Aftermarket HFC's damage O2 sensors?
 

Recently my O2 sensors started failing, specifically the one located in the passenger side header and the one in the aftermarket RHFC also on the passenger side is starting to fail.

Does using RHFCs instead of the stock cats cause the O2 sensors to fail?

No one? Any opinions?

Mines threw a code earlier this week. I cleared it and hoping it doesn't come back.

Metals damage cats & sensors. Leaded gasoline, molybdenum or phosphorus in oils and lubes, etc. The HFCs did not damage your sensors. Gasket lube upstream, both low and high temp could have done the deed.

Please tell me no people because I'm now a bit hesitant to install my FI cats.

Go for it. Don't use metal-based lube on the gaskets, though.

Do you need lube or can you just install them with the gaskets alone?

The lube is for the future when you want to remove the HFCs when you decide to sell the car. Not needed for sealing.

Word, thanks, here goes nothing.

I ( Knock) on wood have had good luck s far with mine!

That's what I thought. Apparently the dealer thinks differently. My O2 sensors (header and cat both passenger side) are damaged.

The dealership claims that by installing the aftermarket cats, "the air fuel changes thus damaging the O2 sensors and will keep getting damaged, even after replacing them as long as I have those cats installed. The OEM O2 sensors are made to only work with the OEM cats".

The dealership is FOS. It just don't want to pay for the parts. Unfortunately, they probably have a strong enough position to win a court battle. They have to prove your mods caused the damage but very few judges are car guys and could understand the issue.

Since there's no emissions test where i live, i've asked my tuner to by-pass these stupid little stuff since long time back and so he did .. we have A/F sensors on our headers and these more than enough.

For those where emissions tests are not applied, i wonder why people still using them .. you just bypass them if u have UpRev ..

I will still try to speak with the service manager when I pick up the car, hopefully without have to pay.

I'm also waiting for Tony @ FI to give me a call, so I can have more knowledge before speaking to the manager.


I will have to do that. Thanks for the tip.

I've only had issues with damaged O2 sensors when there has been some type of substrate in the exhaust gas that should be there (metal shavings from an AFR install) or using the wrong type of gasket lubricant.