Date:         Thu, 9 Sep 2004 11:49:29 -0700
Reply-To:     Tom Young <tomyoung1@COMCAST.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Tom Young <tomyoung1@COMCAST.NET>
Subject:      Re: Do I need a HEATED O2 sensor?
Comments: To: Craig Oda <craigoda@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

----- Original Message -----
From: "Craig Oda" <craigoda@gmail.com>
To: "Tom Young" <tomyoung1@comcast.net>
Cc: "vanagon" <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
Sent: Thursday, September 09, 2004 10:52 AM
Subject: Re: Re: [VANAGON] Do I need a HEATED O2 sensor?


> As far as the original question concerning a single-wire O2 sensor.
> This is what I have on my '83 waterboxer.  I don't think that heating
> the sensor with the third wire would affect emissions since the O2
> sensor is supposed to get to operating temp in under 2 minutes.

I'm not trying to affect the emissions, since the Federal air-cooled
vehicles had no O2 sensor in the first place.  All I'm trying to do is get a
proper signal from the O2 sensor so I can use that to adjust the basic
air/fuel mixture.  IF my problem is that the sensor isn't getting hot enough
because it's not buried deep in the exhaust (since I used a sparkplug
anti-fouler instead of an O2 sensor bung) THEN I'm guessing the use of a
heated sensor might overcome that problem.


> Tom, good luck and let us know if you pass emissions.  BTW, are you
> taking the van to a test-only center?  Was it designated a
> gross-polluter after the initial testing, or did it just fall
> marginally out of spec?

I was forced to take it to a test-only center.  I picked the place based on
a local VW mechanic's recommendation because "the guy that runs the place
knows VW's."  When I noticed that 3 of the guys at the center were peering
deep into the engine compartment, consulting manuals, etc. I wandered over
and asked if I could help them find anything.  Turns out they couldn't
locate the EGR valve!  So much for that.

It was marginally outside of spec on HC's at speed (OK idle) and a gross
polluter for CO at both points.

---------------------------------------------------------------
Tom Young                       '81 Vanagon
Lafayette, CA 94549         '82 Westfalia
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