Oxygen sensors

[gm94]

Hi guys I'm just wondering if the O2 sensors can be clean? They are alittle dirty with carbon. If so what can i use to clean them? The car is a 98 T/A with 45k miles. It gave some codes related to the o2 sensors. I'm not sure which codes but I'll check it thru the week and post if necessary.

[goldz28]

Post the codes you get.

Best bet if they are slow to react etc. you need to get new ones.

[Morley]

The black carboning won't cause problems. Its when they get the white powder on them that causes problems, silicone poisioning. If you have O2 sensor related codes you need to first find out what is causing the codes, weather it be the sensors themselves, stuck injectors, bad gas, plugged fuel filter, or air filter, etc. Only after finding the exact problem and fixing it should you replace the sensors, otherwise you could end up ruining them too.

[goldz28]

On my maro I got a code that said the rears did not work because I had not and one of the fronts were slow to react. don't rember what it looked like but I replaced it and have not had a problem since. Its been over a year now.

[izzydjinn]

Ive had asked that same question myself.....and the answer I got which im going to relay to you is, no, you cant clean O2 sensors. What they told me (and this is friends, pontiac dealer mechanics, and a couple of friends that work at autoparts stores) is that if you clean them, even with a 2000 grit sand paper (if it even exists) you can scratch it. doing no good because the computer will still be reading something wrong with it. Even if you decide to do it, dont use any solutions like ether, gasoline, thinner, intake cleaner, etc. etc. etc.

[izzydjinn]

oh yeah, your codes......... in order to get an accurate reading, you need to test your car as soon as the check eng. light come on. 'cause if not, by the time you run a test, the computer already adjusted to compensate everything else. e.i. if the o2 sensor are bad, the the comp. is going to try and send more gas through the inj. causing the smell, then the maf. sensor is going to send another signal to the comp. and so on. causing a domino effect. if you wait to long you are going to get codes that in reality heve nothing to do with the problem.