New Narrow band Air/Fuel Gauge doesn't work?

[wolfie359]

Now, I know EVERYONE Says to get a wideband a/f gauge. I got a great deal on this one with some other stuff and just don't have the money for the wideband kit, mega squirt, ect... For now, I want this one to work so I can see something rather than nothing.

The gray wire on the O2 sensor is the signal wire correct? When nothing is connected to the signal input wire on my A/F gauge (green), my gauge shows fully rich. When I connect the input wire to the gray o2 wire it shows fully lean. Now, I know my car isn't running fully lean because garage door closed on a cold start eyes burn.... Even though their heated O2's I let the car warm up to full operating temp and still nothing changes.

I would assume if I had a bad O2 I would be getting a trouble code and the MIL or check engine would light up.

Anyone have any idea's why this might not be working, or maybe how to test the A/F Gauge itself? Maybe some voltage or ohm readings I should be getting directly from my O2?

 

[EagleTSIawd]

You got it hooked up to the wrong wire, the gauge should bounce rich to lean constantly if connected right. If I recall correctly, there should be a white wire and I think it's that one.

 

[wolfie359]

I have a 4 wire Heated O2, the wires are White, White, Gray, Black...

Okay... cool... So I got it reading something now... I hooked it up to the #3 wire which is the White one just above the gray wire. The other two I believe are for the heater. Thanks! Still think I need a new sensor though, its showing like the the bottom quarter of lean, so I'd guess 16:1? I'm going to let my car cool down and check it again, see if it changes. If it doesn't, Ill slap a new one in there.

 

[EagleTSIawd]

Ah, I forgot to say there are two white wires. Well, least u got it working now. During idle and cruise it should read a bit lean (14.7 afr to be exact) and rich if you floor it but as you can see it's hard to tell with that kind of gauge. It sounds like it's working good though.

 

[bryanwheat]

You should of just saved your money to get a cheap used wideband. Narrowband guages are horrible to go off of. The are inaccurate, and have a very small range of measurement 0-.5 volts, as where a wideband has a very large range or measurement 0-5 volts.

 

[ttetzner]

you were supposed to tap into the wires at the ecu not the o2 sensor
Jumptronix Installation Instructions
you should search around on this site before you go tapping into wires, the ground and a/f o2 sensor wire need to be tapped in at the ecu or it will further throw our readings off

 

[wolfie359]

you were supposed to tap into the wires at the ecu not the o2 sensor
Jumptronix Installation Instructions
you should search around on this site before you go tapping into wires, the ground and a/f o2 sensor wire need to be tapped in at the ecu or it will further throw our readings off

I just read the instructions on the gauge itself. Is there an A/F reading Output from the ECU, because if I tap into the wire from the sensor directly, or tap into where it goes into the ECU, shouldn't make any difference...?

 

[BoredDSM]

To tell you the truth there is no difference if the gauge works or not because a narrow band does absolutely nothing. The ball park estimates that it gives are so big you couldn't even put it to use. Even if you had a true wideband at this point you could not do anything about it if it went lean all of a sudden because you have no tuning device. If your 02 sensor was bad you would have a check engine light. Regardless you have to tap into it at the ecu because electricity will find the shortest path in which it will constantly throw your 02 readings around.

 

[wolfie359]

To tell you the truth there is no difference if the gauge works or not because a narrow band does absolutely nothing. The ball park estimates that it gives are so big you couldn't even put it to use. Even if you had a true wideband at this point you could not do anything about it if it went lean all of a sudden because you have no tuning device. If your 02 sensor was bad you would have a check engine light. Regardless you have to tap into it at the ecu because electricity will find the shortest path in which it will constantly throw your 02 readings around.

I was more thinking it as a diagnostic aid. I got the damn thing for free anyways and don't have anything to put in its place. I know my O2 is bad, I'm pretty sure its the original with 132k on it. If a narrow band O2 was that useless, why does every auto manufacturer use them? I know they might not be that accurate but something is better than noting, just as long as I understand its not ALWAYS accurate.

 

[BoredDSM]

I was more thinking it as a diagnostic aid. I got the damn thing for free anyways and don't have anything to put in its place. I know my O2 is bad, I'm pretty sure its the original with 132k on it. If a narrow band O2 was that useless, why does every auto manufacturer use them? I know they might not be that accurate but something is better than noting, just as long as I understand its not ALWAYS accurate.

What major auto manufacturer uses them?

 

[steve]

The narrowband sensor is like a broken clock, there are two times it's accurate, When it switches from rich to lean and when it switches from lean to rich. That's all it intended to do, allow the ECU to maintain 14.7:1 so the cat works.

The narrowband gauge will at least let you know when the sensor dies and entertain the girl in the car.

 

[BoredDSM]

The narrowband sensor is like a broken clock, there are two times it's accurate, When it switches from rich to lean and when it switches from lean to rich. That's all it intended to do, allow the ECU to maintain 14.7:1 so the cat works.

The narrowband gauge will at least let you know when the sensor dies and entertain the girl in the car.

AHA! My point exactly. You can easily diagnose the problem even without the gauge. There is no point in trying to separate the power going back to your ecu and give false readings when you just need that thing to flash back and fourth regardless.

 

[4g63GalantGSX]

actually 14.7:1 is perfect air to fuel mixtures. o2 sensors switch from lean to rich and vise versa because some oxygen parts of the cat like it lean, and catalyst part likes it rich. You should hook the gauge up to the signal wires on the ECU side, because some o2 wires are shielded and will give you false readings.

 

[steve]

actually 14.7:1 is perfect air to fuel mixtures.

If we are going to nit pick then 14.7:1 is the stoichiometric ratio for typical Gasoline. It's not the perfect ratio for best power or best economy.

 

[ttetzner]

just tap all 3 wires with a crimp on t connector at the ecu