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So this was a complete disregard on my part when I was piecing together my turbo kit. whoops lol
For most civics (i believe integras have these integrated on the IM itself??) the IAT is a rubber grommet plug thingy on the intake pipe by the TB
As the way it sits right now, the IAT is literally dangling on the harness in the engine bay and NOT in the intake pipe. It's been like this since it's been boosted and tuned ~4 years now
My question is, should I even bother to drill a hole in the intake pipe and put this guy in there?
What difference would it make driveability wise or tune wise (it MIGHT run slightly leaner)?
Also, the stock Civic IAT is what you see above, plastic. I feel like that would create a small boost/vacuum leak if I were to use that so I was thinking the Accord IAT which is metal and threaded
Thoughts? Am I over thinking this and should leave it alone? lol
definitely dont leave it alone. you can either get a threaded bung for the b20 iat sensors or perhaps the accord sensors. extend the wires to the sensor in the intake manifold. or get the xenocron kit that uses the obd1 sensor in the intake pipe
IAT sensor is a very important sensor to have and can impact the tune quite a bit...I would definitely utilize one. It keeps the fuel trims stable in all sorts of weather and conditions if the corrections are set right. It will also let the ECU know when to retard timing if the IATs get too high so that detonation is less likely to occur...
I would use an Accord sensor and drill/tap into the charge piping if your manifold isn't equipped for one. I have done this before with good success. Don't just leave it hanging in the engine bay.
IM has the placement for it but aint nobody got time to extend wires and take off the manifold when doing it in the charge piping is fine
Has anyone else done what I did and just have it hangin there? Lol i wonder what effects it has on the tune once the engine bay gets warm since im sure INSIDE the chargepipe doesnt nearly as hot . Does it work on air density too? Hmmm
It changes the amount of fuel the engine gets dependent on the temperature of the intake charge. The ECU needs to see that to be totally effective. The engine bay temperature will vary and so will the actual IAT.
Let's try an example. If the sensor is hanging in the engine bay and seeing ~130-140 degrees just sitting there getting heatsoaked during the summer, the ECU is adjusting fuel with no actual clue what your real IAT is. Too hot in there and it's retarding timing as well, costing you power.
On a turbocharged vehicle equipped with an intercooler, IATs are not likely to be that high except during extreme heat in the summer. So if it were installed the proper way, the ECU would see the actual IAT and have the appropriate fueling and timing assuming the corrections are calibrated correctly in the software.
Another example would be the opposite, if it's cold outside and your engine is sucking cooler air. The IAT is still dangling in your engine bay, likely getting heatsoaked by whatever is close to it and not seeing the cooler charge. So now you have the opposite, a lean condition because the ECU isn't compensating for the denser air. OR if the sensor is showing the ECU a colder temp than what your actual intake charge is, you'll have the opposite as well - a rich condition because the ECU is overcompensating for what it thinks is extremely cold air.
You can also use the CRV threaded IAT, but the plugs are slightly different. The pins from the EK style don't work perfectly with the round syle connector. It can be made to wok, but cutting and swapping the plug is preferable to match IAT with proper connnector.
But OF COURSE it is preferred to have a working IAT.
Thought about welding on a bung but i think with a threaded IAT sensor it's not necessary, plus I can alway use a .50 cent nut with the same thread pitch lol
so the j32 AND b20 sensor fits the same plug at the b-series motors? or at least b16
Use the standard b series obd1 sensor and weld the bung onto the charge pipe close to the throttlebody. Air temp corrections will work properly this way. Mounting on the intake manifold gives false readings as the manifold heatsoaks
Stripping the plastic off the OBD-1 sensor helps a ton as well with response. You would be suprised how long it takes for the sensor to respond in stock form.
What plastic do you speak off? The tip? I noticed during my datalogs that the stock sensor is indeed extremely lazy. With water/meth I was seeing the effect on the IATs, according to the sensor, well after the pulls were already over.
Here are some pics of one I just did a couple weeks ago. Sorry, a friend was asking so I just snapped some quick pictures - wasn't planning on posting them online ever (no CRV manual to show they're actually mine for the non-believers). Hope this helps.
I should add, response is practically instant with the above mod. Yes, take a good razor blade and slowly scrape. As you can see, most of the time the thermal resistor is biased towards one side so be careful. You want to try and stay away from the epoxy coatings if possible.
Depending on how the wires are laid, it can be VERY tricky getting the plastic out between the legs. However, it isn't necessary to remove it off of the wires too, just the tip is fine. I personally like to have air passing between the legs just to aid in the quickest response possible so I take the extra time to get it down like as pictured.
Just go slow, and take your time. Small shavings are better than huge chunks. I use both hands to steady the blade when shaving. Hey, if you mess up a new IAT is only like $30 or something? Whatever, it's worth it.
I should add, response is practically instant with the above mod. Yes, take a good razor blade and slowly scrape. As you can see, most of the time the thermal resistor is biased towards one side so be careful. You want to try and stay away from the epoxy coatings if possible.
Depending on how the wires are laid, it can be VERY tricky getting the plastic out between the legs. However, it isn't necessary to remove it off of the wires too, just the tip is fine. I personally like to have air passing between the legs just to aid in the quickest response possible so I take the extra time to get it down like as pictured.
Just go slow, and take your time. Small shavings are better than huge chunks. I use both hands to steady the blade when shaving. Hey, if you mess up a new IAT is only like $30 or something? Whatever, it's worth it.
What do you mean by "response is practically instant" ?
If you really want to, do a before and after test. Hook up your DMM on the IAT and set it to measure resistance. Pinch the end between your fingers and see how long it takes to make the numbers change and at what rate they change. Do the same test after you do the mod, it will blow your mind. Too bad I am not into videos or I would have made one showing just how ridiculously lazy the stock IAT is let alone if it is in the intake manifold with all the heat soak.
Be for warned though, you will most likely have to adjust your compensation tables too though. I have had to every single time with this mod, but it is well worth the time and effort.
PS - Practically instant as in if you put your fingers on it, the resistance changes instantly. This is temperature change through conduction so there is less thermal energy loss than like the air has with convection. In any event, it is much, much, MUCH faster than stock form even with convection thermal transfer. Although, I didn't do any testing to see if radiation is affecting it too, though I am sure it might depending on piping. Open element sensors are the only way to go in an air type environment. Like GM does for instance.
Let's talk boost + IAT sensor
Hope this helps.
