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Just learned that oxygen sensors have a shelf life even if they're still in the box
I was digging through some old parts bins I got from a shop that closed down last year. Found a pack of unopened Bosch oxygen sensors from 2018. Figured I'd toss one on a customer's car today, but after install it read funny. Looked it up and found out these sensors actually degrade over time even if never used, because the internal reference cell lets air in and changes the voltage reading. The official shelf life on these is only about 18 months from the date code. Has anyone else run into a bad new-in-box sensor like that?
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the_christopher1mo ago
Right, and even Bosch says they're only good for 18 months from the manufacturing date.
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sarah81829d ago
Oh totally, I've seen the same thing! @blair_martin nailed it about storage conditions. I actually opened a five year old sensor from a heated garage last month and it matched my new one within like 2 degrees. The heat and humidity in a shed or truck bed will wreck them way faster than any date code ever could.
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blair_martin1mo ago
That date code thing is legit, but here's the angle nobody talks about - storage conditions matter way more than the calendar. If those sensors were sitting in a climate controlled shop, they might still be fine way past 18 months. I've personally tested some that were four years old from a dry basement and they read spot on. Your mileage may vary of course, but heat and humidity are the real killers, not just time on a shelf.
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