Almost sounds like you've shorted out the sensor to ground.  Maybe go over
the wires carefully.

It won't kill your motor to run without the O2 sensor but it will run full
rich all the time and decimate your gas mileage.

On Sun, Apr 11, 2010 at 9:32 AM, Bill Shawley <easywind1975@hotmail.com>wrote:

> So I had this O2 sensor that I picked up a few years ago but never
> installed since the old one didn't want to come out easily.  It is one of
> the supposed universal (Bosch) ones that you splice into the original wire
> harness.  I wanted to replace the sensor just so I basically knew the age of
> the sensor.  I had no real symptoms other than percieved poor gas mileage
> (never really quantified since I wouldn't fill tank due to bad grommets, now
> repaired) and and idle that I thought had maybe been better in previous
> years.
>
>
>
> I got the old sensor out and replaced it this morning, went to go to
> grocery store and the van would just bog down, I pulled off and disconnected
> teh sensor and viola things were hunky dory, just like before.
>
>
>
> Is it possible to get a new sensor that is bad?  Could I have gotten the
> wrong sensor (I threw box away so I don't even know number anymore), could a
> sensor go bad just sitting in a basement?
>
>
>
> I am leaving for a 1200 mile trip in a few days, should I roll w/o sensor,
> scramble and find a new sensor with harness, or get another universal?  Am I
> missing a clue for something else here?
>
>
>
> Ryan
>
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--
Jake

1984 Vanagon GL 1.9 WBX 'The Grey Van'
1986 Westy Weekender/2.5 SOHC Suby 'Dixie'

Crescent Beach, BC

www.thebassspa.com
www.crescentbeachguitar.com
http://subyjake.googlepages.com/mydixiedarlin%27