George,

I've been using the "generic" oxy sensors for 15 years or so, on a
variety of cars.    Never any problems (they always drive fine & pass
inspection.)  I've gotten them at the Bus Depot  and from  other
vendors.   If you buy the plug-compatible or OEM sensor, you will
probably pay 3x the cost of the generic.
Don't worry about it, is my experience.

Dave
90 Westy

At 4:37 PM -0400 4/26/03, George Goff  wrote:
>It came to light this morning that the OXS of my van needs replaced and a
>trip tomorrow demands that it be done today.  Since I am 1 of 2 Vanagon fools
>who my VW parts guy ever sees, he, of course, does not have one on the shelf,
>but I do have two other OXS's.  One used (Bosch p/n 13931) and the other
>brand new (Bosch p/n 13913).  For the sake of brevity, I'll refer to them as
>x31 and x13, respectively.
>
>The new x13 was purchased from the Bus Depot (BD) who offered it as an exact
>equivalent of the x31 sans the connector.  The used x31 has about 20 Kmi on
>it and it is the exact Bosch replacement for the VW supplied part.
>
>I would like to install the new x13 which leads to my dilemma: Since I have
>reason to doubt the veracity* of what comes from the Bus Depot, I hesitate to
>use it.  For one thing, the cold resistance's of the heaters of the x13 and
>the x31 are different by a factor of 2.  Also, I have no way of comparing the
>active characteristics of this unknown, the x13, with the ideal.  Above all
>else, Bosch does not list the x13 as a substitute for the x31.
>
>Beyond relying on hearsay and anecdote, is there any authentication for the
>use of the Bosch p/n 13913 OXS on a Vanagon 2.1L engine?
>
>*For those of you who bristle at my choice of words, look up their meaning
>and go beyond the first definition which you may find before you are
>compelled to defend the weak and beleaguered.  Should you still feel cause,
>contact me because I have ample documentation and hard goods as evidence to
>the veracity of MY words.
>
>George