I am in the final stages of my header install [finally] and I am in need of a new O2 sensor.

My factory one is stuck inside the manifold... looks old anyway.

I was told that using a heated O2 sensor would be a better way to go considering that the headers run cooler than exhaust manifolds and would allow better readings... True? I've heard that this theory only really applies when the O2 bung is not directly in the header (eg. the y-pipe).... Mine is in the header collector...

ANY IDEAS?

Should I buy a stock one or a heated one? I'd rather not spend the money for a heated one if I don't have to.

 

I've heard that the heated O2 sensors operate much more efficiently than non heated units. after I installed my headers my O2 kept going ready to not ready at idle and if i raised the idle with the throttle by about 100 RPM it stays at ready. Time for a heated O2 sensor. Wire it possibly into the fuel pump relay or any circuit that is energized while the engine is running.

 

Where can you get a heated O2 sensor and how much do they cost?

 

A buddy of mine told me he used a three wire sensor from a Chevy mini van. I forgot the P/N but you can get them from GM or any part store for about $65.00 You will also need the 3 wire connector for it.

 

I was looking at getting this one: http://store.summitracing.com/defaul...earchtype=both I was also looking at the one for the ZR1 Corvette but this one seems to come with pretty much everything needed. Pretty nice deal IMO. EDIT: For some reason it will not let me link to the page, so...scroll down to Auto Meter and type in the part # 2244. It should come up with a $92 oxygen sensor kit for their airfuel ratio guage. You can still use this though if you do not have the guage.

 

OK, I talked to my friend today about his sensor conversion. The sensor he used is P/N AFS74 from a 1995 S10 VIN 8th digit code Z engine, 4.3l V6. Cost was about $65.00. Said both his 86 'vette and 89 GTA run much better.

 

i know u guys finished talking about this a long time ago, but i really need some help with this also

the autometer three wire o2 sensor doesnt exactly state that it is a "heated" o2 sensor, which will defeat the purpose of me spending 90 bucks on something that wont help me much. and i know that they are all probably the same, but i would rather get if from summit than my local parts store (i dunno, i guess its all in my head). please help me out and let me know wut u guys think

 

Heated 02's are better but for a stock location they are not needed. You really only need them when you use long tube headers. Long tubes put the 02 way downstream where the exahust gasses are cooler. You won't usualy have this problem with shorties unless they are uncoated and the wall thickness is super thin. With your 02 being in the collector you will be fine with a stock replacement one.

 

how about uncoated with the o2 in the y-pipe? i got as close to the collector as possible, no time to remove header to weld it in.

 

You may need one for that. It will be close. Is it in the y-pipe by the oil pan or even farther downstream where y actually meets?

 

For those of you looking for an inexpensive heated replacement O2 sensor for your single wire O2 sensor, I found a nice little package autozone. It's autozones part number 15726 which is also the Bosch part number on their package. It is a 3 wire heated O2 sensor with a nice little weather resistant splice kit. Best of all, the price is $36.99. The same part is $66.96 at advance. The splice kit is solderless and crimpless. It has screw in mechanical butt connectors, rubber weather sealing grommets, and a plastic snap together housing. It finished off a friends long tube header installation nicely.

 

BTW, I used the fuel pump relay as a location to splice into for heater power. The fuel pump only runs for two seconds upon ignition on, then turns on again while the engine is running and oil pressure switch is good. Since the relay is usually mounted on the driver's side of the firewall it made the installation very simple. I soldered the 12v for the heater to the red wire going to the fuel pump relay, and soldered the ground for the heater to the black w/white stripe going to the fuel pump relay. The heater for this O2 sensor is not polarity sensitive, so the white wires are interchangeable. The black wire for the O2 output signal naturally gets spliced to the single wire that was connected to the original O2 sensor. The sensor comes to life after approximately 60 seconds from a cold start. This should allow cutting down the closed loop timers considerably.

 

I am putting a heated 3 wire o2 sensor in now, it is a bosch, but I didn't right down the part number. It has two white wires with no stripes or differences, theres no writing either. I asked one of my automotive instructors, and he said that the black is the ground, and the two white wires are the power and signal wires.

So I tried it that way, I tried to measure the output voltage of the two white wires, but they were both fluctuating about the same numbers. So I simply let the car warm up for about 18 minutes, and drove for a couple of minutes, the service engine soon light, comes on with the code for the o2 failing. I know this, because there was a bad ground wire on the passenger cylinder head. So I fixed that and the 1 wire o2 was working ok, but I know it could be better.

So I figured the two white wires, the one that set the light was the power, and the other was the signal. So I simply connected the other wire and no more engine light coming on.

But I'm starting to wonder after what someone else stated in this post. If the black wire is going to a ground, the white wire may be acting as the sensor wire, so basically like a ground, but the signal instead. And if the heated wire, the other white one is to be connected to ground, its going to back feed through the ground black wire and change the values.

What do you think guys?