I think next time I will by the basic sensor with no connector and do the harness myself.

All four would come to $300!

 

super cheap! thanks

 

I just resolved my O2 sensor problem, the guy at the auto parts store sold me the down stream sensor...dick head! I should have verified. I bought my first sensor for $100 and just spoke with the manager....I can't return it. So now I have the pleasure of buying the upstream sensor....$200....damn!

 

all four of what? you do know this is the 1st gen section of this forum right?

 

Just a word of warning on your O2 sensor change. This may not be applicable to your '03 1st gen. However, I have a '99 1st gen XTRA cab 4x4 and ran into big trouble when trying to do a simple O2 sensor change. Mine has two stud/nut combo to secure the O2 sensor to the exhaust pipe. Well, when trying to loosen these nuts on these studs, they started to bind and two of the four nuts jammed to the point that the studs broke off, (stopped after that). The one that didn't, totally mangled the end of the stud. Found out Toyota puts "lock nuts" on the O2 sensors and many of the exhaust system parts (exhaust manifolds, collector pipe, etc) on my Toyota. It can be identified by a silt in the top of the nut - like a notch on the top. In 30 years of auto mechanics, I've never seen these type of nuts. Inquried with my Nissan mechanic and he said "Oh, those are lock nuts! They are not meant to come off." We surmised that it's some dealer/manufacturer service money making scam. Let me know if this is what you have. Just curious.

H.

 

as a matter of fact, I have the lock nuts your talking about. One came off, the other came off but with the stud for the foward oxygen sensor still attached to it. I end up bending the stud attempting to get the nut off so I got to hunt down a new stud. I have however, seen these types of nuts before hand on late model honda cars and nissans but were never this hard to get off. Where did you get new studs from to replace the ones you broke?

 

Have'nt got that far yet! I need my truck for a upcoming trip. So I was able to put a regular nut on one and left the other alone. Bottom line, my two old sensors are holding on with only one nut on one stud each! I talked to my regular Nissan mech (does stuff I can't or won't do) and they're going to get the studs out. It won't be till after the 18th when I'll have info on the studs. I will tell you when I find out.

 

denso from Amazon.com can't remember exact place i got mine from, but it was cheaper than rockauto

 

the cheapest place on Amazon is $103.36 shipped, rockauto is $99 and some change shipped.

 

ok, so here is what I did. Since my stud didnt break off (the entire thing came out in one piece) I thought about getting a new stud but couldnt find anyone to sell one so I went to lowes, bought 8x1.25mm bolts that are 20mm long, lock washers, and nuts the same thread size (so I could change all of the "locking nuts" to regular ones) The bolt threaded right in where my stud used to be, and the lock washer should keep in it place. I used a lock washer with the nuts I got at Lowes on the remaining studs as well. Obviously you will have to use a tap and die set and lots of PB blaster to get your broken studs out and clean the threads up a bit but this is definately the way to go. I think I spent a grand total of around $5 and about 30mins., 25 mins. was devoted to getting the oem lock nuts off! GL

 

How did you get to the sensor?? Drive it up on ramps?

Jack it up and take off a front wheel?

Just curious as whats the best way to get to it.

Thanks for the heads up on the lock nuts.

 

You don't need to jack the vehicle up at all, just crawl under there's pleanty of room and all the sensors are within arms reach.


Also, If anyone needs Denso 02 sensors I have two available brand new in the box.

 

I needed the front sensor which is the most expensive one. I got it from ROCKAUTO for about $106 shipped. Haven't got it yet.

Are yours for the front or rear of the catilytic converter?

 

^I have both front and rear Denso sensors new in the box for sale.

 

if you have a way of getting the bolts off easier (found this here) get a can of bolt-blaster? cant remember if thats the excat name but it loses bolts.. once a day when the exhust is cold give them a good shot, drivng and getting them warm helps to loosen the rust/grim and do it for about 3 days.

 

I know this is an old thread, and what I write doesn't so much as pertain to the O2 sensor itself, but none the less I think this needs to be here and everywhere else too.

A friend showed me a way of freeing frozen bleeder screws and it works on hex nuts too.

So here's the story, I'm doing brakes one day, my buddy is there, I'm under the truck voicing my disapproval of a striped bleeder screw, the corners of the hex where rounded. My bud says calm down man. I'm saying what? I'll have to buy a wheel cylinder, that screw is never coming out intact. My bud says that he has removed many frozen screws and nuts, no problem.

I'm about 55 years old at the time, been turning wrenches since I was a kid, I never heard of this before, but it works, and I have used it many times since.

The technique is quenching, we heated that bleeder up using a propane torch, got it almost to orange and then quenched it with a spray bottle filled with water and ice cubes, I then grabbed that bleeder with visegrips and it broke right loose and came out clean, I was shocked.

This where it ties to the O2 sensor. When O2 sensor needed replacing on my Taco and the nuts and threads looked dicey, I tried quenching and it was a breeze, it came apart easily without any damage. I tossed the old hex nuts and replaced them with new 8mm x 1.25 stainless hex's.

If you're in a jam give quenching a try.

As a note, I was careful with the bleeder screw because I didn't want to cook the rubber in the wheel cylinder, you should keep this in mind if you're doing brakes. For other items, if possible, heat until orange, focus the heat on the directly hex.

 

Muffler shops have been heating bolts to breat them loose for many years. Also can spray threads with Kroil oil one day and break loose next day. If u don't have any you can get it online. Great stuff.