I've got a 95 SE and the "check engine light" is on again.
It has 70K on it and has already had two sensors replaced.
Can I live without this sensor? Anyone else have this problem?

 

Oxygen Sensors are a vital part of the electronic engine management system. Yes, you should replace a faulty sensor. Some '95 Maximas were subject to a recall relating to those sensors. Nissan may be willing to replace that sensor at no charge. Ask your dealer.

 

Thanks for the great advice Daniel. I will try an alldata check and advise my dealer that I'm aware of a possible recall.

 

Were the same sensors replaced or were they different ones? Also FYI sometimes (my case) if you get a check engine light for the 02 sensors, you may be able to fix it with new spark plugs. An 02 sensor code means that the computer received a code dealing with that particular sensor and it does not always mean that that sensor is bad. It sometimes means that a bad voltage reading was received and could be attributed to spark plugs that are not burning gases the way they used to.

 

Sometimes an Oxygen Sensor is just an innocent victim. The Engine Control Module flags an Oxygen Sensor because the sensor's signal is outside normal bounds. Does that mean the sensor is "dead"?

-- It could mean that the wire between the sensor and the ECM is broken. Replacing a sensor won't fix that broken wire.

-- It could mean that a fuel injector is sticking open, causing that cylinder to burn rich, generating black soot which has coated the sensing element. Replacing a sensor won't fix that bad injector.

When the ECM points an accusing finger at a particular sensor, we should strive to discover the root cause. If we fail to do that, within a few weeks the new sensor might go bad.