Help - MOT failure on CO - oxygen sensor? Which one?

[MiniNinjaRob]

Sensot came today - connector isn't right!!!! If I plug it in as it is (there is only one way round) the connectors inside the plug won't match up. I could modify the plug or the socket but a) why should I do this when I've spent £72 on one that should fit and b) I now am not sure the specs are right for my car if the plug isn't wired up the same - could it be meant for another car???

I only have 3 days to have my car retested for free. No idea what I'm going to do now.

Comparison of connectors:

[Forrest]

Well, I don't know what numpties you ordered from but I wouldn't bother trying to get them to rectify the problem. Just make sure you get all your money back including the special delivery and return costs.

I got one from Opie Oils and one from eBay when I did two of my cars last year. Neither sellers seems to advertise them now. Looks like you could get a Bosch one by Saturday from Eurocarparts.

http://www.eurocarparts.com/search/710660625

Order by 9pm and you might get 30% off with code FLASH30.

[MiniNinjaRob]

It's all a bit annoying but I'll sort it somehow.

[MiniNinjaRob]

Just got an email back from JustLambda who I ordered it from. Gave me a refund and told me to bin it or try to modify it. So that's a bit of a result and good customer service in the end. I'll try to modify it to work.

[Forrest]

I've just checked the old Bosch LSH6 from my 1994 Wentworth and its connector looks more like your new one.



Is it possible it was actually your old one that was wrong? Can you see what wires are present on the socket it plugs into?

The two white wires will be the heater, which I suspect is not polarity conscious, and the black wire will be the signal. They will connect to a correspponding single and pair of wires to the ECU.

[Forrest]

Well, the plot thickens. This picture shows the connectors of the original LSH24 from my 1997 940 CD next to the originial LSH6 from my 1994 Wentworth. Look familiar?



And these are the boxes the new NTK sensors came out of.



I certainly understood the NTK ones to be identical when I ordered the replacements. The Volvo fitment changed once, in 1993. Older cars had a separate connector for the signal cable.

I've checked under the bonnet of both cars and the sensors are definitely both connected correctly, as also witnessed by lack of fault codes on either car.

Is it possible that the connector on the car will accept the plug either way up? Has MiniNinjaRob tried lining up the pair/single wires correctly and seeing if it fits?

[jlamb]

Replying as the "numptie" that supplied the sensor.

Had the OP enquired about availability of the OZA446-E58 before ordering I would said it was a none stock item and I could order Monday and should be available to dispatch Tuesday. Whilst we do carry over 500 sensors on the shelf it is not economic to carry the thousands of sensors listed by Bosch and NTK especially for 19 year old vehicles that we may and only may sell one every few years, when we can usually obtain next working day from Bosch / NTK. Our T&C's do say "We will endeavour to dispatch your goods within 1-3 working days"

The OP did say at time of ordering "I have researched this and found this should be the correct sensor for my car" QUOTING THIS THREAD. He did not query with me if it was the correct one. I did check the NTK catalogue and the OZA446-E58 was listed for his vehicle.

He ordered Sunday, I ordered it Monday morning and NTK dispatched it Monday "next day delivery". The OP did email me Monday afternoon asking if he would receive Tuesday, I replied explaining the situation and did give him the option of cancelling with full refund. The sensor did not arrive with me until Wednesday afternoon. Within an hour I had posted it out to him Special Delivery, Emailed him apologising for the delay and refunding the payment he had made for SD.

At 8pm Thursday evening he informed me that it was the incorrect part, within one hour I replied to him again saying I was sorry over all this and I immediately issued a FULL refund and said there was no need to return the sensor, just bin it or if it could be modified then use it.

I do not think I could have done more.

Today I have dome a little digging. NTK only list one sensor for this vehicle. Bosch on the other hand list two different ones. The difference being is if the vehicle has or has not got EGR fitted. Obviously the OP's car has got it fitted and that is why the OZA446-E58 had the incorrect plug on it. As far as I can see the actual sensor is the same on both the Bosch parts as they both cross ref to the same universal option.

[MiniNinjaRob]

Originally Posted by jlamb

I do not think I could have done more.

I don't think so either - great service and if I need another one I'll use you again. You can't be blamed if NTK aren't listing things correctly!

The only thing I would do is maybe make it clearer in the ordering process that next day delivery is only possible if you have it in stock. If you supplied a phone number to ring to ask if something is in stock that would be very useful - I couldn't find one myself.

Anyway, I am going to modify the connector or wiring to make it fit and hopefully get it in for the MOT in the next day or two - hopefully the spec of the sensor is right and the wiring is just a bit weird.

[Forrest]

Originally Posted by jlamb

Replying as the "numptie" that supplied the sensor.

Great sense of humour. No offence intended.

What still puzzles me about this whole episode is that I have successfully replaced both types using the same NTK part, OZA446-E58, and without realising the connectors were different until yesterday.

Do the other cryptic codes on the NTK boxes relate to the connector type? I guess I must have just struck lucky - twice in succession.

[jlamb]

Originally Posted by MiniNinjaRob

I don't think so either - great service and if I need another one I'll use you again.

Please don’t, Customers that rush to forums or social media within 10 minutes of letting the supplier know there is a fitment problem (8pm) are customers I do not need or want.

The only thing I would do is maybe make it clearer in the ordering process that next day delivery is only possible if you have it in stock.

I think in over 10 years of supplying you are the first person to say that. As I mentioned in my first post, on our very simple T&C page it says dispatch 1-3 days.

If you supplied a phone number to ring to ask if something is in stock that would be very useful - I couldn't find one myself.

Removing the sales phone line was something that was done a few months ago after careful consideration. I often respond to email queries for stocking, correct part identification and even sometimes help with diagnosis as late as 10pm and certainly over the weekend. Even if we still had a phone contact number would you expect a stocking query to be answered on a Sunday afternoon as that was when you placed the order.

Anyway I hope your problem is sorted and that it was the sensor. Personally I would have checked its output voltage first with a multimeter. We do have a simple guide on our site explaining how to do it. After 40+ years in the motor trade half of which was dealing with running/tuning/emissions problems you can see I am not simply a “box pusher” like many selling on the net.