Oxygen Sensor Replacement $$

[jeepngirl25]

I recently took my 97 XJ to a shop to have an issue with fuel economy diasgosed. They have told me it is the front oxygen sensor. They are quoting me $210 to replace it. Does that sound reasonable. It sounded steep to me.

Thanks...

[KarlVP]

Oxygen sensors are about $60 to $80.

Common hand tools. If you can turn a screwdriver you can replace your O2 sensor. Take ya about 3 or 4 minutes.

All you need is a small crescent wrench. Unscrew the old one, put in the new one, and clip the electrical connector in.

Done.

[mucovich]

Yeh dude, it's that easy, I did mine this past summer. Don't waste the money, buy it and do it youself.

[Blaine B.]

Yep, easy to do.......literally a 5 minute job, or 10 minutes if the old one was stuck on really good.

[Dzl DV8]

too easy.
O2 sensors are to the 21st century what points were to the 1960s.

[5-90]

Oxygen sensors are about $60 to $80.

Common hand tools. If you can turn a screwdriver you can replace your O2 sensor. Take ya about 3 or 4 minutes.

All you need is a small crescent wrench. Unscrew the old one, put in the new one, and clip the electrical connector in.

Done.

Don't use a crescent - you can round the thing off.

You should be able to get a 7/8" end wrench in there, or you can get an "Oxygen Sensor Socket" - it's an "extra-deep" 7/8" socket with a groove milled down one side to clear the wiring.

Take about 5-10 minutes, as said. It's easier to change when it's a little warm, and the new sensor should have never-seez on the threads already - apply if not. The new sensor gets torqued to ~20 pound-feet (do not overtighten, or you'll end up paying someone to change it next time...)

5-90

[Blaine B.]

If you tighten the crescent properly there's no chance of rounding it off....Nothing slipped when I used it, and IT was a ****** to remove...even when warm.

[5-90]

If you tighten the crescent properly there's no chance of rounding it off....Nothing slipped when I used it, and IT was a ****** to remove...even when warm.

Yeah - and it's harder to do when dead cold...

I suppose I just see crescents as the "lazy man's way out" - I've made a fair amount of money cleaning up after someone whose toolkit was a crescent wrench and a hammer, and I just don't like seeing happen to anyone...

5-90

[mikeny59]

price around, major price difference w/Bosch, cheaper at PepBoys, than at AutoZone, iirc.

again, price around!!!!!!!!!

[gregmondro]

then goto checkers and have them beat that price by 5%, that's what I did :)

[mikeny59]

did they throw in some fries?!? :D

[cherokee4fun]

So,,

Just a side question..... How often should you replace the O2 sensor? I saw the post that compared points to the 02 sensor... Thought I should ask....

I just got a 90 with 243k on it, going through and replacing the normal stuff.... didn't think about the sensor though....

Thanks,
Bob

[lawsoncl]

I suppose I just see crescents as the "lazy man's way out"
5-90

X2. At least use a pipe wrench instead of a crescent!

I usually cut the wire(s) and use a regular 6-point deep socket for removal and a box wrench to install a new one. I sometimes buy the generic O2 sensor without the vehicle-specific connector ibecause its $20 cheaper and just solder-heatshrink the wires. I also break the old sensor lose with the exhaust hot and then let it cool.

[TJ-Shocker]

I just got a 90 Pioneer and was looking thru the manual since my idiot light is on. If it's time to replace (at least in our year) it will display the "emissions maintenance" check light. I think it was a suggested change every 80K miles or there about.

If you just got it go to the Jeep website and run your VIN thru the recall list too. I found mine was on there for the O2 sensor and rear brakes. I wan't too worried about the 02 since it has 186K on it and probably on it's second one.

When I was up at Pepboys they quoted me about $50 for a new one. Forgive me if I am a complete dumb[fill in the blank], but what are points?

[mikeny59]

i don't understand why one wouldn't just undo the oem connector, grab a 3/4" (iirc) open end wrench, r/r the sensor, and reverse the above :rolleyes:

[bcmaxx]

I say a creeper and three minutes,two minutes to drink a beer and wash your hands.

[5-90]

Notes -
If you have a RENIX (1984-1990 w/AMC gasoline engine,) do not get a "universal" sensor - it won't work. The RENIX uses a variable resistance, and the universal (and nearly all OEM sensors) generate a variable voltage. Get the OEM - Bosch, Borg/Warner, and ACDelco all work well.

If you're not comfortable with your stripping/crimping skills, get the sensor with the connector already in place. It's worth it to not have to pull the damn thing out and reterminate two or three times...

Theoretically, the service life of the typical HEGO sensor is 75-80Kmiles. In practise, they can go much farther than that - I've seen them do 150Kmiles before they failed. I'd replace it when fuel economy starts to suffer, or when you start seeing elevated HC/CO on your emissions report (indicating rich fuel trim.)

And "points" (more properly, "breaker points,") are cam-actuated contacts that are found in pre-1974 domestic vehicle distributors. The igniton coil needs to be connected to voltage to saturate - disconnect the voltage source, and the magnetic field in the coil collapses, fires the secondary, and you get a spark. The breaker points interrupted the voltage to the coil to cause it to spark.

That function is now done by a solid-state module. The vacuum advance that used to be found on the distributor is also now an electronic function, among other things.

5-90

[gregmondro]

It's a really easy replacement.

With the bosch replacements (if you already have one installed) expect to break the plastic retaining thing when you try to remove it). Really easy fix. Cut it with some wire cutters and then push it out. Installing the new one is easy as taking a bolt out with a socket and ratchet. It's not rocket science.

Make sure on the 97+s that on the after the cat end that if you dont' have the thing on the new o2 sensor to secure it to the chasis that you zip tie it to the place where the old one was attached to so that your drive shaft doesn't mangle the wiring.

the whole install and uninstall is very straight forward. The hardest part of the whole thing is getting the motivation go down there and take a look :)

[OldFarts4X4]

Thanks for the tip on the universal sensor, I was planning on switching mine out next week.

I agree on the "Japanese Adjustable" ... I used to make a lot of money on customers who went to do something themselves, and then they used a Crescent wrench ... the problem with those are after a couple of uses the worm gear will give you some play, so even if you get it tight to start you can round off something that is stubborn.

Nothing beats a good set of line wrenches, or a good set of 6 points.


Hasta

[Saudade]

I suppose I just see crescents as the "lazy man's way out" - I've made a fair amount of money cleaning up after someone whose toolkit was a crescent wrench and a hammer, and I just don't like seeing happen to anyone...


Even the right tool in the wrong hands can still cause a lot of damage.

[Blaine B.]

Now that I think of it, I did try a pipe wrench at first, and found a crescent to be much easier to use.....just from my own experience.

[5-90]

Now that I think of it, I did try a pipe wrench at first, and found a crescent to be much easier to use.....just from my own experience.

No argument - I just consider "adjustable" tools to be a weapon of last resort - but I do own a full set (ISO/inch) of 6-points, 12-points, and flare nut wrenches... And 6- and 12-point sockets (although the 6-points, in both sets, see more use.)

5-90

[Blaine B.]

I'm cheap and young :)

[OldFarts4X4]

I'm cheap and young :)

I WISH I could say that ! :wierd:

I'm cheap and old :rattle:

[dizzymac]

rockauto.com ....upstream sensor $39.97/ downsteam $44.99

[beauwoods]

Ok when you have tried all the above and the damn thing still wont budge then what? I have a 92 xj and the damn thing is on there tighter than a 12 year olds vagina (sorry borat quote). I have used PB spray, ran the engine till hot, tried crescent, pipe wrench, robogrip :), open ended wrenches, and even that damn tool they make just to remove them (snaped that thing in half) and the thing still wont budge. I have allready bought the new sensor so I dont want to take it to anyone. Should I heat it with a torch? or maybe some damn C4 that will get it loose.

[Dzl DV8]

drill that bittch!!!

[Blaine B.]

No, Borat's quote was "she has ass like 12 year old" or something like that...

Use a torch if everything else fails to warm the pipe around the sensor as well as the threads.

[5-90]

Ok when you have tried all the above and the damn thing still wont budge then what? I have a 92 xj and the damn thing is on there tighter than a 12 year olds vagina (sorry borat quote). I have used PB spray, ran the engine till hot, tried crescent, pipe wrench, robogrip :), open ended wrenches, and even that damn tool they make just to remove them (snaped that thing in half) and the thing still wont budge. I have allready bought the new sensor so I dont want to take it to anyone. Should I heat it with a torch? or maybe some damn C4 that will get it loose.

If you can't loosen the thing hot, there are two ways to use a torch - and either should work...

1) Heat the area surrounding the HEGO, but not the HEGO itself. This has the effect of enlarging the hole a couple of thousandths, which should help.

2) Grab a piece of wax for this one. Heat the sensor hex itself but not the manifold - heat until it's dull red or better. Take away the torch, touch the wax to the juncture of the HEGO and the manifold bung, and let it melt in there. The sensor has expanded due to the heat, and pushed the manifold bung along with it. The wax will get in between them as the HEGO cools, and should help to free the sensor up. This is a common trick to remove oil galley plugs from the back of an engine block - I've seen it work on plugs that have been in for thirty years!

Either way, make sure your new sensor has never-seez on the threads - the silver (nickel-based) stuff is OK, but I prefer the gold (copper-based) stuff for high heat applications.

[beauwoods]

Thanks for the suggestions, that wax one is a hell of a trick. I am pulling the heads off, so now I will be able to get a better angle at that damn thing. This Jeep is a mess but its all my fault, I neglected her for about 6 years with very minimal anything done to her, only if she needed it but I went wayyyyy over oil changes a couple times. Ahhh my younger more I dont give a damn years. Now I have decided to go through her almost completly after deciding to peer into the oil fill cap with a flashlight:doh: . Man I have never seen lifters that gummed up. So I know its off topic to this thread but anyone have any suggestions as to what I should replace aftersix years of lets say almost no maintenence?

My list so far includes:
Fuel filter
oil change ( I think now after peering inside her I should pull the pan)
Cap & Rotor
Plugs and Wires
Radiator W/ new thermostat
Tranny filter
Engine Mounts (one was half missing :( )
Air filter
Carb has been cleaned

(oh and inside I am redoing the interior and have put in a little 12" to make her boom :spin1:)

[Blaine B.]

So I know its off topic to this thread but anyone have any suggestions as to what I should replace aftersix years of lets say almost no maintenence?

The engine :(

It just shows you though, what it can take, without maintenence....tough little puppy.

[beauwoods]

They are beasts I wouldnt own anything else now. I have put this thing threw hell and back almost litterally moved her from Utah to Arizona to Maine to now New Jerz. She has taken me everyhwere i wanted to go for sure, on and off road, through like 2 feet of snow on the freeway when big ass Dodge Rams and Semi's were pulling off, pop her in 4 high and go. Even without a lift on her she has been many many places I thought she couldnt make it. I plan on rebuilding the engine for sure, I took the top end off today after seeing that nasty mess in the rocker arm cover.

And it all started off with what I though was gonna be a simple tune up and some extras :bawl:

At least now maybe she will have some more life breathed into her.

[5-90]

Thanks for the suggestions, that wax one is a hell of a trick. I am pulling the heads off, so now I will be able to get a better angle at that damn thing. This Jeep is a mess but its all my fault, I neglected her for about 6 years with very minimal anything done to her, only if she needed it but I went wayyyyy over oil changes a couple times. Ahhh my younger more I dont give a damn years. Now I have decided to go through her almost completly after deciding to peer into the oil fill cap with a flashlight:doh: . Man I have never seen lifters that gummed up. So I know its off topic to this thread but anyone have any suggestions as to what I should replace aftersix years of lets say almost no maintenence?

My list so far includes:
Fuel filter
oil change ( I think now after peering inside her I should pull the pan)
Cap & Rotor
Plugs and Wires
Radiator W/ new thermostat
Tranny filter
Engine Mounts (one was half missing :( )
Air filter
Carb has been cleaned

(oh and inside I am redoing the interior and have put in a little 12" to make her boom :spin1:)

If you're going to pull the head, leave the HEGO alone until you have the manifold on the bench. Don't install the new one until you have the manifold and head back in place - so you don't break the damn thing putting it back in...

[Blaine B.]

Also clean up the surface that the oxygen sensor tightens on so you get a good seal.....

[UltimateG]

Are all O2 sensors the same, or Is there a difference in quality between the name brand units and the absolute cheapest discount part?

[beauwoods]

I am new to all this crap, but to me the o2 sensors seem like they would all be basically the same. mine ran for around 50 dollars at Autozone.

I will take the above into consideration when removing everything, and I will not remove the o2 sensor until the hego is removed from the engine and wont put the new one on until she is mounted back on the engine.

I dont think I have ever worked on a car that is as easy yo get at mostly everything as this Jeep is. They are great rides.

Thanks Blaine & 5-90, and the rest.

[98XJSport]

Biggest difference Ive seen with O2 sensors is the electrical connection... gotta pay more to get one with a factory connection instead of just wires ready for splicing. Not having to worry about that connection when I was tracking down electrical gremlins was worth the extra $$$ to me...

[Jess]

Thanks for the suggestions, that wax one is a hell of a trick. I am pulling the heads off, so now I will be able to get a better angle at that damn thing. This Jeep is a mess but its all my fault, I neglected her for about 6 years with very minimal anything done to her, only if she needed it but I went wayyyyy over oil changes a couple times. Ahhh my younger more I dont give a damn years. Now I have decided to go through her almost completly after deciding to peer into the oil fill cap with a flashlight:doh: . Man I have never seen lifters that gummed up. So I know its off topic to this thread but anyone have any suggestions as to what I should replace aftersix years of lets say almost no maintenence?

My list so far includes:
Fuel filter
oil change ( I think now after peering inside her I should pull the pan)
Cap & Rotor
Plugs and Wires
Radiator W/ new thermostat
Tranny filter
Engine Mounts (one was half missing :( )
Air filter
Carb has been cleaned

(oh and inside I am redoing the interior and have put in a little 12" to make her boom :spin1:)

by the fact that you said "heads" and "carb", I would say get rid of the 2.8 and drop a 4.0 in.

[beauwoods]

Sorry not too engine savy, I pulled the rocker arm cover off, and I could have swore the thing underneath of it was the head (plural) and isnt that a carb, that the air intake goes onto that is bolted onto the ummmm exauhst thingamajig :laugh:. This is my first engine I have fealt able to play with, and we have a 03 implala so we can get around so I have mad time to tinker on her.

It is a 4.0 though. I just pulled (what I think is called the head) off and took a look at the pistons and they are beautiful I am really impressed with her.

I am sorry if my terms are not correct, I am new to engine anything really but armed with a Haynes I feel all mighty:o .

[LazersGoPEWPEW]

So I'm going to tackle the doggone o2 sensors and was wondering what size wrench to use on these bad boys. I've got 4 total but am only going to replace the 2 upstream ones. (doggone california jeep).

[danwho]

Don't use a crescent - you can round the thing off.

You should be able to get a 7/8" end wrench in there, or you can get an "Oxygen Sensor Socket" - it's an "extra-deep" 7/8" socket with a groove milled down one side to clear the wiring.

Take about 5-10 minutes, as said. It's easier to change when it's a little warm, and the new sensor should have never-seez on the threads already - apply if not. The new sensor gets torqued to ~20 pound-feet (do not overtighten, or you'll end up paying someone to change it next time...)

5-90

From the 1st page

[UNCC_99XJ]

If you don't have the correct wrench, go to Advance (or maybe even Autozone) and rent it. The tool kits will come with about 2-3 different sizes...just put the one that fits on a ratchet and have at it.

Heck at Advance, if the customer wants to change the sensor out in the parking lot, we won't even bother charging them to rent the tool and return it 5 minutes later...too much paper work.

[mfascuba]

BTW, don't waste your time or money with the crown O2 sensors from quadratec - I bought two of them and still got check engine lights, replaced with Bosch and the CEL went out and the mileage went up a couple mpg. mine's a 97 4.0 sport NP242 AW4 auto W/ stock gears and 31's.

Mark

[LazersGoPEWPEW]

I'm going to get the bosch ones from Advance. Just looked how easy it looks. Looks pretty simple. Hopefully my mileage will go up. I don't have any CEL yet but my MPG blows.

[UNCC_99XJ]

Bosch direct fit and you can't go wrong. Stay away from the Universals.

[kastein]

listen to the guy who said 20ftlbs max... I twisted the bung out of the side of the pipe on my friend's 98 Dodge Ram because the idiot who put the last sensor in cranked it down really tight and used no antiseize. We ended up just welding a new bung into the hole and putting the sensor in that way. Also, careful about soldering the connector on if you go that route, some sensors require a "reference" atmosphere from the trace leakage of air down the insulation of one of the leads (from what people here have told me) and therefore will not operate properly if you solder that lead because the flux will wick into the space between the insulation and the wire strands and plug it.

[winkosmosis]

The old sensor will probably be stuck. I'd think you should PB Blast repeatedly for a few days at least

[LazersGoPEWPEW]

So I went at them today. Made a retard mistake and pulled out the downstream ones instead of the upstream ones. Figured it out when the connectors didn't match right. Went and bought 2 downstream sensors since I had them out. Expensive but I won't be doing that for a LONG time again. Anyways it was pretty simple. Let the XJ warm up after spraying a bit of PB, use some man strength and unscrew. I highly suggest wearing gloves while doing this and removing the airbox for the top 2 sensors.

I had 2 bolts break off in the airbox when I pulled it out. The FSM indicated 22 ft lbs of torque for the O2 sensors so I went with that.

If I hadn't made the mistake of pulling out the wrong sensors initially it would have taken a lot less time. Overall it was a pretty easy deal. Getting them out is the hardest part. Also get the compact o2 sensor tool if you do it. It works way better than the full socket type.

Mine was an 01 California Equipped XJ.