Say YES to MAF! - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

edevlin · 07-26-2006, 06:43 PM

Does anyone have a sense of how difficult it is to replace the oxygen sensors if I decide to replace them all. The MAF was easy to get to, I have not poked around under the car to see if I can easily get to the oxygen sensors for replacment, thanks,

Ed

RandallNeighbour · 07-26-2006, 07:47 PM

O2 sensors are easy peezy. A sensor removal tool (Autozone, $12) makes it fast too. Do all four though, and find bosch replacements cheap at www.oxygensensors.com. I paid $125 each and it took about a half hour in total.

Much better performance and fuel economy after I swapped them out.

Not cheap, but any boxster with 60k or more on it deserves new ones in my opinion, even if you have no CE lights.

edevlin · 07-27-2006, 03:33 AM

Thanks for the link for oxygen sensors. On their website they only list Walker-brand oxygen sensors (113.00 each). Do you know anything about the Walker sensors compared to the Bosche, thanks

Ed

RandallNeighbour · 07-27-2006, 06:05 AM

Call them and ask for Bosch. They have them!

CJ_Boxster · 07-27-2006, 09:25 AM

When do O2's eventually go bad and trigger the CE light? I have 94k on my Box and o2's seem fine....I was thinking since they are not bad and possibly replace, is it ok to remove them and clean them up and reuse them? My father used to do that when he was a mechanic and it seemed to help alot and would turn off CE lights.....So question is, if my CE light isnt on yet, would it hurt for me to try and clean my o2's before they go bad?

MNBoxster · 07-27-2006, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CJ_Boxster

When do O2's eventually go bad and trigger the CE light? I have 94k on my Box and o2's seem fine....I was thinking since they are not bad and possibly replace, is it ok to remove them and clean them up and reuse them? My father used to do that when he was a mechanic and it seemed to help alot and would turn off CE lights.....So question is, if my CE light isnt on yet, would it hurt for me to try and clean my o2's before they go bad?

Hi,

I would not recommend it. The potential to create a problem is too great. At 94k mi., the wiring is likely to be brittle from Heat Cycling, or you could cause internal damage in trying to remove them - you could actually cause a malfunction.

I'd recommend leaving them alone until you get the CEL and then try cleaning them, worse case, you have to replace them, but not prematurely. Hope this helps...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

xclusivecar · 07-27-2006, 02:29 PM

CJ--

Didn't you recently pick up your box? You haven't had it for the full 94K, have you? Maybe they were already replaced 10K or 20K ago...therefore no need to worry until you get the CEL. When this happens, THEN replace all of them.

CJ_Boxster · 07-27-2006, 03:07 PM

Yeah i bought my Boxster with 93k miles, I've had it for about 2 weeks or maybe 3....i found a peice of mail in the trunk with the last owners address, i did a whitepages address search and came up with a number....I think i might make a polite little call to the previous owner and just ask if the dealer is telling the truth about the clutch service being done...service book is empty with an exception for the very first service oil change that was done, most likley the first owner negotiated the first service be free of charge. and did the rest of the services outside the dealer.

Quote:

Originally Posted by xclusivecar

CJ--

Didn't you recently pick up your box? You haven't had it for the full 94K, have you? Maybe they were already replaced 10K or 20K ago...therefore no need to worry until you get the CEL. When this happens, THEN replace all of them.

mikefocke · 07-27-2006, 03:15 PM

A $7 can of electronic cleaner sure cleared my MAF CEL codes up quickly. Now as to O2 sensors. They may be fouled too and I'll replace them but not 4 at a time. That is something a dealer would do.

xclusivecar · 07-27-2006, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikefocke

A $7 can of electronic cleaner sure cleared my MAF CEL codes up quickly. Now as to O2 sensors. They may be fouled too and I'll replace them but not 4 at a time. That is something a dealer would do.

Do you mean the dealership would try to "screw" you out of 4 at a time, or that you are leaving it up to the dealership to replace them for you?

Trust me on this one...myself and others on the board have realized that once one goes, the computer will read the new good one and determine that one of the older ones is now bad...and BANG...CEL. After you replace the next "bad" one the computer will now see two new good ones and determine that one of the older ones is faulty...and BANG...CEL. And so it goes...

Replacing all 4 once one has gone will save you a lot of frustration and money...just not upfront. Many people on the boards realize better engine performance/gas mileage amongst other things when replacing all of the 02 sensors.

blinkwatt · 07-28-2006, 02:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xclusivecar

Do you mean the dealership would try to "screw" you out of 4 at a time, or that you are leaving it up to the dealership to replace them for you?

Trust me on this one...myself and others on the board have realized that once one goes, the computer will read the new good one and determine that one of the older ones is now bad...and BANG...CEL. After you replace the next "bad" one the computer will now see two new good ones and determine that one of the older ones is faulty...and BANG...CEL. And so it goes...

Replacing all 4 once one has gone will save you a lot of frustration and money...just not upfront. Many people on the boards realize better engine performance/gas mileage amongst other things when replacing all of the 02 sensors.

I was informed by a highly recommend independent shop that you can swap each bank of 02 sensors out one at a time if its truely necassary.