Just checking to see if its alright to just solder up longer wires that are the same gage..??

 

I recall there was a thread a while back where numerous people had problems with soldering O2 wires. I would just get an extension and use one of those press on wire connectors you can get at any auto store. My O2 fell out once because of a strip O2 bung and pull half the wire off and that's what I did to reconnect it. No problems at all.

 

According to an advanced tech thread, you can extend the harness but not the O2 wire itself. From my one single experiment on a new O2 this is probably true, it never read accurately after that.

Buy a harness extendor or solder in some quality wire that is similar gauge to what is on the harness now.

 

i'm doing this to put on some Lts and was just wondering if $32 for extentions was really necessary

 

Flat or square? 1995 car

 

My 95 is flat (4 across).

You can get the extension here (right before the botom):
http://www.thunderracing.com/index.c...ategoryid=1052

 

Me and several other guys around here have been running extended O2s for years now with no problems. However the general consensus of the board says to go with the extenders. I personally believe that if you know how to splice wires and are careful you should be ok.

 

Sure didn't work for me, I tried to match the gauge but I'm sure the conductivity was not the same. Brand new O2, never read correct after that.

 

I lengthened mine, but I am an Electronic Technician - Journeyman level. Keeping the original electrical characteristics of the O2 sensor is critical for robust measurement, so keeping the resistance to its intended level is essential, but there is some room to play with. I will only get into the specifics of resistance applicable to the automotive situation you describe. The three things that could affect resistance in this situation are:
1)length of the conductor - You are extending a wire, and this is going to increase resistance in the circuit. Increasing resistance while keeping Voltage at a constant level supplied by the alternator will result in a higher current. This could be damaging to the sensor or cause false readings. Therefore, maintaining the same gauge wire to use while extending your sensor wires will produce too much resistance. See the next section.
2)cross-sectional area of the conductor - If you increase the cross sectional area of your conductor (gauge of wire,) you will decrease resistance in the circuit. This will counteract the addition of length added to the conductor path. The trick is that you have to use a voltmeter to measure the resistance of your conductor before lengthening, and then experiment with different gauges of wire until you find a gauge that will give you a similar resistance reading with the added length. If you get similar resistance, you have essentially changed nothing in the circuit, as far as the car's computer is concerned.
3)heat (heat causes the bond between the electrons and protons in the nucleus of the copper atoms to strengthen, causing greater resistance. This means copper has a positive temperature coefficient.) Since copper has a P.T.C., you must be sure to keep the wire away from the exhaust piping as much as possible.
I know I over-thought all of this, but it's a hobby, so sue me. My extension works great. If you want more details about exactly how and why an O2 sensor does what it does, just write to Injuneer (Fred). I bet he'll know. That is not in my area of expertise.
I just realized you listed "QUICK ANSWER." Please disregard this post.

 

Heh yeah! But good answer! Thanks!!

 

You wouldn't be able to share what the proper size wire to use would be? That would be some helfull info! Thanks