Disconnected oxygen sensor

Again, can't say re the 308 HP/Ferrari figures but for the 328, the 1/4 mile times in the US road test of 14.2 pretty much agrees with the HP (260 flywheel) and weight spec from Ferrari.

 

The point that I was trying to make and appears to have been missed is that the fuel economy you achieve is significantly lower that what is typical. With a properly set-up CIS system, running in closed loop, both performance and fuel economy will improve. So to get back to the BASIC, yes...the car will run with the O2 sensor disconnected. However, better overall performance and fuel efficiency will occur when it is connected.

 

Whoa, whoaaaoao. Relax guys. We're all friends here.

 

You are 100% correct.

Problem is you can spend 4 figures trying to get it perfect and STILL have a surge with an O2 hook up. For those that do, dont be afraid to just unplug it. I went through this a few years ago myself. I spent the first 15 years with it unhooked and tried to go a
different direction with it. I ended up just unplugging it again and got my old silk smooth performance back.

It is what it is I guess.

 

You are 100% correct.

Problem is you can spend 4 figures trying to get it perfect and STILL have a surge with an O2 hook up. For those that do, dont be afraid to just unplug it. I went through this a few years ago myself. I spent the first 15 years with it unhooked and tried to go a
different direction with it. I ended up just unplugging it again and got my old silk smooth performance back.

It is what it is I guess.

 

Just unplug it - depending on the brand of sensor, it might have a plug somewhere on the wire from the sensor itself, the wire could plug directly into the end of the sensor, OR it could plug into the control box. Disconnecting it at whichever plug it uses will do the job.

However, I'm one of those who believe you should sort out the issue as opposed to disconnecting the sensor…

 

If it is just a subtle issue that you (like me) cannot deal with , just unplug it. It isn't worth the expense to "fix" that little problem.

As I have said before, mine has been disconnect for 16 years and almost 60,000 miles (I have 115,000 or so on the car now). Runs fine. Always has without it.

 

This thread is very interesting to me. Chris, you are in Santa Barbara, so presumably you are subject to the same SMOG test stringency as I am in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Have you passed SMOG with the O2 sensor unplugged? If you have, it is interesting. That means that the car can stay within SMOG's tolerance of the stoichiometric point without the lambda feedback.

I have a 1983 QV so I am running K-Jetronic Basic with an air pump. If you can pass your newer car in Basic mode, it begs the question as to whether the air pump is overkilling the emissions. I bought the car last year just after the license was renewed, so my first SMOG will be early 2015. It passed spectacularly in 2013 and I am now wondering if there is a benefit of having an air pump (there's gotta be something!).

 

I made an attempt back about 7 years ago to run mine with it hooked up. I bought a new one and went to the shop. Nothing we did would eliminate that subtle surge and it drove me out of my mind. It wasn't that bad probably to someone else but I am super sensitive to these things. For example, if my steering wheel is even a 1/4 inch off center, I can barely drive it. Has to be perfect.

Finally I was driving to work one morning and had enough. I pulled over and unplugged it before I got there and I was only about 3 miles away. I just could not stand it for another second.

 

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD .. DON'T pull over on the way to work and disconnect your steering wheel!!!!

.. sorry.. I .. I just couldn't help myself.. someone had to say it..

 

Hi guys sorry for resurrecting this thread. Ive a related question to the 02 sensor.

Ive recently imported a US 85 QV 308 GTS into the UK and in the process of doing a Euro look conversion to the car. having fitted the rear lower valance the US exhaust system is so different it cannot work with the Euro rear body work and protrudes out of the car much further.

I now looking into ways of fixing the exhaust issue and part of this is converting the best part of it to euro spec: exhaust box, rear manifold and exhaust inlet pipes.

My question is, to do this i need to remove the CAT as its not part of euro spec, however i have both an O2 sensor and thermocouple plugged in.

Reading this thread it looks like i could lose the o2 sensor without causing any knock on issues, but will this also be the same for the thermocouple if I remove that completely ?

Cheers
Scott

 

The thermocouple is there to trip the "Slow Down" light if your exhaust goes rich and causes the CAT to overheat. If you are removing the CAT... you can lose the whole SlowDown system


If you decide to remove the CAT ECU in the trunk... let me know... they are NLA and mines been broken for months.