Oxygen Sensor Crossover, on the cheap: Grassroots Motorsports forum: Grassroots Motorsports Magazine

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Feb. 28, 2010 4:40 p.m. Nitroracer Dork

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.
Feb. 28, 2010 5:16 p.m. dean1484 Dork

how many wires?
Feb. 28, 2010 6:33 p.m. Schmidlap Reader

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
March 1, 2010 4:31 p.m. Nitroracer Dork

Four wire jobbers.

Vette:

Camaro:
March 1, 2010 4:35 p.m. skruffy Dork

Or, you could just buy the much cheaper universal ones and solder your existing connectors on...
March 1, 2010 4:44 p.m. 93celicaGT2 UltraDork

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.
March 1, 2010 8:11 p.m. porksboy Dork

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?
March 2, 2010 11:39 a.m. Nitroracer Dork

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.
March 2, 2010 11:50 a.m. alfadriver Dork

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.
March 2, 2010 3:38 p.m. Streetwiseguy New Reader

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.