I keep "burning" up o2 sensors for some reason. Im on my 4th one (3rd new) in just over a week. I change it, clear codes, car runs great for a few hours, then next time I start the car its sputtering, revving up, wanting to die... Its always a pending fault only for the heater wire. The sensor itself looks normal after removal.

Anyone ever heard of this? The store exchanged the first one and ive had to buy the last one only to have it get ruined. Id like to figure this out before I ruin another one.

EDIT: I just realized my original o2 looks nothing like the ones ive been getting from the store. Could that be the issue, being the wrong sensor? The kid at the store only looked up the car for the first sensor. After that, he just looked at the box and grabbed another.

If it is the wrong sensor, why would the car accept it so well at first? More voltage to the heater wire possibly?

 

The original looks like this as you know.




The new ones look similar to this, only with a much more recessed tip and no holes at the base of the element gaurd. Ignore the connector, obviously thats not the same as in the picture.





Would the downstream o2 plug into the upstream connector?

 

I recall years ago with my ex's 2005 Impala (with a 3400) the part number for the downstream O2 was wrong. I forget how, but we figured out the right one (I may have had them look up a 3800 instead). But if the end of the O2 going into the exhaust stream looks like that 2nd pic, I would return it as it does not look right.