Originally Posted By: Trav
Quote:
I'd solder and use electrical tape, then use heatshrink over the individual wires, then a couple larger tubes of heatshrink over the whole wire bundle.
Never solder O2 sensor wires, the O2 breathes ambient air through the wire strands.
Very early units had a vent hole but modern styles (the ones on this vehicle are modern) do not and will choke if blocked by solder.
Bosch universals are iffy at best, we had nothing but bad luck with them. Look for a OEM fit from Denso at Rock Auto, its a lot less trouble in the long run.
An OE fit Denso is about $63 on Rock Auto. Still a lot better than paying through the nose for one from the dealer, I'll consider it.
Thanks for the info about soldering the wiring. Using butt connectors wouldn't be as durable, I think. Maybe a universal one isn't the greatest idea, then.
If the original O2 sensor is Bosch, why would another Bosch cause problems? What about an OE-type Bosch O2 sensor, which is about $53 after AAP discounts? FWIW, a customer review with an '01 Infiniti QX4 (counterpart to my Pathfinder) says it worked perfectly and looked exactly like the original.