Widebands

[Camryamnesty]

Does anybody know how you can tell the difference between a narrowband and wideband o2/af sensor by looking at it? Do any of the newer models come with them stock? If so which ones? i just dont know how to tell teh difference, and i have so many old sensors some may be wideband type sensors. I DONT KNOW!

[lexusmech]

So I don't really have an answer but an educated guess on part of your question.

I had never really heard about wideband sensors untill recently (past year or two). The only reason I could imagine the technology would be needed is for some outside industrial use or.......these new duel fuel vehicles....particularly E85...but only a guess.

I've been over hearing my coworkers talk about E85, and I think the Stauchiometric (sp?) value for E85 is 8.9:1....but I could be wrong. Since the vehicle would have to read a wider variety of ratio, I could guess that is where wideband technology came from. So to answer your question with an educated guess....I'll bet you can't tell the difference, you probably don't have one, and probably a few new models would have them. And they would only really be worth it if you're running say....racing gas in your street car, duel fuel applications, plus your computer in your car would need the range to read the sensor output. I doubt most factory ecu's are setup to read anything outside the range of a typical O2 Sensor.

[Camryamnesty]

well, im going to be running megasquirt to tune my engine, and i need a wideband o2 sensor, so I was hoping i might have one to use. OH well

[trdcamry00]

Narrowbands are pretty much useless for your application. If you're tuning yourself you would definitely need a wideband or unless you take it to a shop to tune. All the widebands that are well known that come to mind are:

AEM EUGO
Innovate
PLX
Autometer

[Eye8Pussies]

that, and oem wideband sensors are different from aftermarket "performance" ones

the oem ones are designed to work with an oem ECU- the ecu deciphers the signal that the sensor is sending

the aftermarket ones, unless you get the all-in-1 gauge type, which has a built in computer/decoding unit in it, still needs an external box to decipher the signal and change it into a voltage signal even before going to the gauge or standalone unit

[Piddy]

As mentioned.... your stock o2 sensor will not work for aftermarket wideband tuning applications. Aftermarket ones will have the sensor, lead to a computer, and from there split to your gauge and ecu.

[Camryamnesty]

Ok thanks, thats what i needed to know, now.. to find a cheap one.. haha