Oxygen Sensor Questions

[SupaMan]

On the way home lastnight i downshifted from 4th to 3rd and took the corner for my street kinda quick. halfway threw the corner the CEL comes on and 3-4 seconds later it went out again car was running fine and it was 1 in the morn so i decided ill check the codes in the morning. i checked them today and i got a code 21 which is o2 sensor according to TSRM. I decided to pull it out and take a look at it and it looks to be missing the heat shield or something it looks alot different from my 87 o2 sensor. heres a couple pics.

This is my 86.5 sensor:

And this is the sensor off my old 87:

Is my 86 sensor missing something? is it just a different type? What could cause it to throw a code but be running fine?

Thanks in advance.

Cliffs: Got an o2 code going around a corner car still runs fine, o2 looks like something is missing,Unsure of what caused the code.

 

[GrimJack]

Just a different type. I've had both as well.

 

[SupaMan]

Any difference in the way they perform? do you prefer one or the other?

 

[GrimJack]

Ya, there was, but I don't think it's really dependent on the look of the thing, more what it's made of inside.

 

[SupaMan]

Ive found the one on the car to be a bosch, or atleast it matches it pretty well.

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/we...Bosch_3480038-P_291_R|GRPEMISAMS_614190814___

$80 bucks cheaper than toyota makes me wonder about the quality tho.

 

[Rennat]

the original is a denso, they normally cost a lot more than the bosch...

i had a bosch on my car, and i had a denso before i smogged it, the new bosch didnt change anything... haha.

and BTW... 90% of the "wideband" sensors are really just $50 bosch sensors... so i wouldnt worry about the "quality" of the sensor... if your engine is running right, then theres no need to worry. but if your running hella rich or hella lean... then you can damage them.

 

[grimreaper]

i forked over the cash for a new denso with the connector on it. Mine was a heater circuit issues though. Odd you had that when the car was already warm, unless the wiring is near failure somewhere.

For reference my code 21 only came on at a cold start and the light went out once egt's got hot enough...

 

[CajunKenny]

The single wire sensors wait for heat from the exhaust to warm the sensor.

The multiple wire sensors have a built in heater and use current to warm them up.

Basically, the ones with built in heaters (multiple wires) come on-line quicker than the single wire sensors.

 

[Rennat]

my one wire desno and bosch never threw a code...

and the way i clean them is to get the tips redhot (small propane torch) and then wire wheel the outside and blow out the inside...

and you get enough excess fuel in the exhaust and you'll clog any o2 sensor... and also FYI, the LSU (wideband) uses 1 big hole on the end, and like 6 smaller ones around it... so you would think that would clog really easy... but those are becoming a standard in the auto world, the wideband that is.

 

[SupaMan]

I dunno grim, it came on after i got half way threw the corner and went out about 3-4 seconds later the car was fully warmed up and only at about 1500-2k when i took the turn. It ran fine the whole time too. I couldnt get it to do it again today before i read the codes (had to wait for a paperclip) so im not sure what happened.

Right now since im having a possible clutch system issue ill prolly grab the cheapo bosch to solve it and then ill get a toyota one later when i can. Ive had this car for 3 years ive only put like 4k miles on it so it doesnt get driven alot. A cheapo should be ok for a short period of time.