Come to think about it, when I "accidently" cured my B&K troubles during
the muffler replacement I removed my O2 sensor just to make sure it had not
"welded" itself in place. I didnt replace the sensor; just removed it,
cleaned the threads, smeared a thin coat of anti-seize and put it back in.
It was quite a job loosening the sensor so it might be that it was not
grounded before removal but was grounded after.

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM]On Behalf
Of David Beierl
Sent: Monday, August 14, 2000 10:55 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: O2 Sensors need grounding? (was STILL BUCKING & KICKING!!!)

At 12:38 8/13/2000, Gary Stearns wrote:
>Do oxygen sensors require grounding through the exhaust system?

Yes

>  Could this
>be why exhaust work would mysteriously cure b&k?

Yes, ie yes could be, not yes is.

>   Could the anti-seize goop
>I put on the threads (only on the threads, not on the sensor)  be isolating
>my sensor?  Just curious.

It's quite possible that the antiseize poisoned your sensor and ruined
it.  I did it to one of Jon Casey's a month ago by being thoughtless -- the
sensors come with a dab of "safe" antiseize already applied to the
threads.  This was a reinstall and I don't know what/where to get stuff
that's safe -- it may even be that they simply are very careful where it's
applied, though I doubt it.  Anyway, Jon's lasted about five or maybe ten
minutes before it was toast.

I doubt that it would interfere with the connection though, if the sensor
were tightened reasonably.

david
David Beierl - Providence, RI
  http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/
'84 Westy "Dutiful Passage"
'85 GL "Poor Relation"