Ok so i have had a plx m-300 wideband in my car for about year, i keep it in so i can keep tabs on my a/f, i guess its just a little insurance. However lately the display will read "rich" even though i know its not rich and i havent changed my fuel tables, if i blip the throttle it'll go back to its normal readings, the car runs fine and all but it bothers me, because of i do plan on tuning some more or whatever i dont want the wideband spitting out retarded numbers.

Now what could be causing this? my first guess is that the o2 sensor isjust old i heard the wideband o2 sensors go bad fairly quickly, but before i replace it (80 dollar sensor) maybe it is something else?

any help would be great thanks

 

Sounds like its the sensor. Dont' those use the bosch sensor? Its like 40bucks.

 

i am just going by the price they have their website, ($79.00+6 shipping) but it does say its a bosch sensor...

edit: anyone know where to get a cheap sensor then lol

 

Sec, I'll find it... its like http://www.1stvwparts.com or something and i'll be right back....

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by splitime &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Sec, I'll find it... its like http://www.1stvwparts.com or something and i'll be right back....</TD></TR></TABLE>

http://www.1stvwparts.com/
part #
021-906-262-B

 

thanks a bunch man

 

It might be that something else is really broken. Does it smell rich when it says it is rich?

If the coolant temp sensor is out or on the fritz, it could make you run rich too.

 

it doesnt smell rich and i'd be able to smell it i dont have a cat so i smell everything lol,i dont think its the wiring either for the wideband as it is hooked to the battery via relay... also about the coolant temp sensor, when i datalog it is giving resonable readings for the coolant temperature not crazy extremes

 

anyone else?

 

A big giveaway is that when you get on the throttle you get fairly accurate readings. Mine did this too when it went out, only it went to the lean side ( I thought it was an exhaust leak for the longest time). i did a lot of tuning with that sensor and since basemaps are pretty rich it just helped foul it out faster. I got mine for like $36 shipped through a VW parts dealer. It's the exact one that PLX uses. They should last a long time if treated properly

 

My PLX was doing this the last time I tuned my friends car.. Looks Like i need a new O2 sensor. Thank for the info..

 

Does anybody know what kinda of life span I can expect from the sensor? Assuming I have a good tune of course

 

i have my plx-m300 for 5k miles so far and it went out on me, instead of reading rich, it kept on reading lean for some reason.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by LilCivic04 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i have my plx-m300 for 5k miles so far and it went out on me, instead of reading rich, it kept on reading lean for some reason.</TD></TR></TABLE>

exhaust leak?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Tactic$ &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Does anybody know what kinda of life span I can expect from the sensor? Assuming I have a good tune of course </TD></TR></TABLE>

Well considering they are stock on Jettas or something. I'd say 80k+ miles. This is just a guess though, but they have to be made to last

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by adseguy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">but they have to be made to last</TD></TR></TABLE>

Thats what I was thinking. I'd feel a lil more comfortable changing it 40k or so.

Maybe sooner.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Soccerking3000 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

exhaust leak?</TD></TR></TABLE>

no can't be because one day i went out and drove it, all the a/f were thrown off. i had it tuned and whenever i hit boost it would read lean. my motor would have blown up by now

 

no if you have an exhaust leak before the o2 sensor it will read lean...

 

yeas i know, but i tried calling plx about it. they say if you put the car in ignition, the wide band should steadily read to lean, then air. mine doesn't read air. like whenever im driving and i let off the pedal, it would go to lean right away and then air. but not it takes like 3 seconds to read to lean whenever im off the pedal now. and it doesn't ready air anymore.

http://www.forum.plxdevices.co...=dead

this might help for whoever