Was just doing a little surfing on the net after seeing how much o2 sensors cost.....Found some neat chats..Forum based stuff though.....But seems like it works...These below stolen from a Bmer forum...
Copy and paste below...
After doing my research it seems that many of the other forums, from american cars to jap cars and even a audi/benz forums have found some solutions to clean the O2 sensors and MAF/HFMs. Everyone seems to use CRC brand "QD electronic cleaner" for both O2 sensors and airflow sensors. it is a special cleaner that has NO RESIDUE in it so when it dries it dries 100% clean with no oils or etc as if it were brand new. For the airflow sensors they sprayed it from a safe distance (as far away as possible) in order to be careful b/c of the sensitive electronics (you don't want to powerblast the sensor close range). The O2 sensor they sprayed the outsides and insides with the same cleaner and saw great results: better gas mileage, better running car, all check engine / warning lights went away.
I see alot of people on this forum replacing O2 sensors and HFM's which can get very expensive. After reading up on these issues on other forums i have read horror stories where people replaced hundreds of $ worth of parts and when they cleaned HFM and O2 sensor all their problems went away. One forum member said he has been using the same O2 sensor for over 6 years jus t simply cleaning it over and over again (as long as electrical components are still intact then it should continue to work).
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Another technique
did u use the same QD electronic cleaner made by CRC? i also heard heating the sensor with one of those butane torches also helps quite a bit b/c it helps break up alot of the debris and etc but i don't exactly have one on hand.
__________________
One more
DO NOT put DQ electronic cleaner on the HFM, try the purest form of Isopropyl alcohol you can find (rubbing alcohol, 91% is best but i used 70%). the alcohol worked much better on the HFM than the electronic cleaner, it says residue free but for some reason i still smelled it after it dried where as alcohol you cannot so it seems to completely evaporate. now i need to replace 02 sensor. oh well it was worth a shot. alcohol may work better on o2 sensor as well. I know using butane torch to heat it up is another way to get extra life out of the o2 sensor b/c the heat breaks up alot of the crud that builds up inside
F1
Copy and paste below...
After doing my research it seems that many of the other forums, from american cars to jap cars and even a audi/benz forums have found some solutions to clean the O2 sensors and MAF/HFMs. Everyone seems to use CRC brand "QD electronic cleaner" for both O2 sensors and airflow sensors. it is a special cleaner that has NO RESIDUE in it so when it dries it dries 100% clean with no oils or etc as if it were brand new. For the airflow sensors they sprayed it from a safe distance (as far away as possible) in order to be careful b/c of the sensitive electronics (you don't want to powerblast the sensor close range). The O2 sensor they sprayed the outsides and insides with the same cleaner and saw great results: better gas mileage, better running car, all check engine / warning lights went away.
I see alot of people on this forum replacing O2 sensors and HFM's which can get very expensive. After reading up on these issues on other forums i have read horror stories where people replaced hundreds of $ worth of parts and when they cleaned HFM and O2 sensor all their problems went away. One forum member said he has been using the same O2 sensor for over 6 years jus t simply cleaning it over and over again (as long as electrical components are still intact then it should continue to work).
_________________________________
Another technique
did u use the same QD electronic cleaner made by CRC? i also heard heating the sensor with one of those butane torches also helps quite a bit b/c it helps break up alot of the debris and etc but i don't exactly have one on hand.
__________________
One more
DO NOT put DQ electronic cleaner on the HFM, try the purest form of Isopropyl alcohol you can find (rubbing alcohol, 91% is best but i used 70%). the alcohol worked much better on the HFM than the electronic cleaner, it says residue free but for some reason i still smelled it after it dried where as alcohol you cannot so it seems to completely evaporate. now i need to replace 02 sensor. oh well it was worth a shot. alcohol may work better on o2 sensor as well. I know using butane torch to heat it up is another way to get extra life out of the o2 sensor b/c the heat breaks up alot of the crud that builds up inside
F1