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whats the point of having O2 censors????

  • Thread starter Thread starter eeh1025
  • Start date Start date Nov 23, 2004
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eeh1025

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#1
  • Nov 23, 2004
  • #1
hey guys whats the ponit having the in i took mine out when i put my long tubes in and removed the smog pump, do they help alot or do i not need them. thanks alot
 
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leakyfaucet

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Dec 19, 2003
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Nov 23, 2004
#2
  • Nov 23, 2004
  • #2
You want your oxygen sensors, unless you like your car running pig rich at cruise, part throttle, and idle. If you also like paying a **** ton for gas all the time, then by all means, take them out. Over the last week I've been pulling my hair out trying to get them to work.

So do me a favor, if you don't want them anymore, please send your sensors and your harness to me. I'll pay for shipping, don't worry.
 

HISSIN50

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#3
  • Nov 23, 2004
  • #3
Leaky, i think his question was sincere.

they are a feedback device for the engine management - they give feedback of the oxygen content of the gasses coming out of the motor so that the fuel can be trimmed for better efficiency and economy.
 
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leakyfaucet

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#4
  • Nov 23, 2004
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I was just joking... I wasn't trying to come off angry.
 

PhLoBuS

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#5
  • Nov 23, 2004
  • #5
to pass emissions
 

jrichker

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I recommend that to make you Mustang run at peak efficency, you do some reading...

Here's a book that will get you started with how the Ford electronic engine control or "computer" works.

Ford Fuel Injection & Electronic Engine Control 1988-1993 by Charles Probst :ISBN 0-8376-0301-3.

It's about $20 from Borders.com see http://www.amazon.com/ . Select boo...d plan and can kill the engine's performance.
 
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Idwitheld-1`

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#7
  • Nov 23, 2004
  • #7
jrichker said:
I recommend that to make you Mustang run at peak efficency, you do some reading...

Here's a book that will get you started with how the Ford electronic engine control or "computer" works.

Ford Fuel Injection & Electronic Engine Control 1988-1993 by Charles Probst :ISBN 0-8376-0301-3.

It's about $20 from Borders.com see http://www.amazon.com/ . Select boo...ther than that, best dollars spent on the GT.
Click to expand...
 
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Ray@VSK

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  • Nov 23, 2004
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O2 Sensors are part of your air/fuel ratio adjustments for your computer, you MAF measures incoming air & tells the computer how much gas to give ther motor & the O2 sensors measures the air/fuel ratio spent after it do dechiper wether your calibration is right (though not very acurate) O2 sensors have nothing to do with emissions, if you are going to unplug or do any modifications @ all you will need to have your car dyno tuned to adjust air/fuel ratios correctly, I removed mine because I was running to lean on the dyno, the only downside of having them disconnected is the check engine light stays on after a few minutes of driving which means to get it to go off you have to pull the bulb.
 

HISSIN50

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#9
  • Nov 23, 2004
  • #9
leakyfaucet said:
I was just joking... I wasn't trying to come off angry.
Click to expand...
 

HISSIN50

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#10
  • Nov 23, 2004
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Ray@VSK said:
O2 sensors have nothing to do with emissions
Click to expand...
come again? i know it depends upon what one's definition of emissions equipment is, but the do trim the a/f ratio, which helps to lower tailpipe emissions. not sure what you meant. i think we just have different view points on what your above quote means.
 
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Ray@VSK

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#11
  • Nov 23, 2004
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HISSIN50 said:
come again? i know it depends upon what one's definition of emissions equipment is, but the do trim the a/f ratio, which helps to lower tailpipe emissions. not sure what you meant. i think we just have different view points on what your above quote means.
Click to expand...

If you take a stock motor & pull the o2's ya it will richen you up a bit thus maybe making you fail emissions but fact of the matter is o2 sensors are not needed for emmisions.
 

HISSIN50

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#12
  • Nov 23, 2004
  • #12
Ray@VSK said:
If you take a stock motor & pull the o2's ya it will richen you up a bit thus maybe making you fail emissions but fact of the matter is o2 sensors are not needed for emmisions.
Click to expand...
they are part of the emissions/management equipment. i can pass emissions w/o a smog pump too, but it is part of the emissions systems and it does help. if one does not care about the life of cats, i suppose running w/o lambdas would work.
 

HISSIN50

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#13
  • Nov 23, 2004
  • #13
BTW, to answer the original question as you posted it, they are there to make sure the O2's dont do anything in bad taste.
 

Michael Yount

Mustang Master
Apr 10, 2002
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Nov 23, 2004
#14
  • Nov 23, 2004
  • #14
O2's came into being because the oem's were looking to solve emissions issues. In fact, Volvo pioneered O2 sensors - their "Lambda Sond" O2 equipped sensors were an option on cars back in the late 70's. A emissions legal cars have had them for years. The closed loop feedback they provide allow the engine to run much cleaner emissions wise, and to get better fuel mileage (helping the oem's to hit their CAFE requirements). O2's are DEFINITELY there to help the car maintain emissions legality. The car can run just fine without them, but passing emissions is much more difficult. The original owner of my car did the V8 conversion and 'lost' a harness plug behind the MacPherson strut when he wired the car originally. I discovered when I pulled the motor for performance mods that the O2's hadn't been hooked up for 6 years and 18K miles. I never knew til I pulled the motor. Drivability was unaffected; and the car got reasonable gas mileage.

The car drops out of closed loop at w.o.t., so O2 sensors do not impair peak performance. Like the egr system - a functioning close loop feedback system with O2 sensors is a win-win. No reason at all to remove them. Unless of course you're gonna chuck the whole thing and run a carb. That too will cause problems passing emissions.
 

Michael Yount

Mustang Master
Apr 10, 2002
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#15
  • Nov 23, 2004
  • #15
I'd add, newer cars (post 96 maybe?) have a sensor(s) before AND after the cats so they can moniter catalyst performance - one more EMISSIONS use of O2 sensors. O2's are definitely an integral part of the emissions system.
 

BlackFox5.0

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Nov 23, 2004
#16
  • Nov 23, 2004
  • #16
They are used to compare actual a/f ratio to the commanded Lambda. The difference is a value of whats known as KAMRF. If the KAMRF is .95 that means the computer has seen that the a/f ratio is 5% too rich, and it needs to multiply the amount of air it thinks its taking in by .95 in order for everything to come out correct. If its 1.05 than it has seen a lean condition and it needs to x1.05 to get things right. ideally you would want your KAMRF's to stay at 1. That means there is no corrections needed, and that you tune is correct.
 

Michael Yount

Mustang Master
Apr 10, 2002
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Nov 23, 2004
#17
  • Nov 23, 2004
  • #17
Just to clarify, the O2 sensor doesn't actually measure a/f ratio. It generates a very small voltage differential when it compares the oxygen content of the exhaust gas to the oxygen content of ambient air. Based on that proportional signal, the computer calculates a/f ratio and compares it to what it's trying to maintain under a given set of conditions. Based on those calculations and comparison to tabular data, it decides what to do with fuel and timing.
 

The Shape

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Nov 23, 2004
#18
  • Nov 23, 2004
  • #18
jrichker said:
I recommend that to make you Mustang run at peak efficency, you do some reading...

Here's a book that will get you started with how the Ford electronic engine control or "computer" works.

Ford Fuel Injection & Electronic Engine Control 1988-1993 by Charles Probst :ISBN 0-8376-0301-3.

It's about $20 from Borders.com see http://www.amazon.com/ . Select boo...the california cars, but why isn't it 87-93 ?
Click to expand...
 
R

Ray@VSK

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Aug 27, 2004
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#19
  • Nov 23, 2004
  • #19
You can adjust air/fuel ratios to compensate the difference, what I'm saying is o2 sensors measure the ammount of air/fuel thats emitted from your motor then adjusts not only for testing emmisions but to ensure your not running to lean or rich, they are not needed though are recommended, you can adjust ratios making them not necessary, they are like having wideband sensor on your tailpipe for telling you what your expending from your motor but tells your computer to adjust any lean or rich conditions wich makes it nice for having them connected.
 

Michael Yount

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Nov 23, 2004
#20
  • Nov 23, 2004
  • #20
It doesn't cover SD. It's useful to have nonetheless to understand the working of many of the sensors and such; but it's geared up to cover the mass-air systems.
 
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