Chevy & GMC Vans

Any ideas on this one? Van is a 1988 Astro 4.3, auto, 115,000 miles completely stock. It runs perfect. When it rains and if I drive through some really deep puddles I get a check engine light but it still runs fine. After about 20 minutes of driving the light goes out. If I read out the code, it is code 44 which is the oxygen sensor. Since it is in the exhaust pipe close to the road I think it is getting wet. The sensor is about a year old. I disconnected the plug cleaned the contacts then used dielectric grease inside both connector housings and put them back together. I am now waiting for the next time it rains. Did this ever happen to anyone? Thank you.

So...how'd it turn out? solve the problem?

Don't know. It has not rained heavy enough since I worked on it. I'll let you know when it does.

Are there any shields missing? It could be that a sudden soaking with cold water is causing the O2 sensor to give a bad signal. And then when it warms up it goes back to giving a proper signal. Just a thought.

Not that I can see. Everything looks to be there. The oxygen sensor is in the exhaust pipe very close to the ground. I was thinking could the water from a puddle get the pipe and sensor so wet that it gets cold? The output from the sensor goes out of spec so you get a check engine light. Then when it warms back up to the temperature it was the signal is back in spec and the computer turns the check engine light off. Just a theory. I'll let you know what happens. Thanks.

Hey uncle V, I was wondering if the O2 sensor is getting soaked when you go in puddles. The way the O2 works is @ 600 degrees F the inner workings of the O2 measure the Oxygen content of the Exhaust and through a hole in the housing compares it to the outside air. Being that there is 14.7 % Oxygen in the air we breath that is the baseline for the perfect mixture of fuel to Oxygen in the engine. 12% would be rich, 19% lean. So if the hole is blocked you might be confusing the computer.

Thanks Mike. I think it might be getting wet. I suppose I can spray water on it from a garden hose and see what happens.