Could this have damaged my ECU?

[JLJ]

Hi and thanks in advance for your help.

I installed RNR Racing's 3-inch turbo-back O2 eliminator exhaust in December. I tied the rear O2 sensor off onto an exhaust hanger with a couple of tie wraps and all was well - no CEL.

We had a heavy snowstorm a couple of weeks ago and the snow managed to loosen up the rear O2 sensor and it was hanging down and dragging, unknown to me. I drove on the highway for about 200 miles and got a CEL. I looked under the car and saw the O2 sensor hanging there, and it was really small. Dragging on the pavement at 80 MPH ground it down. It must have been sparking along for quite a while.

It was so mangled up I didn't do anything until getting back home. Then I cut it off and grounded all of the wires.

The car will not start now.

1. I have searched around the forums and now see that there are a few O2 simulators out there that can be purchased and installed at the connector under the seat/console to make the ECU happy. I have also seen a couple of posts that say you can simply disconnect the connector and forget about it. Which method is best?

2. More importantly, the car will not start now. It turns over fine but will not fire up. Could the ECU have been damaged when I grounded all of the rear O2 sensor wires?

I have not checked to see if there is any spark in the plug wires yet. Will do that tonight but I expect there will be none.

ECU experts - HELP! Did I ruin the ECU?

 

[BOBS90TURBO]

I have no idea about ecu damage, but maybee you could reset your ecu, unplug the battery for a few minutes.

 

[JLJ]

Originally posted by BOBS90TURBO
I have no idea about ecu damage, but maybee you could reset your ecu, unplug the battery for a few minutes.

I should have included that in my post - I tried it already and there was no change. Thanks anyway.

 

[JLJ]

Can anyone help me out here? My ride is dead!

 

[JLJ]

I'm posting this here because I did not get any response posting under "Problem Diagnosis", and I am desperate. Please help if you have any ideas.

I installed RNR Racing's 3-inch turbo-back O2 eliminator exhaust in December. I tied the rear O2 sensor off onto an exhaust hanger with a couple of tie wraps and all was well - no CEL.

We had a heavy snowstorm a couple of weeks ago and the snow managed to loosen up the rear O2 sensor and it was hanging down and dragging, unknown to me. I drove on the highway for about 200 miles and got a CEL. I looked under the car and saw the O2 sensor hanging there, and it was really small. Dragging on the pavement at 80 MPH ground it down. It must have been sparking along for quite a while.

It was so mangled up I didn't do anything until getting back home. Then I cut it off and grounded all of the wires.

The car will not start now.

1. I have searched around the forums and now see that there are a few O2 simulators out there that can be purchased and installed at the connector under the seat/console to make the ECU happy (i.e. - no CEL). I have also seen a couple of posts that say you can simply disconnect the connector and forget about it. Which method is best?

2. More importantly, the car will not start now. It turns over fine but will not fire up. Could the ECU have been damaged when I grounded all of the rear O2 sensor wires?

I have not checked to see if there is any spark in the plug wires yet. Will do that tonight but I expect there will be none.

ECU experts - HELP! Did I ruin the ECU?

 

[splattj]

Check your fuses. When you put the power for the heating element in the O2 sensor to the ground it probably blew the fues. If you're lucky you didn't damage anything and the fuse that powers the circuit is just blown. It could even be the MPI fuse under the hood.

 

[nine5raptor]

One of those wires you grounded is the postive side of the 12W heater element. That was probably not a good idea. Other than that, I don't know.

 

[JLJ]

Great idea - I will check that.

Thanks.

 

[JLJ]

Thanks, I know this was not my best idea. I did not realize so much current was running through those wires, especially since they are thin wires, 14 or 16 gauge - but they are silver wires, not copper, so they could carry more juice.

 

[DSMRevolution]

You don't have much current running through those wires. What the o2 sensor does is give off voltage. Its anywhere from .1V to .9V. You do not have voltage running to the sensor, but from the sensor. Grounding those wires wasn't the best idea, but it shouldn't have hurt the ECU. You should be okay, but how about insted of buying a simulator kit, you just install a new o2 sensor?

 

[nine5raptor]

You are right about 2 wires, but not the other 2. It is a heated 4 wire 02 sensor. 2 of the wires are for a 1A heating element.

 

[RavenX]

Originally posted by DSMRevolution
but how about insted of buying a simulator kit, you just install a new o2 sensor?

Why install a new O2 sensor that will cost him $150 thats a big waste of money? Go buy a O2 simulator which they sell for about 45 bucks. Hell for 10 bucks or less you can make your own. You don't need that second o2 sensor and since its broken you might as well leave it like that and get the o2 sim your better off that way

 

[DSMRevolution]

So is there any disadvantages or advantages to not having a 2nd o2 sensor?

 

[JLJ]

Originally posted by splattj
Check your fuses. When you put the power for the heating element in the O2 sensor to the ground it probably blew the fues. If you're lucky you didn't damage anything and the fuse that powers the circuit is just blown. It could even be the MPI fuse under the hood.

You da man! It was the MPI fuse. I'm keeping an extra one of these in my glovebox from now on. If this fuse goes, you don't go!

I still have the CEL, so I'll have to go and buy an O2 sensor simulator and hook it up to the ECU.

Thanks so much!