I guess the way to check that section of coax would be to check for 
continuity between the metal insulation and the solid core wire right? 
Assuming that this is the problem, does anyone know the name/size of 
this size coax (RG?) or where I might find another piece? I don't think 
that I have seen anything like that advertised by our list vendors and 
I imagine going to the dealership would be a complete waste of time. If 
I connect it to the original near the ECU I would need some sort of 
miniature connection as well right? The reason that I thought that the 
heater circuit cut off when an input from the temp II sensor signaled 
it to was that they both failed in the exact same amount of 
time/distance on my morning commute. I just assumed it worked as an 
open loop/closed loop setup. Any other ideas or things that I should 
check before replacing this coax? I guess that a screwy ECU could 
always be the problem but I don't have another one to test it with. 
Thanks for your input Scott.

David Clarkson
90 Westfalia

-----Original Message-----
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@turbovans.com>
To: David Clarkson <dvdclarksn@AOL.COM>
Cc: vanagon <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Fri, Dec 28, 2012 1:34 pm
Subject: Re: O2 sensor type problem after replacing O2 sensor

               I have          not run into the problem of a shorted 02 
coax myself,
          but i have read about it,
             and I have seen a whole new coax wire tapped              
into the original one near the ecu.

                   re " when the coolant temp sensor told                
    the ECU to turn the heater off on the sensor. "

                     Oxygen sensor heat                        is full 
time, any time the key                          is on, from the main 
relay, pretty sure.

                                scott
                                  turbovans

                                       On 12/28/2012 10:39 AM, David 
Clarkson      wrote:

     Greeting vanagonauts. I recently (approx 500 miles      ago) 
replaced my O2 sensor after having a problem with my 1990      Wesfalia 
that caused it to bog down and quit running after warming      up.