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Dreaded BF225 sensor issue again!

Hi guys, sorry to drag this old turkey out again but we are trying to resolve this issue here over in Spain.

I contacted Honda UK looking for support. The parts technician apparently wasn't familiar with this issue as he "looks after lawn mowers, motorbikes, cars, outboards etc etc". Good start right?

So, I explained the issue and mentioned the service bulletin but basically all he was able to do was check if the manifold on his catalogue was a replacement for a previous one and on THAT basis alone made the assumption that it MUST be the new pattern! Well the part he sent down looks identical to the one fitted to our motor which suffers with the sensor issue. I know this was one of the affected engines because we had a warranty replacement sensor and ecu.

Can anyone tell me the difference and maybe post pics up please? I attach a pic of our manifold fitted.

Really hope you can help!
 

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Do you mean the O2 sensor? What code/error are you getting?
If you've had a new ECU and sensor under warranty then I'd imagine that you need the newer version which is slightly smaller diameter than the original.

I can't remember the size offhand but the newer sensor screws into an adapter in the manifold... You can see it clearly.

I'd dig out the part number and buy from boats.net - much cheaper than buying from the UK
 
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Do you mean the O2 sensor? What code/error are you getting?
If you've had a new ECU and sensor under warranty then I'd imagine that you need the newer version which is slightly smaller diameter than the original.

I can't remember the size offhand but the newer sensor screws into an adapter in the manifold... You can see it clearly.

I'd dig out the part number and buy from boats.net - much cheaper than buying from the UK

Sorry Metal Chicken I've not been very clear regarding my needs here. Yes the O2 sensor. We bought from the UK what we believed to be the replacement manifold which should IMHO have been included as part of the SB. I am led to believe that the newer manifold moves the sensor higher up away from the water. Is this correct?

So, my question is "Is ours pictured the newer one or the older manifold?" I would appreciate a part number and comparison picture of the newer one if available thanks.
 
What year is your engine? I have an '06 and I'm sure the O2 sensor is higher than that.... But mine has the adapter from the old sensor to the new.
I wasn't aware there was another manifold!
 
The original O2 sensor fix for the A6 motors did not include a manifold replacement, it was only an ECU and O2 sensor. If you want to upgrade then order latest BF225A3 manifold which comes with the correct size thread for the sensor
 
Ok so there is a later manifold then lang6776? Does it move the sensor higher or did I imagine that bit? Would you have a part number or picture please to show the difference? It IS a fit for the earlier affected BF225's?
 
I Don't believe there is a difference in height,only that you don't need the adaptor. You must understand though that those O2 sensors still fail from time to time, it's one of those annoying issues that Honda still hasn't fixed properly. So if you want to order the later part it is 18120-ZY3-C01ZA
 
There have been numerous O2 sensor bulletins through the years for the V6 motors and they have improved but still have failures. I have just compared an A6 Manifold with the latest AK3 MANIFOLD and height of the O2 sensor has not changed, only the thread size and they have a raised casting so the sensor doesn't protrude into the manifold as much
 
I was just looking at your photo again, do you have a serial number for your engine, that does not look like an 09 manifold and oxy sensor, those change after 2007 to the current style. The A6 motors had the mod I mentioned in my earlier post and that was as metal chicken said, a reducer, smaller threaded 02 sensor and a different ECU. In 09 (AK1) there was a manifold,senor and ECU replacement. You cannot use the later O2 sensor and manifold on your engine because the ECU will not be compatible. So having said all that, yours may qualify for the ECU/sensor upgrade but not sure that Honda would still support that
 
Ah,

sorry is 2007. Here is a picture of the makers plate and as you can see it's actually a 2hp motor. Can't beat Honda efficiency eh? :confused:

Just to clarify again though - we had the ecu and sensor mod. After 18 months the sensor failed again and so we assumed we should go with the manifold mod and it's looking like there was no manifold mod. Not sure where we go from here......
 

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That is not the revised sensor in you photo,the revised sensor takes a 14mm spanner, that one takes a 22mm. The revised sensor also screws into a reducer, I will check the ECU part number for you tomorrow morning so that you can see which ECU you have and confirm which sensor you should have, your engine is an A6
 
Hi Ian, what can have happened here??? It was the local Honda authorised agent who supposedly carried out this works. This is a major worry to me! Thanks for your help!
 
My 2007 (but apparently its a 2006 model) 225 has had the ECU and sensor update - in order to work with the updated sensor the ECU part number is 34750-ZY3-A04.

Not a good pic but I think you can see the smaller diameter sensor screwed into the reducer:

xb06x1.jpg
 
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As you see from metal chicken's photo, yours does not appear to have been upgraded, check your ECU part number and then take it up with Honda customer service if it doesn't match
 
Honda1.jpgHonda2.jpg

So it seems the warranty work was completed ok. Images can deceive sometimes.

This must mean that the new sensor just failed after 18 months because they just fail from time to time? It's lucky we had the replacement manifold after all because when the engineer here tried to remove that sensor it stripped the thread inside the boss. All's well that ends well.......
 
To help prolong the sensors: If possible run above 5000 rpm for a few minutes at the end of every day on the water. High RPMs are required to clean the carbon off the sensors. Though not on the maintenance schedule, unfortunately they are a maintenance item that will have to be replaced periodically.
 
This must mean that the new sensor just failed after 18 months because they just fail from time to time?
The OEM sensor I fitted to our 225 in June 2016 died at the end of August 2017 - it may be a carbon issue.... I have no idea but I still have the original and will try cleaning it just to see what happens.

In the mean time I've ordered another oem sensor from ebay as it was cheaper than boats.net.

I have also,yesterday, found a supplier of NGK sensors in the UK who do one for the BF225 at a cost of just £90 including tax and shipping which I may well get as a spare. If it lasts more than 12 months I'm a winner

http://www.ecolambda.co.uk/main/hondantk.htm (bottom of the page)
 
The sensor you are looking at in my opinion is the correct one for your ECU, however, it has a 10mm thread whereas I believe yours has the original 14mm thread necessitating the reducer as shown in metal chicken's photo, not sure how your sensor has worked with that ECU in the past because it is the older original version used from the inception of the 225.
 
The two shown in the pic side by side are the one removed with some force and the replacement. No adaptor. The new manifold (fortunately) ordered from Lings and the new sensor from the same location are the latest available according to Lings. The ECU nuber fits the new ECU so not sure where you're coming from there Ian? Everything is indentical.
 
The correct part number for the sensor that should be with your ECU is 35655 ZY3 C01 which matches the one you found at NGK and is the one that you should be using with that ECU, that part number is the latest and is common to all 225's back to the A6 assuming the A6 has had the new ECU and O2 sensor upgrade.
 
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