Sum1 please explain a wideband o2 to me

scott5 · Dec 7, 2007

OK what exactly is the difference between the wideband and a narrow band? I have a wideband in the car now, but it was in there when i bought it and it didnt work then and still doesnt work now, and i was thinking about getting one, so exactly what do i need to think about in making my decision. What are the pros and cons? What do i need to know and why is a wideband better?

ddrracing · Dec 7, 2007

If i were you I would try to troubleshoot and find out why the one you have isnt working. Wideband is the best choice, seeing as how it gives you a wider range of ratio, vs the narrowband, which only measures by o2 voltage between 0 and 1.

Stangbangin · Dec 7, 2007

A narrow band either measure rich (1) or lean (0). As a wideband measures exactly how rich or lean you are with a numeric indication.

OnyxCobra · Dec 7, 2007

widebands are a lot more expensive and a lot more accurate. You need a wideband 02 sensor to make it work though, won't work with the factory o2 sensors.

scott5 · Dec 8, 2007

the gauge is crap on mine.. works sometimes but then shuts off them will maybe turn back on..

What kind out there are available and which would be the best choice?

Paul · Dec 8, 2007

Wideband O2 sensors have a volt range of between 0 and 5 volts, while narrow band sensors only have 0 to 1 volt. The wideband sensors are more accurate at reading precisely where your air/fuel mixture is. (numerically, usually between ~10:1 - 16:1 AFR)

The narrow band sensors can have a gauge attached (e.g. the old Autometer ones) that will just 'bounce' from rich to lean as the ECU makes adjustments. Wideband O2s will give you a more consistent reading based upon your current AFR. This can help you tune to you desired AFR, which could be something like 13.2:1 (stoichiometric) for NA motors, or lower for boosted motors... depending on your application and tune requirements of course.

There are several wideband O2s to choose from. AEM, Autometer, and lots of others make them. I have a dual channel AEM in my car, and it works great - but I chose the AEM because I also have one of their ECUs in my car. There are other systems that work as good or better.

Paul.