Pro tip: Don't trust a used O2 sensor just because it looks clean

I swapped a used O2 sensor into a '98 Civic in Phoenix last week because the old one was throwing a code, and the new one looked mint. Turns out it was just as dead, wasted 2 hours chasing a vacuum leak for nothing. Has anyone else gotten burned by parts that looked fine but were totally shot?

2 comments

2 Comments

barnes.brian3d ago

Right? I bought a "tested good" O2 sensor off a guy on Craigslist for my old F150, looked spotless. Bolted it in, still got the same code. Wasted a whole afternoon checking every ground and fuse before I finally swapped in a brand new one and it fixed it first try. People will clean up a bad sensor just to sell it, learned that one the hard way.

bettymurphy3d ago

Used to think if it looked clean it was probably fine. Dumb. My buddy talked me into buying a used MAF sensor off his neighbor for my 02 Camry. Looked brand new, not a spec of dust. Threw it in and the car ran worse than before. Ended up being a junkyard pull that had been wiped down with brake cleaner. Never again. Visuals don't mean squat with these electronic parts.