Hi folks,

A little background: I own a '99 Mazda Protege 1.6L. I bought it used in 2005 with 71K on it, and my dad and I drove well, so it's now at 176K.

My CEL came on 3 times after resetting the battery twice, and I had it checked at Canadian Tire, and sure enough the front oxygen sensor needs to be replaced. I asked for a quote from CT and they said about $500. I recently had my rear bearings replaced, at a cost of almost $600. Apparently I was also driving on octagon shape tires, and had that replaced by goodyear within warranty, but when I was getting them replaced, the guys at the shop showed me how bad my shocks and suspension are, so that's next on the list to fix at $500 as well. So basically I don't have the money to spend anymore.

But first I have to deal with the CEL and my oxygen sensor. CT guy told me to get an original Mazda part as many people come back after 2 weeks with the CEL on because they used other parts. I looked on Part Source's website and the cost for a Front O2 sensor is around $300.

The issue: I want to find a good alternative to original Mazda parts that doesn't cost me $300, but not a cheap alternative that would have me back at CT in 2 weeks with the same problem. I haven't had that many problems with my mazda to find a good source of parts, so I thought someone here might be of help.

The Coles Notes: I need a reasonably priced Font 02 sensor within the GTA area, or online.

THANKS!!!

 

www.autozone.com has several options. the cheapest being the universal fit bosch o2 sensor for under $70. it comes without a harness attached. you have to wire it into the harness already on your sensor.

i recommend soldering the wiring rather than using vampire clips or butt connectors. it makes a huge difference since the variance is 0-1 volts and any excessive variables (resistance, mainly) can affect the signal.