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Frank,
I've been down this road recently, or more correctly, I am still on it. That is, I am battling codes on a recently purchased car. I will tell you some of what I learned about O2 sensors from the Bosch catalog, the Volvo dealer, the parts houses, and this board.
I think you have a three-wire sensor. Bosh makes universal sensors, which they claim will work just as well as the original. In the three-wire version, they only make two sensors. One has a 12-watt heater and the other has an 18-watt heater. I do not know if that is the only difference.
The universal seems to sell for about $70 - $80. The original for mine was $128 from FCP Groton. There are OEM O2 sensors for other cars (see the 700 / 900 FAQs for part numbers) that can get as cheap as $30 - $40. I crossed all of those OEM numbers back to the Bosch universal, and they all crossed to the one with the 12-watt heater. My OEM number crossed back to the universal with the 18-watt heater.
My car has Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR). Most auto parts houses and most online sources showed no difference between the models with or without EGR. I called my Volvo dealer and they gave me the OEM Volvo number, and they also saw no difference between with or without EGR, and they did not have the part. I crossed their number back through the Bosch catalog, and after verifying that number through NAPA, I ordered the part. When I took my old one out, the numbers did not match, and the plug was different. Most local houses did not even show the number of the one that came out of my car.
So, I ordered the one from FCP Groton, which had the same number as the one I removed, and which was specified as being for cars that had EGR.
So, I did spend $128 instead of $80 for a universal or $40 for a Ford version, but I did get one that I knew was correct. In part I did this because I was chasing a CEL, and if it came back on, I did not want to wonder if I had the wrong O2 sensor. Also, I live in a place where they really believe in salt in the winter and I did not want any splices under the car. In fact, my CEL did come back on, but now I don't have to wonder if I picked the wrong O2 sensor.
Charley
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