[dtpoirot]

Howdy all,

109,000 miles on the 2001 v6...

With four cats and four O2 sensors (with four wires - all about fours!) what are the odds that they are all working correctly?

...just wondering.

 

[dynobrat]

they can last over 100,000miles but are usually changed long before that. The life of them depends on the overall condition of the engine itself and how well it's maintained (air, oil fuel filter, how it's driven), the quality of gas used, oil consumption etc., distance travelled can impact their life as well, generally short trips are harder on the engine overall than long(er) ones.

 

[dtpoirot]

Well... The connectors are still color-coded. Got to love purple and green!

I am betting on original equipment.

 

[DC 89 stang]

i read somewhere that they will last the life of the car, but i know thats full of bs..if you notice a change in mileage its definately something to consider. Usually the CEL comes on and wont leave you alone if they go bad. Id change them out at 120,000 if they dont go sooner than that, just to make sure the computer is getting the proper signal from the sensors

 

[b1lk1]

If your car is properly maintained they will last the life of the car. All sensors are made to last the life of the engine, usually poor maintanence and abuse ruins them first.

Never change a properly working O2 sensor. They are easily checked with the proper scan tool to see how efficient they are. Anyone that tells you they need to be changed at any time before failure is an idiot.

 

[dtpoirot]

Sadly, that is clearly not the case. The machine had racked up 107,000 miles before I ever saw it.

The Previous Owner had botched the plug wiring on the driver's side - missing every one! This resulted an exceedingly rich condition which caused the driver's side cats to light up cherry-red. The cats eventually suffered an actual core melt-down. This blast-torch condition migrated to the DPFE and toasted it as well.

The left side, rear O2 sensor was burned down to the threads!

Poor thing has been through hell...

 

[DC 89 stang]

If your car is properly maintained they will last the life of the car. All sensors are made to last the life of the engine, usually poor maintanence and abuse ruins them first.

Never change a properly working O2 sensor. They are easily checked with the proper scan tool to see how efficient they are. Anyone that tells you they need to be changed at any time before failure is an idiot.

personally, id rather have a functioning o2 sensor on my car at all times. But if you want to be a chode about it and tell him to drive it till it fails then so be it, just dont call me an idot for wanting new parts on my car and reccomending it to others to make sure its running at its peak. Afterall, changing them IS proper maintanence, do you change your spark plugs when they completely fail or when they have some miles on them??? im not about to use someone elses thread to start a arguement with someone else