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Narrowband O2 Sensor

Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 5:58 am
by n_dorphin
Hey Chaps,

Does anyone know what 4x4 or cars are fitted with Narrow Band (1 Volt) O2 Sensors standard?

I am trying to locate a second hand unit at the wreckers and can only located wideband O2 sensors.

Thanks in advance

Jason

Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 8:29 am
by Jimbo
If the narrow band o2 sensor is the single wire one then most early EFI 4wd would use one. My 4.2efi gq uses one. You can pick up universal fit single wire o2 sensors on ebay for cheap. I wouldnt buy a second hand one as after 100,000km they aren't very good.

Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 8:42 am
by Jimbo
Also if u really want to go second hand dont limit yourself to 4wd. Just get one from any efi car.

Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 9:13 am
by n_dorphin
Cheers Guys,

I am looking to put the sensor in my racecar to monitor exhaust gases by a digital readout. I have tried the Single wire and multi wire units and they both were wideband sensors. I will by a new sensor but wanted to make sure this setup is what I wanted before outlaying more $$$.


I am not sure if any vehicles come with a narrowband sensor.....
Anyboby know?

Cheers

Jason

Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 9:41 am
by Jimbo
Pretty sure single wire are narrow band.

My Gq's single wire is narrow band....they are not very accurate and are oonly good when near stoich ratio where as wide band are good up to 30:1

Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 5:41 pm
by Ruffy
You can't have a single wire wide band lambda sensor.
Lamba sensors work by measuring the oxygen content of the exhaust gas. They do this by having to platinum plates covering a piece of ceramic made from zirconium oxide. When it gets hot enough the ceramic attracts oxygen ions. the leaner the exhaust mixture the more oxgen is drawn through the outer layer of platinum and vice versa. As the oxygen ions pass through the platinum a small voltage is produced. This is how a "narrow band" lambda sensor creates it's signal for the ECU.
A "wide band" oxygen sensor must be heated to start with therefor requires at least three wire but usually four for an heated lambda sensor. Then it has a fifth wire which applies a 1 volt (same as what the sensor is capable of producing) signal to the sensor. This allows for a mirror image (to explain easily) operation yet it is far more responsive and much quicker and precise signal.

Any oxygen sensor fitted to an Ausralian delivered passenger vehicle should produce no more than roughly 900mv at full rich. They all work the same way.
Some european vehicles used titania instead or zirconia but as far as i am aware they still do the same job.
Hope this helps.
Cheers Dan

Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 7:03 pm
by -Scott-
Wot he sed!

Wide band sensors are still new technology, are very expensive, and I doubt you're finding too many at a wrecker.

I bought a new (aftermarket) VR/VS commodore 4 wire sensor for a little over $100. Bought matching plug from a wrecker, fitted up to the Jaycar kit and it works like a charm (once I discovered the error in the instructions, and worked out I have red for lean and yellow for rich... :roll: )

Posted: Fri Dec 15, 2006 7:29 pm
by F'n_Rover
n_dorphin wrote:Cheers Guys,

I am looking to put the sensor in my racecar to monitor exhaust gases by a digital readout. I have tried the Single wire and multi wire units and they both were wideband sensors. I will by a new sensor but wanted to make sure this setup is what I wanted before outlaying more $$$.


I am not sure if any vehicles come with a narrowband sensor.....
Anyboby know?

Cheers

Jason
Narrowband will only tell you if you are running rich or lean compared to economy AF ratio (but not by how much). Won't be any good at all in a race car. They are for ecu's to auto tune when in econy cruise.
I think I've seen wideband sensors and amps for around $200+ from a mob in SA.

Posted: Sat Dec 16, 2006 8:19 pm
by PSI250
i recently used a Ford 6cyl o2 sensor (ea onwards) for my aftermarket ecu, $63 trade from bursons.
Its heated so its a 3 wire one.
this should be suitable for what you are after, if it is a narrowband your after.

Posted: Sun Dec 17, 2006 8:23 am
by fool_injected
One or three wires dose not indicate WB or NB
A three wire sensor is a single wire sensor with a heater biult in
check out http://www.megamanual.com/v22manual/mwire.htm#ego for more info on EGO sensors
There is a few part numbers there as well

Posted: Sun Dec 17, 2006 1:30 pm
by n_dorphin
Thanks,

To much info Guys...... Did not want to debate which is better.
I understand how they work and also the what reading the different sensors will give.
I am only intersted in the Mixture on a hot engine at wide open throttle.
I have a digital readout display that will ONLY accept a Narrowband Sensor (1 Volt Output). I have been to the wreckers and collected a few sensors and after returning home and checking I found they are all wideband.

Does anyone know what vehicle is fitted with a Narrowband sensor?

Thanks Again

Jason

Posted: Sun Dec 17, 2006 3:46 pm
by -Scott-
Most of them.
Wikipedia wrote:Wideband zirconia sensor
A variation on the zirconia sensor, called the 'wideband' sensor, was introduced by Robert Bosch in 1994 but is (as of 2006) used in only a few vehicles.
Which vehicles did you collect sensors from?

How have you determined that they're ALL wideband?

For your application, a wideband is more appropriate anyway.

Posted: Sun Dec 17, 2006 6:08 pm
by Ruffy
n_dorphin wrote:Thanks,

To much info Guys...... Did not want to debate which is better.
I understand how they work and also the what reading the different sensors will give.
I am only intersted in the Mixture on a hot engine at wide open throttle.
I have a digital readout display that will ONLY accept a Narrowband Sensor (1 Volt Output). I have been to the wreckers and collected a few sensors and after returning home and checking I found they are all wideband.

Does anyone know what vehicle is fitted with a Narrowband sensor?

Thanks Again

Jason
I'm sorry but i don't think you're understanding jason. You have not been collecting wideband sensors. If you have used a single wire sensor then it is NOT wideband. You must have another problem.
The body of the senor MUST use a common ground to the device that is reading it. The grounding must be extremely clean as it is a minute current.
The sensor will only operate when it reaches something like 400 or 500 degrees C. So make sure you're getting it really hot before checking it.
If you have and old (use a semi flat one) 'AA' size battery you can apply a voltage to the device reading the sensor to ensure it is reading correctly. a multi meter will tell you the voltage of the battery, a semi flat one should produce around 8 to 9 hundred milivolts which should give you a rich signal.

Now to answer your question, every single australian built vehicle before 2000, every falcon, every commodore, every toyota and every mitsubishi sold as an australian delivery vehicle WILL have a narrow band lambda sensor..
Hope this helps

Posted: Sun Dec 17, 2006 6:09 pm
by PSI250
n_dorphin wrote:Does anyone know what vehicle is fitted with a Narrowband sensor?

Thanks Again

Jason
as per my previous post EA onwards 6 cyl falcons,
VL, VN etc onwards commo's.

Pretty much any efi is going to have a narrowband o2 sensor. This is why it sounds very strange for you to come home from the wreckers with all widebands, but if you get an o2 sensor from the cars listed above they;ll be what your after.

HTH

cheers.

Posted: Mon Dec 18, 2006 8:58 pm
by n_dorphin
Thanks Guys I must stand corrected,

I will try the same sensors after checking earth and ensuring they get very hot. This could have been my problem - May not have got hot enough (at all!).

A mate said to check if WB or NB i should do the following.....

1. Earth the sensor to - (I used spare Battery)
2. Put + of Multimeter to + on Battery
3. Put - of multimeter to sensor output

He said the resulting output voltage would determine what type of sensor it was..... He must have been wrong......

I think I got about 7 or 8 volts from sensors. thus I determined they were WB sensors.

The sensors came from a commodore VP - A nissan and a diahatsu. 3x3 wire and 1x1wire sensor.

Whats the best way to ensure they get hot enough?

Thanks for the help again

Jason

Posted: Tue Dec 19, 2006 8:35 pm
by Ruffy
Stick them in your engine pipe. You'll need either a lambda sensor tester or an analogue multi meter to read the sensors output.
Hold the engine revs up at about 2-2.5 grand for a few minutes. When its hot enough you should see the voltage output change. If you are running a predetermined mixture in your ECU (ie, not self correcting) then you wont notice any fluctuation. Best way to ensure it's worknig correctly is to run it on an emission analyser at the same time to verify exhaust emmissions match what the O2 sensor says.
Cheers. Dan