I agree with earlier suggestions to research car specific forums for the sensors in question. But I will say that generic aftermarket sensors make me uneasy. The decision to use one should be weighed on cost and how difficult it is to replace.
I can't comment on other brands, but I've had enough trouble with BWD to convince me that they are a garbage brand. My conclusion with BWD is that they have a loose interpretation of specifications. They will market parts for an application that they don't work properly with. So some of their stuff might work, and some of it doesn't. They rely on the fact that most people won't notice the discrepancies or just won't care.
On a 1997 GM 3800, a new BWD coolant temperature gauge sender was giving temperature readings about 20-30F higher than actual. The factory sender, the ECM connected temperature sensor, and an infrared thermometer all agreed that temperatures were normal, but the new BWD sender was inducing false alarms that the car was overheating. The part is out of spec. We put the half-broken factory sender back in.
On a GM 2.8L, three consecutive BWD aftermarket oil pressure sensors all produced much lower readings than actual (as compared to a mechanical gauge). The 25yr old factory sensor was accurate, just erratic. Both of the modern Delco replacements were also accurate. All 3 of the BWDs induced "low pressure" warning lights and showed only ~10psi when actual was about 25psi (as measured with a mechanical gauge). These were a "lifetime warranty" part which clearly are out of spec by design. I gave up on them and went back to paying for Delcos which operate in specification.
One of the modern Delcos died in 9 months, so I won't say they're great. But until it died, it worked correctly. The other is ~2 years old now.
Because of these episodes, I am distrustful of generic sensors, and BWD in particular. I won't always be able to tell if a sensor is truly working correctly, so I need to have some confidence in them. If they aren't terribly expensive then I prefer to stick with Delco for GM cars. If I had a Ford, I'd prefer Motorcraft, etc.
I've found that while the premium brand sensors might be expensive or unavailable locally, they can be ordered pretty cheaply online.
I can't comment on other brands, but I've had enough trouble with BWD to convince me that they are a garbage brand. My conclusion with BWD is that they have a loose interpretation of specifications. They will market parts for an application that they don't work properly with. So some of their stuff might work, and some of it doesn't. They rely on the fact that most people won't notice the discrepancies or just won't care.
On a 1997 GM 3800, a new BWD coolant temperature gauge sender was giving temperature readings about 20-30F higher than actual. The factory sender, the ECM connected temperature sensor, and an infrared thermometer all agreed that temperatures were normal, but the new BWD sender was inducing false alarms that the car was overheating. The part is out of spec. We put the half-broken factory sender back in.
On a GM 2.8L, three consecutive BWD aftermarket oil pressure sensors all produced much lower readings than actual (as compared to a mechanical gauge). The 25yr old factory sensor was accurate, just erratic. Both of the modern Delco replacements were also accurate. All 3 of the BWDs induced "low pressure" warning lights and showed only ~10psi when actual was about 25psi (as measured with a mechanical gauge). These were a "lifetime warranty" part which clearly are out of spec by design. I gave up on them and went back to paying for Delcos which operate in specification.
One of the modern Delcos died in 9 months, so I won't say they're great. But until it died, it worked correctly. The other is ~2 years old now.
Because of these episodes, I am distrustful of generic sensors, and BWD in particular. I won't always be able to tell if a sensor is truly working correctly, so I need to have some confidence in them. If they aren't terribly expensive then I prefer to stick with Delco for GM cars. If I had a Ford, I'd prefer Motorcraft, etc.
I've found that while the premium brand sensors might be expensive or unavailable locally, they can be ordered pretty cheaply online.
.
