O2 sensor
 

Any idea when the oxygen sensor needs to be changed. I was looking at a Bosch brochure and they recommended a change every 12,000 miles. I can't find anything in the BMW tech book on this. Any idea of symtoms when they go bad. Thanks Jeff

That's outrageous. Also, I can't find anything of the sort in any of my Bosch books. 40,000 mi. is the lowest figure I've ever seen quoted, and I think even that's a bag of poop. 60-80k maybe, but I know people with cars and bikes over 150k with the original sensor. (and both of my cars around 100k with what appear to be the factory sensors)

This is just a way to keep up sensor sales.
Personally, I recommend you all change your bulbs, be it house, car, or bike, every 24 hours of operation. Contact my new company at www.dimbulb.com for full sales and support. Heh-heh, I'm gonna be rich, heh-heh.

roger

Roger,
You've lost it. Is that really your site? How much free time do you have?

Oh, yeah forgot to ask. How can you tell the O2 is bad?

Hell NO,

I just made that name up on the fly, thinking I was clever. That'll teach me. I never thought for a moment it might be a real site. I guess I should never have believed I would be the first to find it an amusing name. I was just being sarcastic about companies trying to up their sales by spec'ing absurd quantities and frequencies. I mean, how often is your hair so dirty that you really need to: Lather, rinse, _repeat_ ?

http://www.pelicanparts.com/ultimate/smile.gif
later
roger

p.s. with the mag and resto business and the dayjob, NO free time. But, the board here is nice between meetings and during compiles or when just needing to get away from an annoying stripped fastener...

Hey Mr. Dim Bulb,
Are you going to answer my ?
How can you tell the O2 sensor is bad?
Thanks,
Dave
PS Thanks for clearing that up, I was loosing hope, fast.

Anecdotally, my Acura with 120K miles, runs fine (original CAT too )–*these sensors are built to last ( under nomial conditions ) somewhere in the 30K to 60K mile region.
>100K miles are not uncommon.
Unless you have bashed the nose of your sensor, sprayed anti-seize or other noxious folderol into the sensor guard, I wouldn't look there for any problems.

jeff
thinks his problems are somewhere between his ears

OK, just look for it to vary between and about .95V over a range of richnesses, at steady state (startup at idle or just above, and somewhere around 4000 steady state)

Or, you can disconnect it. If the behavior of the bike varies, then it was either defective, or, completely shorted. The latter, you can eliminate with an ohmmeter or other continuity test.

OK?

later
roger

p.s. these things truly rarely die at less 60k, with most of them lasting twice that. They're simple - no moving parts - and thus robust.

regards
roger