O2 sensor durability

[JES_LS]

How many of you have had your O2 sensors last more than approx 50,000 mi?

The Cel triggered the other day and the scan tool returned three codes.
the first was the random mis-fire that I have been suffering with, but the other two were new.

Both of the primary O2 sensors were cycling to slowly.

That means that my experiences with ford o2 sensors failing just prior to 50K 10 out of 10.

I have never had a ford product get more than 50K on their oxygen sensors.
My nissan went to 75k before it needed the o2 replaced. My one chevy had 86k on it with it's orginal O2's.

Also they seem to fail out right, they just get slow to respond or stop reading over/under a certain value. Its annoying.

I wonder if it has anything to do with NJ gas?

 

[2001LS8Sport]

We have several Ford's in our family with well over 50K on the sensors. It indeed is possible it has something to do with your gas. Also, if you've had your engine apart and used RTV sealant that isn't O2 safe, that will take them out. But honestly...after 50K on ANY vehicle, I would consider changing them out. They start to get slow and new sensors are a good investment. I watch ours and check the cross counts from time to time. The LS is getting close....

 

[lseguy]

My 2000 V6 Sport LS had about 65k on it when I sold it, and never had an issue with the 02 sensors. In fact, Im fairly certain I never had a CEL at all with that car.

My current 2002 V8 LSE has 78k, and is on original sensors as well, and again, never had a CEL. Perhaps I will just go ahead and replace them sometime this summer for the heck of it.

Oh..I usually run Costco premium fuel. Other than that, when out of town or on the road, I get whatever major brand has the cheapest premium.

 

[Jim Henderson]

I had a SHO where the O2 failed at about 80K. Of course since it is a Yammaha engine maybe that made a difference. My wife's Mercury Villager van with Nissan engine has over 90K on it and hasn't set a code. My 96 Chebby hadn't failed an O2 in 120K miles but may have been getting flakey. My 04 LSV8 has 45K miles and no code set. My 94 F250 with 90K on it hasn't failed the O2.

That is the extent of my experience with O2's. I have read advertisements that O2's should be changed along with spark plugs. But that puts it near 100K for many cars.

Jim Henderson

 

[dachamp]

my 03 v8 with 70km on it had two replaced

 

[JES_LS]

Interesting.
I have owned 10 ford vehicles with EFI and 02 sensors.
I live in NJ, with a few years just over the bridge in PA.

But I have never had a sensor last longer than 50K. Not hard failures, just they get so slow that the ECM throws a MIL/CEL and then I replace them for approximately another 50k.

My 93 mustang was on its third set when it was totaled at 123,000. The 87 that was mostly my wifes mustang went through four sets in 198,000.

My dad was just boasting that his ranger pickup just passed 52,000 without any issue right before Christmas and threw a CEL the second week of January.

I wonder if the oxygenated fuel has anything to do with this phenominon<SP>.

 

[SoonerLS]

I haven't had a Ford O2 sensor fail at less than 50K miles. As a matter of fact, the only O2 sensor I've had fail was in my '89 T-Bird SC, and it had ~75K miles on the clock at the time.

BTW, check your warranty guide--O2 sensors could be covered under the Federal emissions performance warranty (8 yrs/80,000 miles). They are for '04 and newer LSes, but I'm not sure when it went into effect, so I don't know about earlier models.

 

[JES_LS]

Well I'm begining to think it has something to do with the area.
I was just talking to a couple of my friends that are ford nuts and live near me. They both have had similar experiences with their ford products and they are both very particular about their vehicles (one keeps all this cars so clean you could eat off the valve covers).