P0135 replace o2 sensor with wideband?

[Nayr747]

I got a P0135 (Heated Oxygen Sensor Heater circuit Bank 1 Sensor 1) CEL, and so I tested the front o2 sensor by unhooking the sensor and checking the resitistance accross the two black wires which I'm assuming are the heater wires. I didn't get any reading no matter how I connected the leads (I know the DMM is working since I touched the leads together and got .3 Ohms). I also tried to backprobe the signal and signal ground wires on the connector (with the sensor connected) while the engine was running but didn't get anything either. There was a lot of oil/crud from my leaking v.c. gasket on the connector and my wire colors are different than the service manual or any other info I've seen (mine are black, black, blue, white) though so I'm not 100% sure the backprobe was successful. But it seems like there's a good chance it's shot.

So I'm thinking about just buying a wideband (probably the Innovative LC-1 and DB gauge) instead of replacing it with a narrowband Bosche or Denso since the wideband and gauge is only gonna be about 100$ more than the narrowband sensor alone. I'd just stick it in the stock o2 housing bung. I know it can decrease the sensor's lifespan, but it seems like people run them in that location w/out problems. That and I've got totally stock exhaust. Then I was thinking I'd use EvoScan/ECUFlash/Ceddymod to log and tune my car since I've already got a 99 ECU. The thing is I'm totally new to tuning so I don't know how quickly I could tune it successfully. Would it be able to run ok with just the wideband in there until I can tune it? Does the LC-1 have a 0-1v output along with its 0-5v? It's running pretty good right now with the bad o2 sensor. Only problems seem to be stuttering/jerking/quick losses of power in anything near WOT, and PRMs dropping close to zero then rebounding when I push in the clutch after a load on the engine.

I've also been getting a P0120 Throttle Position Sensor Malfunction, and a P1500 General Terminal Circuit Malfunction, alternator fr terminal malfunction. I don't know if they're related though.

Any help would be appreciated!

 

[HurleyTSi]

Stock exhaust or not you can't run it there for 2 reasons.

1. as you know the hotter the gasses the quicker that sensor dies. You plan on buying new sensors regularly?
2. you won't recieve good enough readings and your WBo2 will serve no purpose.

As for the other 2 codes they should not be related. Check your alternator fuse and measure the resistance on the TPS sensor to see if its bad..

 

[Nayr747]

Well I did another test and found that my o2 sensor is definitely shot. It doesn't cycle at all, and it wont go above 0.1v or so even when racing the engine. And also the heater has no continuity so that's not working at all.

So I guess what I'm still wondering is will the car be able to run with the wideband in place of the 0-1v sensor? In other words does the Innovate LC-1 have a seperate 0-1v output to the ECU?

And also I'd just like to get anyone's opinion on EvoScan/ECUFlash/Ceddymod and how easy it is to tune sucessfully with it. From what I've read it should be really cheap (less than $50) with the cheaper VAG 409.1 cable. Is that right?

Stock exhaust or not you can't run it there for 2 reasons.

1. as you know the hotter the gasses the quicker that sensor dies. You plan on buying new sensors regularly?
2. you won't recieve good enough readings and your WBo2 will serve no purpose.

From what I've read there are people who run their widebands in the o2 housing for a good amount of time and they haven't failed. There were a few people saying they ran them like that doing lots of autocross or drag racing and they hadn't failed yet. I'm pretty close to stock and I hardly ever race my engine so I figured it'd be ok in there until I can get the $ for an exahust and move it down the downpipe.

As for the other 2 codes they should not be related. Check your alternator fuse and measure the resistance on the TPS sensor to see if its bad..

I did some thougrough tests of my TPS and it pretty much 100% checks out. So I'm kind of confused about it because I've had that code come back for years. I just put that alternator in a little over a year ago so if that's going out I'm gonna be pretty pissed at Autozone or wherever I bought it. Lifetime warranty though I guess...