This past week I have been getting my Camaro back into running and driving shape. Over the winter I replaced my shorty headers with a set of long tubes so for now I only have open headers with the wideband sensor in the collector/reducer. I used the LC-1 all last warm season with no issues but now it doesn't seem to be registering "correct" AFR. I only read a solid 22.3 AFR, even with revving the engine and on warm up it sits at 22.3 AFR. The led indicator light is lit and stays lit, no flashes are present. The engine starts up and revs just fine. Is the sensor unable to register because the exhaust ends 1-2" after the sensor and ambient air is getting at it or do you think the sensor is bad. I would rather not buy a replacement sensor if one is not needed- the sensor is only a year old and maybe 1000 miles at most. Thanks.

 

Put exhaust on it. Likely getting too much fresh air being that close. However wot should have enough heat and energy to keep air out and it should register.

Could also try letting car run few seconds and shut off but leave the key in on position. Then use something to cap off the header. Exhaust fumes in header should get a reading

 

You can use an unlit lighter to test the sensor. The reading will go from lean to rich with the butane exposed to the sensor.

 

Could you explain this a little better? I'm cautious about damaging the sensor by putting a mini torch on it...

 

If I can find a sufficient way to cap the exhaust, I will try it.

 

Not a mini torch, a lighter, think BIC lighter. Instead of using the striker to get the lighter to light, you just press the button to have the butane to flow out. close to the sensor.

This is how I bench test my WBO2s.

 

Did you do the heater and fresh air calibration?

 

That's a great and easy way to test it, thanks for posting that! I did the free air calibration last year the first time, is that something I should do at the start of every year?

 

I did the free air calibration at the beginning of the season for the first two years my LC-1 was installed, I haven't for about 3 years, and haven't noticed any issues from it.

I really should do another, maybe today before I start the car.... Gonna need to remember how to do it. LOL

 

I do a free air every couple of weeks lol

 

There's a suggested schedule in LC-1 paperwork. IIRC when new after a short use then fairly long periods. After 5k miles mine changed by .01 Lambda.

Who knows what happened over your winter project? Check wiring as well. The 22.3 is max so it's working, look in your Logworks for programming it again as well.

2 foot of pipe past WB should be fine... 1 foot? if it turns on when vehicle starts and warms up there's no open air coming back that far. Should see some blinking until it's ready or heater is not working... I don't know if they loose calibration without power or over long times?

 

It wont hurt to recalibrate. After 24 hours I can do so w/o removing 02 sensor. I did remove sensor once from bung and it messed up threads. My car sits for 48 sometimes 72 hours of no use so convenient time to do so. Your 02 being at end of collector with no ext pipe may be OK to calibrate after 1 hour. Who knows? I think I paid like $30 on ebay for Bosch 02 sensor. I would think it needs the ext pipe added to prevent fresh air from interfearing with read. If my collector to ext pipe had leak (and it did) it really messed up my datalogs to lean adding fuel CL.

 

I just had gotten my project up and running and was having the same issue. Make sure the grounds are good and no wires are loose. Checking all of that I also thought it was a bad sensor so I went out and bought a new one at Advance Auto, same issues persisted. Called Innovate and they basically told me to check for interference. I moved the whole LC-1 unit temporarily onto the windshield and all the sudden it worked right. The distributor and coil were making me get lean or sporadic readings. Good luck.

 

Genius it worked! Sensor is good, I used an unlit propane torch and the test worked. So a note to all, if you have your Innovate wide band O2 sensor (Only tested this with my Innovate sensor so I can't speak for other brands) in your collector or reducer and no length of pipe afterwards, it WILL read lean.