Wideband a/f question

[The_Stache]

So one of the first things im going to do is get a wide band a/f guage in this sucker..

My question is where would be the optimal place for the sensor.. I am assuming as far down the headers as possible but before the cats?

I would share my list of things.. but my car is going to surprise quite a few after i get it... I am thinking outside the box.

[headpunter]

well knowing what is involved in the application would definately help....

[The_Blur]

We want to hear your box-annihilating ideas before we give any recommendations.

[The_Stache]

For arguments sake lets just say I am going to need a wideband a/f guage... where on a normal exhaust would you mount the wideband o2 sensor?

I have been told now that wide band o2's need to be heated or as close to the collector as possible (to heat them). I didn't know that.. SOOO on to more research..

[The_Stache]

Originally Posted by The_Blur

We want to hear your box-annihilating ideas before we give any recommendations.

Custom setup, will be using a pressurized charge.. that's all I will say.

[Speedy1975]

I have a LC-1 wide band in my 4Runner. It was mounted in the down pipe before the cat. It's elf heating as all oxygen sensors are AFAIK.

The question on the Camaro would be what pipe to put it in so that it's sniffing both banks of cylinders since it's dual exhaust. If the H pip is before the cats, that'd be a good spot. If not then IDK.

[SilverTurtle]

generally, there is a wideband bung on one side or the other, but not both sides of an exhaust system... it is accepted that what is happening on one side is happening on the other side, since most stock, or close to stock, injection systems do not have per cylinder tuning... so if bank 1 is running rich, its likely that bank 2 is running rich, as well.

putting the wideband in a location that is before the cats is the key here... you put it behind the cats, you get a false reading... alot of exhaust setups that I've seen with a custom hole for the wideband sensor have the bung on the passenger side, but I've seen some on the driver's side as well as some on the collector before the I pipe... but that's not going to work on a car with true duals, so its really just easier to use a location close to the collector of the long tubes, if you have them, and before the cats, if you have those, too.

and most new widebands are set up to be self heating... some of the older ones needed to be heated, so proximity to the headers was a must.

[CamaroSpike23]

mount before the cat, after the y-pipe... or if you are running true duals with an x-pipe, mount it in the x-pipe.

[Chocolate Apocalypse]

Why not just get a PLX setup and use the wideband sensor in place off the stock narrowband piece?

[The_Stache]

Originally Posted by Chocolate Apocalypse

Why not just get a PLX setup and use the wideband sensor in place off the stock narrowband piece?

from what i under stand the reading from a wideband is not compatible with stock ecu's therefore you end up throwing codes/going into limp mode.

Originally Posted by SilverTurtle

generally, there is a wideband bung on one side or the other, but not both sides of an exhaust system... it is accepted that what is happening on one side is happening on the other side, since most stock, or close to stock, injection systems do not have per cylinder tuning... so if bank 1 is running rich, its likely that bank 2 is running rich, as well.

putting the wideband in a location that is before the cats is the key here... you put it behind the cats, you get a false reading... alot of exhaust setups that I've seen with a custom hole for the wideband sensor have the bung on the passenger side, but I've seen some on the driver's side as well as some on the collector before the I pipe... but that's not going to work on a car with true duals, so its really just easier to use a location close to the collector of the long tubes, if you have them, and before the cats, if you have those, too.

and most new widebands are set up to be self heating... some of the older ones needed to be heated, so proximity to the headers was a must.

Thanks Silver this was exactly what i have been looking for. (Same for you camarospike) I knew I could count on you guys.

[CamaroSpike23]

thats what we're here for.


i was going to make the comment that the 4th gens got lucky with the aftermarket ORY's as most came with a bung already installed after the collector for the wideband.

[AirGoya]

I know what an O2 sensor is. But whats a a/f sensor?

[Chocolate Apocalypse]

Originally Posted by diarmadhi

from what i under stand the reading from a wideband is not compatible with stock ecu's therefore you end up throwing codes/going into limp mode.

Thats why you get the PLX wideband.....
http://www.plxdevices.com/AppNotes/PLXApp004.pdf

[CamaroSpike23]

Originally Posted by AirGoya

I know what an O2 sensor is. But whats a a/f sensor?

there's narrow band and wide band o2 sensors, they are both a/f sensors

narrow band, like nearly all cars have are normally referred as just "o2's"
and they either read rich or lean, hence the term narrow band

a wide band o2 sensor is comonnly called a "wideband" or "air/fuel sensor" it reads more in depth and allows for more precise tuning of the air fuel ratio.

bout as simple as I can make it.