> I am curious to know your thoughts on the O2 sensor. I have just read Ken
> Wilford's post on "cheapy 3-wire universal sensors." I would rather spend
> $100 and solve my occasional "stumbling" problem than spend $30 and keep
> struggling with poor performance. What would you say to Ken's question? Is
>is there really a difference between the $100 and the $30 units?

I sell both the Bosch generic sensor and the version with the VW plug, but
personally do not recommend to my customers that they spend the extra money.
Yes, any interference with the signal can affect the way it reads on a small
level.  Yes, a poor splice of a generic sensor could create a variation from
spec, and of course a poor splice should definately be avoided. But a tiny
bit of dirt or corrosion in the connection from the factory sensor to the
wiring harness could do the same thing.  Or a tiny exhaust leak that
affected how the sensor read in the first place.  Or a slight increase in
resistance due to a bad ground somewhere.  Etc. etc. etc. Minute differences
really aren't a concern because the sensor just isn't that incredibly
sensitive in the first place. This is a fuel injection system, not molecular
engineering. Tolerances are just not that tight, least of all on a 15 year
old van.  Even two identical 02 sensors will have slightly different
readings.  Yes, it is very important to make a good splice.  But in my
opinion, as long as your splice is decent, the difference between a good
splice and no splice at all will be inconsequential. It is quite common to
splice wires in an electrical system as they age or corrode.  It is not
neccessary to replace an entire electrical wiring harness because a splice
was required.  Similarly, as long as this splice is done correctly, it will
not have any impact on performance.  Of course, since both are readily
available, the choice is entirely yours.

- Ron Salmon
 The Bus Depot, Inc.
 http://www.busdepot.com