My Truck Eats O2 Sensors
#1
11-28-2007, 11:43 AM
My Truck Eats O2 Sensors
Anyone else have this problem? IfI go on a long trip (Over 8 hours non stop one way) I end up having to replace my new MOPAR O2 sensor in a couple of months afterward. I have no idea what causes this, but my Dakota had to have the first one replaced after about 30,000 miles, and ever since I end up replacing it almost annually. I thought it might be the gas I used, but switching brands does nothing. I did note that ifI use a fuel system cleaner, it accelerates the problem. And, any O2 sensor besides MOPAR lasts even less time. I'm having to take it into the shop today again. Last replacement was 08/2006. 2 trips from MI to AL this Summer. 10 hours each way. Now, it is toast again. What gives???
#2
11-28-2007, 12:18 PM
RE: My Truck Eats O2 Sensors
JUST GOING OUT ON A LIMB HERE BUT HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF SEA FOAM? IT'S A CLEANER/ADDITIVE THAT CAN BE USED IN YOUR INTAKE, CRANKCASE OR FUEL TANK TO CLEAN SLUDGE, CARBON DEPOSITS AND INJECTORS. (RESPECTIVELY) I'VE BEEN USING IT SINCE 1996 WHEN IT DEBUTED IN THE WESTERN AUTO I WORKED AT WHILE IN HIGH SCHOOL.
WHEN POURED INTO THE VACUUM LINE HAT FEEDS VACUUM TO THE BRAKE BOSTER, IT CLEANS ALL YOUR CARBON DEPOSITS IN THE COMBUSTION CHAMBERS AND IN YOUR INTAKE MANIFOLD. YOU'LL GET A LOT OF GREY/WHITE SMOKE COME OUTTA YOUR EXHAUST. THIS IS THE CARBON BUILDUP BEING BURNED OUTTA YOUR SYSTEM. I WOULD THINK THAT IF YOU RUN THIS THROUGH AND REPLACE YOUR CAT MONITOR AND YOUR O2 SENSOR, THAT YOU SHOULD BE GOOD TO GO. THE COMMON CAUSE OF O2 SENSOR FAILURE IS THE CARBON BUILDUP ON THE TIP, RETARDING THE O2 SENSORS ABILITY TO "SNIFF" THE EXHAUST FOR UNBURNED GASES AND OTHER HARMFUL PARTICLES TO THE OZONE. SO IN THEORY I WOULD THINK THAT IF YOU RID YOUR SYSTEM OF THESE CARBON DEPOPSITS, YOU SHOULD NOT RUN INTO THE SAME PROBLEM. YOU WOULD JUST HAVE TO KEEP IT CLEAN. I RUN SEA FOAM THROUGH MY CRANKCASE AVERY 3 OIL CHANGES, MY INTAKE EVERY OTHER OIL CHANGE AND MY FUEL TANK ONCE A MONTH. YOU CAN PICK IT UP AT AUTOZONE FOR $6.99 A BOTTLE. HERE'S THE LINK. IT GOES INTO MUCH BETTER DETAIL!!
http://www.seafoamsales.com/motorTuneUpConsumer.htm
HOPE THIS HELPS!
WHEN POURED INTO THE VACUUM LINE HAT FEEDS VACUUM TO THE BRAKE BOSTER, IT CLEANS ALL YOUR CARBON DEPOSITS IN THE COMBUSTION CHAMBERS AND IN YOUR INTAKE MANIFOLD. YOU'LL GET A LOT OF GREY/WHITE SMOKE COME OUTTA YOUR EXHAUST. THIS IS THE CARBON BUILDUP BEING BURNED OUTTA YOUR SYSTEM. I WOULD THINK THAT IF YOU RUN THIS THROUGH AND REPLACE YOUR CAT MONITOR AND YOUR O2 SENSOR, THAT YOU SHOULD BE GOOD TO GO. THE COMMON CAUSE OF O2 SENSOR FAILURE IS THE CARBON BUILDUP ON THE TIP, RETARDING THE O2 SENSORS ABILITY TO "SNIFF" THE EXHAUST FOR UNBURNED GASES AND OTHER HARMFUL PARTICLES TO THE OZONE. SO IN THEORY I WOULD THINK THAT IF YOU RID YOUR SYSTEM OF THESE CARBON DEPOPSITS, YOU SHOULD NOT RUN INTO THE SAME PROBLEM. YOU WOULD JUST HAVE TO KEEP IT CLEAN. I RUN SEA FOAM THROUGH MY CRANKCASE AVERY 3 OIL CHANGES, MY INTAKE EVERY OTHER OIL CHANGE AND MY FUEL TANK ONCE A MONTH. YOU CAN PICK IT UP AT AUTOZONE FOR $6.99 A BOTTLE. HERE'S THE LINK. IT GOES INTO MUCH BETTER DETAIL!!
http://www.seafoamsales.com/motorTuneUpConsumer.htm
HOPE THIS HELPS!
#3
11-28-2007, 12:33 PM
RE: My Truck Eats O2 Sensors
Not sure if this helps or not but perhaps try using a higher octane gasoline. I don't know what kind of gas you are using but here is some technical information that may help pinpoint some reasons:
1) Reformulated gas: In most metropolitan areas (I'm in Milwaukee) the gasoline is often reformulated with up to 10% ethanol. Ethanol technically burns cleaner (less residue/soot) than pure gasoline. However there are often trace amounts of sulfuric acid from the ethanol. This actually comes from the sulfuric acid used in the processing of ethanol and does not alway entirely get filtered away. This is one of the reasons why people complain of car troubles when switching from reg gas to reformulated. The sulfuric acid can slowly clog up injectors or pass through to clog O2 sensors or catalytic converters.
2)Higher octane gasoline will burn a tad cleaner than lower grades. I have most often noticed a difference in older carburated vehicles that using 87 octane a motor might start dieseling when shutting off. Switching to premium 92/93 octane would eliminate dieseling since it will combust slightly more efficiently within the chamber. (dieseling is when you turn off the motor but the motor might still make a couple of short sputtering turns due to incompletely combusted fuel still remaining in the chamber. the heat of the motor itself will allow that remaining fuel to combust even after there is no spark, similar to a diesel motor because diesel fuel is not ignited by a spark).
3) One of the ways that injector cleaner works is similar to how your oven at home has a self cleaning function. If you turn the oven up all the way to over 500 degrees, it simply bakes the crap off the side of the oven. Injector cleaner makes the flame/explosion inside the chamber at a higher temperature helping to bake off some of the carbon deposit on the injector and spark plug. On the negative side, it also reduces the life span of the injector and especially your spark plugs. If you pull a spark plug from the motor and see white residue on the nodes, it means it is burning too hot. As some of the residue burns off from the inside of the chamber, it moves right to the exhaust where your O2 sensor is and your catalytic converter potentially clogging them up.
1) Reformulated gas: In most metropolitan areas (I'm in Milwaukee) the gasoline is often reformulated with up to 10% ethanol. Ethanol technically burns cleaner (less residue/soot) than pure gasoline. However there are often trace amounts of sulfuric acid from the ethanol. This actually comes from the sulfuric acid used in the processing of ethanol and does not alway entirely get filtered away. This is one of the reasons why people complain of car troubles when switching from reg gas to reformulated. The sulfuric acid can slowly clog up injectors or pass through to clog O2 sensors or catalytic converters.
2)Higher octane gasoline will burn a tad cleaner than lower grades. I have most often noticed a difference in older carburated vehicles that using 87 octane a motor might start dieseling when shutting off. Switching to premium 92/93 octane would eliminate dieseling since it will combust slightly more efficiently within the chamber. (dieseling is when you turn off the motor but the motor might still make a couple of short sputtering turns due to incompletely combusted fuel still remaining in the chamber. the heat of the motor itself will allow that remaining fuel to combust even after there is no spark, similar to a diesel motor because diesel fuel is not ignited by a spark).
3) One of the ways that injector cleaner works is similar to how your oven at home has a self cleaning function. If you turn the oven up all the way to over 500 degrees, it simply bakes the crap off the side of the oven. Injector cleaner makes the flame/explosion inside the chamber at a higher temperature helping to bake off some of the carbon deposit on the injector and spark plug. On the negative side, it also reduces the life span of the injector and especially your spark plugs. If you pull a spark plug from the motor and see white residue on the nodes, it means it is burning too hot. As some of the residue burns off from the inside of the chamber, it moves right to the exhaust where your O2 sensor is and your catalytic converter potentially clogging them up.
#4
11-30-2007, 07:53 AM
RE: My Truck Eats O2 Sensors
Ewwwww.... [:'(]I agree with your theories, butI hate the alternative of using higher octane (and higher $$$) gas. 16 mpg is bad enough, not to have to use higher octane. Plus, regular gas has been well over $3.25 a gallon here for over a year now. I think they are trying to get us folks here in Meat Chicken used to higher prices, so 85% Ethanol doesn't look like a bad alternative. I got the truck back from the stealership yesterdaay. I had them do an oil change, since it was only 200 miles until due, and I also had them do a $106 fuel system clean up job on the truck which included removing the fuel pump relay and running the truck on some special cleaner they use. Supposedly it will do the seafoam thing mentioned above. I chose this route because this '92 truck has never been cleaned like that, and it has 137K miles. Hopefully, they did a good job. Then, they replaced the O2 sensor. I will see how long this lasts and if I am getting 16 mpg again soon. I will look into seafoam for the future. Maybe after 6-9 months of Speedway regular gas? [:-]
