wtk if oxygen sensor can be cleaned

dreadburns · Postby **dreadburns** » October 28th, 2009, 12:20 pm

Can your oxygen sensor on your manifold be cleaned? If yes what can you use to clean it with? My air/fuel guage just stop workin continously and just works sometimes when i release the gas peddal and the car is slowing down. What can cause that problem?

BTW i checked all the wires and nothing is dis-connected

Postby **Hook** » October 28th, 2009, 12:55 pm

actually yeah it can be cleaned, but it's a risky procedure (has nothing to do with solvents and aerosol cleaners), so it's really to be tried as a last resort...

what kinda car/engine is it?
are you getting an error light?
if so, have u pulled the code?
have u removed the sensor to assess if it is really fouled?
when last did u clean your injectors anyway?

Groovemaster · Postby **Groovemaster** » October 29th, 2009, 12:44 am

Read somewhere to heat it with a torch and then dip it in water until the carbon comes off :shock:

...........will post link when i find it!

Postby **Hook** » October 29th, 2009, 7:38 am

^^^ lol well yeah that's the method I meant. It literally causes the baked on carbon to shatter right off (bottom of the water looks like u sprinkled black pepper in it).

I've tried it myself, but on an old unit that doesn't work, so I can't personally vouch for the sensor working afterward, that's why I won't recommend it really until everything else has been looked at.

3stagevtec · Postby **3stagevtec** » October 29th, 2009, 1:03 pm

Groovemaster wrote:Read somewhere to heat it with a torch and then dip it in water until the carbon comes off ...........will post link when i find it!

that's interesting.. i guess if you are careful with the torch, maybe...

dreadburns · Postby **dreadburns** » October 30th, 2009, 12:52 pm

it is a toyota and recently installed the sensor but it a universal one. it works but only when i running slow and it does not move alot. someone told me bout a cleaner especially for the senors. my car down for a couple of days so i will see if i could find the cleaner or get a blow torch borrow.

Postby **Hook** » October 30th, 2009, 2:01 pm

there's no solvent cleaner available on the planet that can remove baked on carbon deposits :idea:

but as u gave more info, u revealed the source of the problem

dreadburns wrote:it is a toyota and recently installed the sensor but it a universal one. it works but only when i running slow and it does not move alot. someone told me bout a cleaner especially for the senors. my car down for a couple of days so i will see if i could find the cleaner or get a blow torch borrow.

tadaaaaaa...wrong sensor...see why it helps to give all the details first?

Toyota OEM lambda sensors tend to operate differently from "universal" units...it may well be a case of wiring conflicts (OEM sensor requiring a +1V reference voltage from the ECU whilst universal unit uses a ground wire instead...trust me, I know! lol) OR universal unit may be faulty OR either sender or gauge have a wider voltage swing than required
I'm not gonna get into wideband/narrowband/disco lights..blah blah blah...it have enough threads here on that already

read here

I highly suspect it's the universal sensor at fault...replace with OEM sensor...likely the ECU getting wrong readings as well

brams112 · Postby **brams112** » October 30th, 2009, 9:43 pm

^^^^^^same thing hook is saying,not all universall works on all cars

dreadburns · Postby **dreadburns** » November 3rd, 2009, 12:32 pm

i will tr and source the rite sensor but if the sensor is bad shouldn't my car idle very bad? it idling normal that is y i did not suspec the sensor to be the problem. thanks for the info.....

dreadburns · Postby **dreadburns** » November 3rd, 2009, 12:33 pm

by the way you all know where i could get a OEM sensor cheap??????? the form wants 1800.......

V2NR 3.0 · Postby **V2NR 3.0** » November 3rd, 2009, 1:19 pm

dreadburns wrote:Can your oxygen sensor on your manifold be cleaned? If yes what can you use to clean it with? My air/fuel guage just stop workin continously and just works sometimes when i release the gas peddal and the car is slowing down. What can cause that problem?

BTW i checked all the wires and nothing is dis-connected

Nope Never - Change it !

Im talking from experience.

V2NR 3.0 · Postby **V2NR 3.0** » November 3rd, 2009, 1:19 pm

dreadburns wrote:Can your oxygen sensor on your manifold be cleaned? If yes what can you use to clean it with? My air/fuel guage just stop workin continously and just works sometimes when i release the gas peddal and the car is slowing down. What can cause that problem?

BTW i checked all the wires and nothing is dis-connected

Nope Never - Change it !

Im talking from experience.

Postby **Hook** » November 3rd, 2009, 1:39 pm

dreadburns wrote:i will tr and source the rite sensor but if the sensor is bad shouldn't my car idle very bad? it idling normal that is y i did not suspec the sensor to be the problem. thanks for the info.....

naw it'll idle fine, cuz the ECU not taking a sensor signal at idle, just looping between rich/lean...when u accelerate and it needs a signal, it'll realize it's not getting what it wants and just enrich the mixture as a failsafe so ur engine doesn't lean itself into oblivion