DENSO o2 oxygen sensor - universal vs OE difference?

Hey! I already said that!!! Great minds...?

And as far as 'splicing', well, I have a couple soldering irons, so I don't mess around with connectors or slpices. I cut the connector off the old one and solder it to the new one...

A properly soldered connection will last as long as the sensor itself, but how many others solder connections when butt-splices and Scotch-locks are cheap?

Our Boy Scout troop was getting the trailer ready for a trip to summer camp this weekend, and a quick check of the lights showed that they were not working. In digging through the wiring, I found that all of the connections were either butt-spliced, Scotch-locked, or twisted together with some electrical tape for insulation, and almost all of the connections were turning green. We found the problem with the 4-prong connector and got it fixed for the trip, but it looks like a total re-wiring is in order...

Scotch locks?

I use them to cut wires when I don't have a pair of wire cutters handy...

That's about all Scotchlock connectors are good for in a high vibration environment like a car or trailer - wire wreckers.

I spent an entire "camping" weekend wedged inside the rear cap of my parents' 71 Executive motorhome changing out about 50 factory Scotchlock splices on all the power and ground leads (fiberglass shell) so we would have tail and marker lights on the trip home.

The gave unskilled factory workers a few rolls of wire, a box of Scotchlocks and a pair of pliers, and let them have at it. And the results were that every time you hit a bump half the lights would come on, and the other half would go off...

Butt splices and regular crimp connectors are fine IF you get the good ones (Amphenol or 3M) and apply them properly, then protect them with an overwrap of tape or split-loom where exposed, and support the wires from damage and vibration.

In a moist environment, they have butt splices with glue lined heat-shrink tubing for insulation, they shrink and seal with one heating. If you have access to the Aerospace butt splices, they have the same glue-shrink on the outside and a solder ring in the middle instead of a crimp barrel. Tin the wires before insertion (or use fresh factory tinned wire) and it solders, shrinks and seals in one operation.

Use the dime-store connectors and the matching bad crimpers, throw them together with badly stripped wires with big nicks in the copper and bad layout and no support, and all bets are off.

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LOL! That is about all they're good for!

Hmm, I've never seen the Aerospace butt splices. I plan on using 3M since they're the most readily available, but that is only for connecting the pigtails on the trailer lights and for connecting the wiring connector itself. The rest of the runs will be home runs to a junction block, which I'll install inside the trailer, and instead of having the wires sit in a split loom underneath the trailer, I'll run conduit inside so it will be a drier and more protected environment.

Hot tips for trailer wiring:

Mount a female light coupler on the tongue of the trailer (I use the round 6-pin) then make the whip cable to the car with two plugs. This way the whip cable is easily replaced when it gets cut or damaged, and you can make up different cables to fit other cars without constantly modifying the trailer.

I have a cable with the old four-pin flat connector on one end, and if I ever need to loan a trailer to someone who uses the 7-pin or

9-pin Commercial or Travel Trailer styles I can make up the right whip in a jiffy...

Wire the trailer Commercial Style - twin tail lights with a separate set of Stop and Turn lights on each side, all using red lenses. No light converter needed for Japanese cars, and the Stop lights don't get used on an American car hookup. (This is why you need the 6-pin connector with a dedicated Stop pin.)

I put the female coupler in a small steel box on the trailer tongue for physical protection, then split the wiring inside to the left and right taillights, and to the front markers. You can run conduit down the framerails for protection, but use jacketed wire inside to go to the lights. 16-3 SJTW extension cord will live the longest and is easy to get - you can find it with 4 or 5 conductors if needed.

Mark the ends of the wires with tape or heat-shrink with the 'Standard Trailer Color Code' so you can figure out what the wire is later. Red Stop, Yellow LT, Green RT, Brown Tail, White ground...

Several of the trailer light companies (Signal-Stat, Grote, PM, etc.) make sealed junction boxes you can use - round plastic that looks like a Bell "4-O Box" Box, but with 8 threaded ports on the sides (electrical only has 4) for cord grips for the cables in and out. Sealed lid, and a round lug board on the inside with 8-32 studs for ring lugs on the cables.

Things will move, things will bend. Leave slack on wires, support everything, armor everything. Double sealing good, triple is better. You don't want to redo it every year.

I wish they made a sub-set of the Grote Ultra Blue Seal wiring system for small trailers - it's "Plug and Play" but designed for commercial semi-trailers only. Your utility trailer doesn't need two redundant tail/marker circuits.

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Thanks for the tips! - Saved for future reference. The trailer currently has a flat 4-pin connector, and the people who usually pull the trailer have flat 4-pin connectors or the 7-pin round -to-4-pin flat adapters. I have to use an adapter for our Sequoia.

One of my pet peeves is the lack of slack in wiring. Whoever wired the storage room in our house left only about 2 inches of extra wire in the electrical boxes, and to make things worse, used 2" x 4" boxes, making changing outlets or switches a pain. I always leave 6" to 8" of slack in boxes so future work is easier.

I am thinking of using an elbow-pull at the front of the trailer to bring the wiring inside where it is less exposed to the elements and running conduit along the top of the walls where it is less likely to get damaged. I'll have to take a look and see how the power gets to the marker lights on the fenders. Right now they are just marker lights but I was thinking of changing them over to ones with dual filaments so they activate with the brakes and turn signals.

what a lame (so lame (holy shit, LAME)) analogy. It doesnt relate or compare to the subjest whatsoever. aftermarket manufacturers know EXACTLY how the o2 sensor should operate, the voltage ranges, etc and they design a part to meet those specs. JUST LIKE THE OEM. toyota doesnt grow these sensors in a garden or crap them out their asses, they have a manufacturer that builds these sensors to the exact same specs. use your head, ass

Well, good try. They often try to make as few products to work on as many cars as possible. So something they will often release something that is "close enough" instead of just right. And the thing that is close enough won't work right or will fail early.

Different manufacturers. And not necessarily the same specs.

Jeff

Those butt splices have been sold under the names Fusion (3M), Soldersplice, and Bestsolder. 3M may now own the Soldersplice trademark. But it's possible they're now available only with non-lead solder (RHoS label), in which case you don't want to first tin the wires with leaded solder.

I usually just make an inline solder connection and cover it with 2-3 layers of polysulfone or Teflon heatshrink tubing (not vinyl) for mechanical strength. Additional waterproofing can be provided with RTV, silicone fusion tape (never hardens), or silicone grease, applied to the connection before covering with heatshrink. This is the only type of joint I'd trust for an oxygen sensor or other weak signal source if a factory-compatible connector was unavailable.

I also usually solder connections and insulate with heat shrink tubing. I was thinking of trying that "liquid electrical tape" stuff on the outside of the heat shrink tubing for additional weatherproofing but I have no experience with the stuff.