Honda Car Forum

'Curly Q. Links' wrote:
> "TeGGeR®" wrote:
>> "'Curly Q. Links'" <motsco__@interbaun.com> wrote in
>> news:44349CD9.B0A84513@interbaun.com:
>>
>>> Borrowed from
>>> http://www.autotap.com/articles/Unde...n_Sensors.html
>>> -----------------------------
>>>
>>> Older style oxygen sensors actually have a small hole in the body shell
>>> so air can enter the sensor, but newer style O2 sensors "breathe"
>>> through their wire connectors and have no vent hole. It's hard to
>>> believe, but the tiny amount of space between the insulation and wire
>>> provides enough room for air to seep into the sensor (for this reason,
>>> grease should never be used on O2 sensor connectors because it can block
>>> the flow of air). Venting the sensor through the wires rather than with
>>> a hole in the body reduces the risk of dirt or water contamination that
>>> could foul the sensor from the inside and cause it to fail. The
>>> difference in oxygen levels between the exhaust and outside air within
>>> the sensor causes voltage to flow through the ceramic bulb. The greater
>>> the difference, the higher the voltage reading.
>>>
>> I think this refers to the portion of the wire that's right at the sensor
>> body. I'm not sure it would make much difference if you had a piece of
>> heat-shrink a foot away from the sensor.
>>
> ==============================
>
> Nope, because it gets it's air way up higher, where the connector is.
> Water would run DOWN the wire and contaminate the sensor, if it breathed
> from the bottom end. Now I know to never put SILICONE anti-corrosion
> paste in an O2 sensor connector for that reason. I love that stuff, and
> surely would have used it if I hadn't read this article. :-)
>
> 'Curly'


im finding this VERY hard to believe.

i can understand air getting in the gap between the body and the wire.

in fact, that would explain how my O2 sensor crapped out, with 46k miles
on it, less than a week after pressure washing the engine. i always
THOUGHT that was a contributing factor.

(side note-

YES! i pressure wash my engine! probably once a year, avoiding the dist
cap, electrical connections, etc. i usually just hit up the inner
fenders quickly, the inner top of the hood, blow the leaves out the A/C
trough, and go to town on the head, intake, block, tranny, and lower
pieces.

it never gets that dirty, and it never STAYS dirty. my engine bay looks
just about as new as the day i bought the car 8 years ago. i am aware of
the potential hazards. im probably going to add the O2 sensor to the
list of "avoid full pressure" areas to clean. )

i can NOT understand how air would get through the stranded wire covered
with a vinyl coating. it doesnt appear to be a special wire... just
regular wire thats stranded and coated with the outer cover. its not
magikal wire.

if anyone has a link to a MANUFACTURER site that says the wire
"breathes", ill eat my words. somehow.

"'Curly Q. Links'" <motsco__@interbaun.com> wrote in
news:4435F730.300B93F2@interbaun.com:

> "TeGGeR®" wrote:

>>
>> I think this refers to the portion of the wire that's right at the
>> sensor body. I'm not sure it would make much difference if you had a
>> piece of heat-shrink a foot away from the sensor.
>>
> ==============================
>
> Nope, because it gets it's air way up higher, where the connector is.
> Water would run DOWN the wire and contaminate the sensor, if it
> breathed from the bottom end.




Curly, how hot does an oxygen sensor run? Think, now...

--
TeGGeR®

SoCalMike <Mikein562athotmail@hotmail.com> wrote in
news:WPudnehsfeRxEKvZ4p2dnA@comcast.com:


>
> (side note-
>
> YES! i pressure wash my engin



My oxygen sensor gets pressure washed regularly. Not on purpose, but as a
consequence of normal driving. It's located immediately behind the rad, so
when I drive in heavy rain in heavy traffic (like today), it gets
absolutely blasted with water, for an hour at a time. Never a problem.


<snip>


>
> i can NOT understand how air would get through the stranded wire
> covered with a vinyl coating.



It can and does. Very little molecular transfer is required for proper
operation.



> it doesnt appear to be a special wire...
> just regular wire thats stranded and coated with the outer cover. its
> not magikal wire.
>
> if anyone has a link to a MANUFACTURER site that says the wire
> "breathes", ill eat my words. somehow.
>



Curly, Google the terms:
pvc oxygen permeability




--
TeGGeR®

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

TeGGeR® wrote:
>>
>> if anyone has a link to a MANUFACTURER site that says the wire
>> "breathes", ill eat my words. somehow.
>>
>
>
>
> Curly, Google the terms:
> pvc oxygen permeability

yes. PVC membranes, plastic meat wrap, and healthcare products. your point?

SoCalMike <Mikein562athotmail@hotmail.com> wrote in
news:qu-dnbKpv7lSp6rZnZ2dnUVZ_vOdnZ2d@comcast.com:

> TeGGeR® wrote:
>>>
>>> if anyone has a link to a MANUFACTURER site that says the wire
>>> "breathes", ill eat my words. somehow.
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Curly, Google the terms:
>> pvc oxygen permeability
>
> yes. PVC membranes, plastic meat wrap, and healthcare products. your
> point?
>



That vinyl *can* be formulated to be oxygen-permeable.

--
TeGGeR®

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

TeGGeR® wrote:
> SoCalMike <Mikein562athotmail@hotmail.com> wrote in
> news:qu-dnbKpv7lSp6rZnZ2dnUVZ_vOdnZ2d@comcast.com:
>
>> TeGGeR® wrote:
>>>> if anyone has a link to a MANUFACTURER site that says the wire
>>>> "breathes", ill eat my words. somehow.
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Curly, Google the terms:
>>> pvc oxygen permeability
>> yes. PVC membranes, plastic meat wrap, and healthcare products. your
>> point?
>>
>
>
>
> That vinyl *can* be formulated to be oxygen-permeable.
>

the membranes tend to be extremely thin, like meat wrap. one .pdf file i
read from bosch.com said the outside O2 comes through "the sensor body
or the wire"

i could understand how some unwanted water on a cold engine could do
what it did to mine... short out the primary heater circuit so it read 0
ohms.