GM 8.1 Workhorse O2 Sensors
We purchased a 2003 Holiday Rambler with a GM 8.1 Workhorse Engine. It appears to be in great shape visually, only has 20K miles on the engine, but when driving it on the freeway the other day the ch...
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It is hard to imagine the 02 sensors are bad at such a low mileage but it is possible to kill them. If someone used the wrong silicone sealant when replacing a part it will continue to contaminate the sensors. Of if there was ever a problem where antifreeze went through the combustion process (head gasket, etc.) it will also foul the sensors. It may even be possible for bad gas to coat them.
You can save a small fortune by replacing them yourself. . They are very inexpensive (the last GM 02's I bought were about $23 at NAPA but that was a while back) and are no more difficult to change than a sparkplug (which is what they're made from).You don't want to push them for too many miles because your only hurting yourself. Long before they fail, they get lazy and don't respond quickly to fuel mixture changes - they don't trip the light until they are very bad although some models trip the light at specific mileages regardless of performance. Fuel efficiency diminishes as well.
Personally, I would go ahead and change them myself.
Rgatijnet, At 90K you wont believe the performance difference you'll feel with fresh sensors.
Happy humbug!
Scott
You can save a small fortune by replacing them yourself. . They are very inexpensive (the last GM 02's I bought were about $23 at NAPA but that was a while back) and are no more difficult to change than a sparkplug (which is what they're made from).You don't want to push them for too many miles because your only hurting yourself. Long before they fail, they get lazy and don't respond quickly to fuel mixture changes - they don't trip the light until they are very bad although some models trip the light at specific mileages regardless of performance. Fuel efficiency diminishes as well.
Personally, I would go ahead and change them myself.
Rgatijnet, At 90K you wont believe the performance difference you'll feel with fresh sensors.
Happy humbug!
Scott
