First of all if this is in the wrong forum I'm sorry. Feel free to move it if necissary.

I just installed my gauge not to long ago and wireing was pretty stright forward (ground, acc., O2 sensor). But the instructions that came with it say you have to conect the purple wire to the signal wire of the O2 sensor.... our cars run 4 differant 02 sensors. I figured I could just tap into the driver side exaust manifold sensor but logically wouldnt that only give me reading from one side of the engine?

How'd you guys wire it?

 

Yes you're only going to be able to read one side or the other. Needs to be the front O2 sensor also.

 

dude just ditch that inaccurate piece of crap. you can sell it to some ricer boy who just wants blinking lights in his honda to make it go faster and get a guage that is usefull.

 

You can wire up a small flip switch so you can switch between the left and right but you still will only be able to do one at a time

 

unless its wideband

 

Do you have any stats/tests to back up that claim?


I have two of the guages in my car, one running to each of the two O2 sensors.

 

The stock sensors are narrowband and the pcm constantly varies AFR around 14.7 at cruise to check O2 operation so yeah a "gauge" that utilizes the stock O2 like this guy is talking about is little more than a flashing light. At WOT AFRs narrowbands are not accurate.

Widebands are useful but since the guy is talking about hooking to stock O2s that is not what we are talking about here.

The narrowband "gauges" can be useful for cruise tuning something that does not utilize O2 feedback like a carburator or some aftermarket injection systems. On these cars though they are a waste of good money you could have spent on something useful.

 

I disagree that they're totally useless. I don't use mine for precise measurement of the AFR, but I do want to know that the engine is going rich when I stomp it, and going lean when I take my foot off. And with two gauges, I can verify that both banks are more or less operating the same.

 

Just curious... how can you be sure both banks are operating the same, when there is no assurance that both sensors are at the exact same operating temperature? When the narrow band sensors are operating at the richer A/F ratios required for peak HP and torque, they are more sensitive to operating temperature than they are to A/F ratio.

 

Exactly the same? I can't. Once the car warms up, I stomp it, and I see both gauges go deep into the rich side. I take my foot off the gas, and they both go deep lean. When cruising, they're both cycling in a similar manner. Again, I'm not looking for precise measurements here. More just that the engine is going lean and rich when it's supposed to.

 

The money would be better spent on a dyno tune with a wideband O2 sensor.

 

I've got 1 and wired thru a DPDT switch to each Rt and Left O2 (switch under steering wheel) . Autometer gage is like an idiot light. I had an O2 sensor go bad once, and, the gage activity went on the low side consistantly. Car ran very bad. Changed the sensor on the Left side and OK. Now I have a Dynojet wideband O2. It also has a gage, and I can see the relationship of the autometer and the wideband (both on "A" pillar pod). Wideband is a valuable tuning tool. Without it, I'd be guessing. (97SS 383 - D1)

 

So basically I wasted $30 is what you guys are telling me. *sighs*

 

OK, people like you either aren't actually reading and/or thinking about what I'm saying here, or just don't care to think about ways other than their own.

Once again, I DO NOT use my gauges as precise measurements or tuning tools. For what I'm using the gauges for, a dyno tune would be a complete waste of money, more so than a giant rear wing and 13" Daytons for the car. A dyno tune only is a chance to ensure that the engine is running to it's fullest potential at the time of the tune. It does absolutely nothing in the way of informing me of future malfunction or outright failure.

 

Those of us who are serious can tell if something is up and then take out laptop out and scan the car. I use Datamaster $90, on a $100 laptop, with a $65 cable, hands down best $250 I have spent on the car, can see so much more than just O2s and can slowly go through that info after the testdrive.

Far as dyno tunes, they are overrated the loading they provide is different from what the car does going down the strip or road. That said the good tuners know how to make a good dyno tune good on the strip and the pcm does a pretty good job of correcting for conditions so it is pretty much always right once tuned.