Many people have had an issue with a cheap aftermarket CPS. They don't fix a precieved CPS issue or they fail quickly, what ever the reason I felt like I needed to experience it myself. Cheapest one I could find was out of Hong Kong for 14.99 shipped to my doorstep. It is physically identical to the OEM unit. The major difference was the aftermarket one is not magnetized or at least not to a precievable amount. Immediatley I knew I was wasting my time under my jeep. Well go big or go home. It will at least make a good guinea pig for finding the best way to move a sensor over for more timing adv.






It was actually very easy to move once the plastic is warm. Fast forward to me throwing it in...turn the key fires right up and I am shocked. Fast forward through a summer, winter, and back to summer with 16000 on the sensor and I am still just as shocked that it runs. In the summer I do run 89 and tow with it. I have seen no improvement in Mpg, below freezing starting, or wot power. It does seem to cruise at 65mph much better than it ever had. No other changes where made besides the sensor during the 16k. Now it is just a waiting game till it goes, for now I am happy with my decision. Do I keep my stock CPS in my glove box? You bet I do.

 

I never understand peoples skepticism of cheap parts. I buy them all the time. 90% of the time they're the same exact thing you're buying from the parts store.

 

A lot of cheap sensors can cause more trouble than they are worth, and I'd say that's why people avoid them. The first non-OEM temperature sensor I tried was 40 degrees off, so that got annoying really quickly. A brand new NAPA oil pressure sensor leaked, so it had to go. I ended up with OEM sensors and never had another problem. As OEM gets harder to find though, we will all end up using whatever the after market throws at us.

 

Right, I get that OEM sensors are better. No denying that.

I'm comparing a $14.99 CPS to any parts store $89.99 sensor. They're the same thing. Different box.

 

http://cruiser54.com/?p=50

 

I don't doubt that. Most of the parts store crap is just mass-produced junk in China (BWD for example). The only real motivation for getting one from the parts store is the ease of warranty, and getting parts in a pinch.

Certain hard-to-reach and engine critical sensors I prefer the peace of mind and just go with OEM. A throttle position sensor, for example, I will get the cheapest one. My BWD TPS has been fine for ~30,000 miles after the stock one failed on me.

 

I use cheap parts a lot with success, but I have been bitten numerous times with generic Crank Sensors,' some I have gotten to work by polishing/cleaning the rust off of the ring gear where it picks up signal. Some have not worked at all in one jeep and worked fine in another. I have 5 of them in a bucket in the garage, its amazing to see the difference in magnet strength between them all.

This why I always say "Buy a Mopar OEM" or all others are a gamble !!!! I never say it won't work, but buying a generic and still having a problem does not mean the new part is not the cause (-:

 

I agree with LowRange on the cheap sensors.. 95% of the time they're the same. My jeeps are full of AZ sensors.. Only sensor I will never buy aftermarket is the oil pressure sending unit.. That's always a MOPAR in my jeeps.