I just did a little digging around on the Denso and Rockauto sites looking at oxygen sensors for the front banks on my 98' camaro. A 98 camaro and 98 corvette both call for the same universal sensor (234-4000) at all four possible locations. With that in mind I should be able to use any sensor listed for any location of either car correct?
The front vette part is 234-4012 and has a flat connector.
The front camaro part is 234-4025 and has a square connector.
I should be able to splice my original connectors onto the front vetter sensors, right? Saves me almost $20 if they do.
If the only difference is the connectors you should have no problem. When I replaced the O2 sensors on my 99 Cougar Napa couldn't get me ones with the right connectors (the 1999 and 2000 Cougars had different connectors, but mine had a third kind). I just soldered the old connectors onto the new sensors. It's passed two emissions dyno/sniffer tests since.
Bob
Or, you could just buy the much cheaper universal ones and solder your existing connectors on...
skruffy wrote:
Or, you could just buy the much cheaper universal ones and solder your existing connectors on...
This. I refuse to pay more than $20 for an o2 sensor.
Why would GM/Ford/ whoever use the same sensor with a different connector on the pig tail harness? Seems the production cost would be less to use the same, no? Am I missing something?
skruffy wrote:
Or, you could just buy the much cheaper universal ones and solder your existing connectors on...
The universal ones are more expensive than any of the direct fit ones, $50 universal and $32 for the vette ones. I think its so the parts store can stock fewer items and make more money.
Nitroracer wrote:
I should be able to splice my original connectors onto the front vetter sensors, right? Saves me almost $20 if they do.
Looking at the pictures, you could do even better than that- the female connectors look to be the same- so find a very small screwdriver, or dental tool- whatever, and take the pins out of the connector, and put them in the same spot on the old one.
BTW- the typical reason for the different plug is pigtail length- so you don't mix them up- since the engines are produced in the same plant, you want to make sure that you don't mix up applications- vehicle packaging may dictate how long you can make the connectors....
After 20k units, you don't save too much on them- and besides, every other GM car also uses either the square or flat connector. So figure at least ~5M connectors of each type.
porksboy wrote:
Why would GM/Ford/ whoever use the same sensor with a different connector on the pig tail harness? Seems the production cost would be less to use the same, no? Am I missing something?
You noticed they are going broke, right?
As an aside, I won't use cheap oxygen sensors unless they have Bosch or NTK written on them. They are not cheap if they fail annually, or if they cost you 3 mpg.
