What Is the Best Wideband to Use on My Facecar
We provide yous the disquisitional tips you need to increase your Innovate'due south O2 sensor life, including placement, tuning, and gratuitous air scale.
When tuners shape the air/fuel curve for maximum horsepower and torque, an engine calibration is only as adept equally the information streaming into their data logger. While wideband oxygen sensors go far possible to precisely monitor an engine's air/fuel ratio, properly positioning and calibrating the sensor is essential to optimizing accuracy and maximizing sensor longevity. Fortunately, following a few simple guidelines goes a long fashion to getting the most out of your O2 sensor.
Positioning
Ideally, the O2 sensor should be placed at to the lowest degree 24 inches downstream from the cylinder head frazzle ports. This ensures that the O2 sensor takes its measurements after the exhaust gas from each primary merges into a common collector. In turbocharged applications, the sensor should be placed at to the lowest degree 24 inches downstream of the turbo.
Positioning the sensor too close to the exhaust ports tin expose it to high frazzle gas temperature (EGT) besides as over-cooling from the high-velocity frazzle gas flowing over the sensor. Also, if an engine runs excessively rich, an oxygen sensor that'south positioned farther downstream is less prone to fouling. Although these extreme conditions aren't a business organization in most street applications, placing the sensor farther down the exhaust tract is rarely detrimental.
In V- and horizontally opposed engines that have ii banks of cylinders, the O2 sensor should still exist placed at least 24 inches from frazzle ports, but before the H- or X-pipe. "Since most street cars are tuned with a congenital-in margin of prophylactic, it'southward perfectly fine to read the air/fuel ratio off just one bank of cylinders. In race applications where y'all are competing for every concluding horsepower, and then it becomes more disquisitional to read the air/fuel ratio off both banks of cylinders with one of our dual-channel wideband O2 sensor kits," Felipe Saez of Innovate Motorsports explains.
While track-only cars equipped with exhaust dumps, cut-outs or open-header exhaust systems tin experience simulated-lean readings at idle and role-throttle, information technology'due south seldom an issue since these applications operate primarily at wide-open throttle. "With these types of competition exhaust systems, free air coming in through the exhaust outlet at idle and part-throttle tin can contaminate the air/fuel readings. When exhaust pressure increases at WOT, the readings volition be authentic over again," Saez elaborates.
Once establishing how far downstream in the exhaust organisation to position the wideband O2 sensor, the bung should exist mounted between 9 o'clock and iii o'clock. Condensation buildup tin can destroy a sensor very quickly, so mounting the sensor between 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock protects it from water build-upward at the bottom of the exhaust piping. If there is sufficient space betwixt the top of the exhaust pipe and floorboard, mounting the sensor at 12 o'clock is ideal.
(Left) To properly calibrate the O2 sensors, they must be hooked upwards and left in a fresh air surroundings. (Right) The sensors will toggle to a "CAL" on screen during scale and then brandish the current air/fuel ratio.
Complimentary Air Calibrating the O2 Sensors
Since cars are driven in wide variety of climates and altitudes, calibrating a wideband O2 sensor to free air is the merely way to ensure accuracy. The Bosch LSU iv.2 and LSU 4.9 wideband O2 sensors utilized in Innovate's wideband systems rely on a resistor located in the connector to provide proper calibration. Bosch sets these calibrations nether lab conditions that simulate 14.7 psi of atmospheric force per unit area at 68 degrees Fahrenheit.
In club for the factory Bosch calibration to perform at optimal accuracy, a car must exist driven at bounding main level on a 68-degree day. Obviously, the vast majority of performance vehicles operate exterior this tiny window, which is why Innovate developed a patented digital wideband sensor controller that allows each and every end user to complimentary-air calibrate their O2 sensors to the actual environment that their cars are driven in.
In addition to the effects of atmospheric pressure variations, O2 sensors wear out over time and become less accurate. According to Bosch's published examination data, its wideband O2 sensors are accurate to .15 of a point when new, merely that margin for mistake increases to .29 after 500 hours of use, and increases fifty-fifty more than to .59 later 2,000 hours. In other words, after two,000 hours of functioning, when an O2 sensor reports an xi.76:i air/fuel ratio, the actual air/fuel ratio in the engine can be as lean as 12.35:1 or equally rich as eleven.17:1.
Keep in mind that Bosch conducts its tests under strictly controlled lab conditions. In the existent world, O2 sensors article of clothing out much more quickly in performance applications due to elevated EGTs and richer air/fuel ratios. Detergents and additives commonly found in pump fuel accelerate sensor wear as well. Just like Innovate's digital wideband sensor controller can recoup for altitude through free-air calibration, this aforementioned technology tin be used to compensate for sensor wear by periodically re-calibrating the sensor as follows.
| Naturally aspirated street car | Calibrate immediately after installing new sensor. Re-calibrate afterwards first iii months. Thereafter, calibrate once per twelvemonth or every twenty,000 miles. |
| Forced induction street car | Calibrate immediately after installing new sensor. Re-calibrate after first 3 months. Thereafter, calibrate twice per year or every ten,000 miles |
| Race car running leaded fuel | Calibrate immediately subsequently installing new sensor. Re-calibrate every race weekend. |
| Dyno use | Calibrate immediately after installing new sensor. Re-calibrate every 2-three days. |
| Altitude changes | If vehicle experiences distance change of 5,000 feet or more, re-calibrate sensor before competition use. |
Getting the Maximum Life Out of your O2 Sensor
Naturally, O2 sensors are designed to live in an environs full of frazzle fumes. The most mutual ingredients of tailpipe emissions include nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and water vapor with a hint of carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides mixed in. In contrast, when anything other than exhaust gas enters the exhaust system, it can dramatically reduce an O2 sensor'southward lifespan.
The virtually common culprits—in descending order of importance—include overly rich air/fuel mixtures, improper sensor placement, leaded fuel, oil consumption, coolant, high-zinc race motor oil, and elevated EGTs. In the event of catastrophic engine failure, where a volatile mix of oil, coolant, fuel and shrapnel can shoot through the frazzle system, an O2 sensor's lifespan tin can decline in a hurry.
In high-performance street and race applications, it'southward simply not practical to completely isolate O2 sensors from all the diverse elements detrimental to their wellness. Many high-pinch and high-boost motors require leaded race fuel, and elevated EGTs are the norm for turbocharged, rotary, and diesel engines. Likewise, loftier-zinc motor oils are essential to valvetrain immovability in many high operation pushrod applications.
Nevertheless, maintaining a healthy engine with good ring seal and a proper tune is the best way to non only extend the operation and durability of the engine itself, but the longevity of the O2 sensors too. "The main things to focus on are proper sensor placement and the engine tune. Everything else is secondary," says Saez.
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Source: https://blog.innovatemotorsports.com/important-tips-to-get-the-maximum-life-out-of-your-o2-sensor/