ox sensor

1

1GARC1A

2
#1
Messages
1
Likes
0
Location
SOUTHERN MARYLAND
#1
Hello guys! I just bought a '87 325, the only bad thing with it is that oxigen senson is dissconected. The end that goes into the exaust is in but the other end is unplugged. The wire that comes from the ox sensor is about a foot long, so I look all araound within the 1 foot radious under the car and under the hood, can't not find it. Can somebody help me?
[?|] Gracias!
 
E

epj3

Senior Member
#2
Messages
7,370
Likes
0
Location
Lancaster, PA
#2
I dont understand your question... the oxygen sensor is in the engine bay, not under the car. Look under your coolant reservoir, it's like 18 inches from the block following the exhaust.
 
jrt67ss350

jrt67ss350

2
#3
Messages
1,831
Likes
0
Location
Winston Salem, NC
#3
epj3 said:
I dont understand your question... the oxygen sensor is in the engine bay, not under the car. Look under your coolant reservoir, it's like 18 inches from the block following the exhaust.
Click to expand...
NOT in an ETA. I assume he has an ETA since he did not call his car a 325i. On ETAs, the O2 sensor is underneath the car in the exhaust pipe immediately in front of the catalytic convertor.

To answer your question, the plug for the O2 sensor is in the engine compartment and should be snapped into a little bracket that is mounted to the flat metal shelf (used as the battery shelf on convertibles) on the passenger side of the car immediately in front of the firewall. The wire that is attached to the O2 sensor is very long in the ETAs.
 
E

epj3

Senior Member
#4
Messages
7,370
Likes
0
Location
Lancaster, PA
#4
jrt67ss350 said:
NOT in an ETA. I assume he has an ETA since he did not call his car a 325i. On ETAs, the O2 sensor is underneath the car in the exhaust pipe immediately in front of the catalytic convertor.

To answer your question, the plug for the O2 sensor is in the engine compartment and should be snapped into a little bracket that is mounted to the flat metal shelf (used as the battery shelf on convertibles) on the passenger side of the car immediately in front of the firewall. The wire that is attached to the O2 sensor is very long in the ETAs.
Click to expand...
That's incredible, I wonder why they did that? Some of BMW's designs amaze me but more often than that it makes me say aloud.. "what the fu*k?!?"
 
L

ldzpstnr

Member
#5
Messages
174
Likes
0
Location
Oregon
#5
I think the o2 sensors in the ETA's need to be at a different tempurature then the 325i's. It also could be the difference between the Motronic 1.0 system in the '87 and earlier etas and the 88 and newer ones of course had the Motronic 1.1(right?) system.

I do know that there are heated and un-heated o2 sensors. But thats about the extent of my knowledge of them... correct if I am wrong on things guys. Later.

Aaron
 
E

epj3

Senior Member
#6
Messages
7,370
Likes
0
Location
Lancaster, PA
#6
ldzpstnr said:
I think the o2 sensors in the ETA's need to be at a different tempurature then the 325i's. It also could be the difference between the Motronic 1.0 system in the '87 and earlier etas and the 88 and newer ones of course had the Motronic 1.1(right?) system.

I do know that there are heated and un-heated o2 sensors. But thats about the extent of my knowledge of them... correct if I am wrong on things guys. Later.

Aaron
Click to expand...
Yea you're right. I think the ETA's had unheated sensors (three wire). Where as I's had four wire heated sensors.

Fortunately ETA's can use the $35 O2 sensor from a mustang...
 
jrt67ss350

jrt67ss350

2
#7
Messages
1,831
Likes
0
Location
Winston Salem, NC
#7
epj3 said:
Yea you're right. I think the ETA's had unheated sensors (three wire). Where as I's had four wire heated sensors.

Fortunately ETA's can use the $35 O2 sensor from a mustang...
Click to expand...
Yes, the ETAs have three wire O2 sensors, but I am almost certain that they are heated. I know my car has a relay for the O2 sensor heater.

And yes, I did replace mine with the Mustang sensor. [:D]
 
E

epj3

Senior Member
#8
Messages
7,370
Likes
0
Location
Lancaster, PA
#8
jrt67ss350 said:
Yes, the ETAs have three wire O2 sensors, but I am almost certain that they are heated. I know my car has a relay for the O2 sensor heater.

And yes, I did replace mine with the Mustang sensor. [:D]
Click to expand...
Heh yea, I used a chrysler sebring (or something like that) on the E30. $45! Worked great. I did go through two of them though. On the E34 I went with an actual universal O2 sensor - no connector, $65, and came with some cool crimps with a water-tight terminal box.
 
jrt67ss350

jrt67ss350

2
#9
Messages
1,831
Likes
0
Location
Winston Salem, NC
#9
epj3 said:
On the E34 I went with an actual universal O2 sensor - no connector, $65, and came with some cool crimps with a water-tight terminal box.
Click to expand...
Hmmm - sounds interesting. I just taped my connectors up with a electrical tape to make it as water tight as I could. I'd be interested in this water-tight terminal box. You have any links or anything that has pictures of this sensor kit?
 
E

epj3

Senior Member
#10
Messages
7,370
Likes
0
Location
Lancaster, PA
#10
jrt67ss350 said:
Hmmm - sounds interesting. I just taped my connectors up with a electrical tape to make it as water tight as I could. I'd be interested in this water-tight terminal box. You have any links or anything that has pictures of this sensor kit?
Click to expand...
Well this was a "universal" sensor actually listed for my car by all the auto parts store - the e30's only had one listed (and if I remember correctly, there WERE no "universal O2 sensors" for my E30.

The kit (which it's actually a complete kit by bosch in a normal bosch box, its not something that some random guy pieced together.) I bought for the E34 was really cool though. I'll take pics of it sometime. The only bad thing is you now have a little box thats about 3/4"x3/4"x2". That's what wire ties are for though...
 
E30m42cab

E30m42cab

2
#14
Messages
1,271
Likes
5
Location
Toronto, Canada
#14
1GARC1A said:
Hello guys! I just bought a '87 325, the only bad thing with it is that oxigen senson is dissconected. The end that goes into the exaust is in but the other end is unplugged. The wire that comes from the ox sensor is about a foot long, so I look all araound within the 1 foot radious under the car and under the hood, can't not find it. Can somebody help me?
[?|] Gracias!
Click to expand...
(IF your car IS a 325e)
The "1 foot" of wire leaves O2 sensor (which is indeed just before the catalytic converter)... and does indeed go up to a little bracket on the passenger side of the engine compartment where it plugs in to the vehicles wiring harness. However, the wire is usually tucked in underneath the heat shield on the firewall, and comes out underneath the car right by the cat/o2 sensor location. That heat shield that the wire is tucked under, has probably schaffed the wire to it's breaking point... if you find the plug in the engine compartment (where the battery would go if it weren't in the trunk), you should be able to trace the wire to where it's broken, and re-attach it.

Cheers
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


Top