PLX Devices Lamda drift

Ray Ruthven
Posts: 10
Joined: Wed Jul 30, 2008 8:02 pm
Location: Auckland, New Zealand

PLX Devices Lamda drift

Postby Ray Ruthven » Wed Apr 15, 2009 6:22 am

I have a PLX Devices Air Fuel Ratio sensor unit connected to a DL1 as supplied by RTUSA. It had been working well for the last year but the last 2 races it appears to be 'drifting' . The free air voltage appears to be good - 2.35V but is showing an increasingly lean mixture on the track which does not agree with plug readings and power.
Is it possible to re-calibrate the unit? or compensate in the DL1? or just go for a new sensor? I would have thought the sensor should last longer than 10 race meetings though. Any other suggestions would be welcome.

Ray[/b]

osborni
Posts: 497
Joined: Fri Dec 07, 2007 9:08 pm
Location: USA, Michigan

Postby osborni » Wed Apr 15, 2009 11:49 am

Are you running leaded gas?

Ray Ruthven
Posts: 10
Joined: Wed Jul 30, 2008 8:02 pm
Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Postby Ray Ruthven » Wed Apr 15, 2009 7:38 pm

No, we are running unleaded 98 Octane 10% biofuel as commercially available here in New Zealand.

osborni
Posts: 497
Joined: Fri Dec 07, 2007 9:08 pm
Location: USA, Michigan

Postby osborni » Wed Apr 15, 2009 11:11 pm

I've had an AEM wide band in with a standard 5 wire Bosch sensor and have not had an issue in a few thousand miles.

Assuming the pre-heat circuit is working in the sensor, it should last 60+k miles.

You have the sensor powered up all the time?

osborni
Posts: 497
Joined: Fri Dec 07, 2007 9:08 pm
Location: USA, Michigan

Postby osborni » Wed Apr 15, 2009 11:12 pm

Have you called PLX?

Ray Ruthven
Posts: 10
Joined: Wed Jul 30, 2008 8:02 pm
Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Postby Ray Ruthven » Thu Apr 16, 2009 12:35 am

The sensor is powered all the time and appears to be working OK except I don't believe the readings. I had been hoping to get some more info/things to check before calling PLX - their forum is impossible to log on to.

Thanks.

osborni
Posts: 497
Joined: Fri Dec 07, 2007 9:08 pm
Location: USA, Michigan

Postby osborni » Thu Apr 16, 2009 1:08 am

AFAIK, o2 sensor drift is due to the sensor itself being bad. Either the heater circuit isn't working and it's carboned up or it's just bad.

Support

Postby Support » Fri Apr 24, 2009 3:19 pm

I can give you some information...

1/ the way o2 sensors work is that they can only "really" directly sense no o2 in the stream, so exactly stiochometric, the rest is down to an approximate calibration - so the further rich or lean you get the higher the error.

2/ they do have a finite life time due to contaminants in the exhaust - after a few years of racing it might be worth getting a replacement sensor.

Thanks

Andy


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