88k5blazin
1/2 ton status
want to relocate o2 sensor to header reducer. can i just splice a regular piece of wire in to extend it?
CK5
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relocate o2 sensor
- Thread starter 88k5blazin
- Start date
I've heard it said you don't want to do this, because the O2 wire is not "normal" copper wire, (which doesn't solder well supposedly) and the voltage being sensed is VERY low, so any change in resistance would be bad.
I'm a bit up in the air on this, pretty certain that on thiirdgen.org some folks had spliced the O2 wire and had no problems. Mine was plenty long, but it's from a car originally.
I'm a bit up in the air on this, pretty certain that on thiirdgen.org some folks had spliced the O2 wire and had no problems. Mine was plenty long, but it's from a car originally.
redneckdude
1/2 ton status
Ever seen a universal o2 sensor? they sell em at all the parts stores...cut and splice yourself pretty much...but ill pay the few bucks more for the OEM style ones.
how many miles are on the sensors? it may not be a terrible idea ot get a new one with a longer pigtail...
Don't splice the sensor wire! Instead splice the harness wire, make sure you heat shrink the splice to prevent corossion.
You may want to consider going to a three wire heated sensor. Cold weather and oxygen sensors mounted downstream can sometimes cause wierd running problems.
You may want to consider going to a three wire heated sensor. Cold weather and oxygen sensors mounted downstream can sometimes cause wierd running problems.
Is the wire on the ECM end of the connector "special" as well, or not?
Never seen a "universal" sensor, but since GM didn't use just one sensor, I'm going to say that there is no such thing.
Never seen a "universal" sensor, but since GM didn't use just one sensor, I'm going to say that there is no such thing.
The harness side wire is just regular copper so you can splice no problem. Universal sensors usually don't work out that well and they're usually more money than the direct fit to boot. The sensor uses the oxygen in the air surrounding the wire strands as the "reference" for the difference in oxygen to create voltage and the reason it's better to not splice the sensor wire.
Even better than a 3 wire sensor is a 4 wire deal. If the heating coil in the 3 wire ever goes it can sometimes ground out through the sensor into the exhaust pipe and really screw around with the sensor readings. The 4 wire sensors have separate grounds for the sensor and the heating coil which makes them a fair bit more accurate, and less likely to give crazy readings should something go wrong with the coil
88k5blazin
1/2 ton status
where would i go about finding a 4 wire sensor and is there anything else i have to worry about differently other than just grounding it somewhereEven better than a 3 wire sensor is a 4 wire deal. If the heating coil in the 3 wire ever goes it can sometimes ground out through the sensor into the exhaust pipe and really screw around with the sensor readings. The 4 wire sensors have separate grounds for the sensor and the heating coil which makes them a fair bit more accurate, and less likely to give crazy readings should something go wrong with the coil
Russell is correct, a 4 wire sensor is definitely better and more consistent than a 3 wire. Two wires are grounded, one has keyed power (splice into pink/black wire) and one is signal that goes to existing purple wire. The easiest thing to do is run down to the local pick and pull and grab a sensor and pigtail from a 96 and newer Chevy pickup.
88k5blazin
1/2 ton status
will the sensor from the new truck be compatible with my 88 k5. just wanna make sure it will not throw different signals or anything that might make things run wrong
The 4 wire sensors send the same signal.
There actually are different part numbers even among sensors in similar apps, I would *hope* they are all the same in operation, and the difference is solely wiring length or type of connector.
I know for instance the AC Delco AFS-74 is *the* recommended sensor over on thirdgen.org, but not quite sure why that one as opposed to the other heated ones.
I know for instance the AC Delco AFS-74 is *the* recommended sensor over on thirdgen.org, but not quite sure why that one as opposed to the other heated ones.
I'm pretty sure all oxygen sensors output a 0 - 1000mV signal, regardless of the make or model of the vehicle. Only difference in them is their mounting style, shape, sensor depth, connector, threads etc
When you mount the sensor in a new spot, make sure it is in the top half of the exhaust pipe so the sensor doesn't collect condensation. Also the closer to the exhaust ports the better. Ceramic coating or header tape should help keep the exhaust temps up too.
x2 on the 0-1V signal for all O2 sensors. Just don't use an aftermarket wideband unless you have the correct controller.
