I'm looking at sevral diff. wideband A/F controllers and they all have similar features and prices. I'm not looking for a brand comparison!!! Only the features that engine builders/tuners like the most in a Wideband A/F Controller.

 

The most important feature to me is that the sensor doesn't go out every 2 weeks. I like meters that use the NTK sensor, it's more up front, but lasts 10x longer than any meter with the Bosch o2.

 

i like widebands with easily replaced sensors.. if i can roll down to the caddy dealer or the sube dealer and pick up a sensor in a pinch im happy

having to order a sensor and wait a week for it to come in sucks

 

In 3 years i've been through 1 NTK sensor, and only because it seized up in a downpipe and trashed the threads. You probably would have made 10-15 trips to the caddy dealer by then! lol

 

I have yet to purchase a new sensor from when i wrecked my Rex,

Radiator into Wideband FTL

Ive got a question:

A while ago, i was getting my LSvtec JRSC tuned on UBER, and i had an open testpipe w/ the o2 less than 6inches from the open side, and the tuner couldnt get a good reading b/c of turbulance and vaccum.

Anyone else run into that w/ open DP's?

 

Yup, you have to have at least 12" or so past the o2 to get a decent reading at anything less than full throttle.

 

ok good, bc i drove from CT to NJ twice, and i thought it was BS.

It was BS b/c no one told me about that before i made a 2hour basemap trip.

 

so how do you pros know when a sensor goes bad?

i have a aem wideband thats in constant use on my car when i drive.. i think it uses a bosch sensor. so i wouldnt be able to tell if its bad bc i have nothing to reference it to

 

everytime i use c16 gas on the plx m300 the sensor takes a ****... its a bosch sensor

 

A lot of the time when a sensor starts to go bad it starts reading closer and closer to 1 lambda and eventually stops moving from 1 lambda.

 

C16 is still unleaded right? Does that even matter? Sensors go bad with certain fuels right?

 

for the most part, most of the sensors will say not intended for leaded gas

 

So if the tuner uses anything over a certain octain "leaded" fuel the sensor will go bad? Is there anything you can do to prolong the life of the thing? What if u pull the sensor out? can u clean it a little?

 

Leaded fuel kills the sensors pretty quick. The quality of the tune has alot to do with it as well, if you're running very rich it'll wear the sensors out a lot faster as well. Nothing you can do to clean the sensors as far as i know.

 

hey TONY1 , I looked at both the bosch and ntk. They both look pretty similar! I also called Innovate and PLX. the both like the bosch. They both also say that performance was Identical for both. Bosches global domination set their prices lower by a couple dollars. that was it. Do you think that maybe cus there is more bosch out there, there is more customer feed back. (good and bad?)

 

Well, do the math, innovate and PLX offer the bosch sensor in almost all of their controllers, you can't expect them to recommend a sensor that they don't use in their controllers. The NTK sensor ups the price by at least $150, and that's why you don't see many controllers with it now days in the <$300 wideband market.

"performance" as far as they are talking is accuracy, and i agree with that, they're both more than accurate and fast enough. Longevity is night and day between the two, anybody who's not trying to sell you something will agree.

It's almost a fact that the NTK sensor will last a lot longer than the Bosch sensor.

 

NTK's are by far better than the bosch's. You can also pick up the NTK sensors for the PLX units at VW. The only NTK sensor I had go out on me was due to a customers car that smoked more than snoop dog. I probably had tuned 100 or so cars with that same sensor.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by tony1 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Leaded fuel kills the sensors pretty quick. The quality of the tune has alot to do with it as well, if you're running very rich it'll wear the sensors out a lot faster as well. Nothing you can do to clean the sensors as far as i know.</TD></TR></TABLE>


nothing a couple cans of carb cleaner from walmart and a wire brush wouldnt fix.. lol

 

Innovate products - main pro is LogWorks

PLX products - main pro is "instant on" performance which makes tuning startup and warmup infinitely easier than others

NGK - cheapest (that I know of) wideband that works flawlessly with NTK sensors. They ship with re-pinned Bosch LSU4, but you can buy the good sensor.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by PrecisionH23a &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You can also pick up the NTK sensors for the PLX units at VW. </TD></TR></TABLE>
So you are saying there is a NTK sensor the PLX units? Do you have a part number?

 

What's your experience with FJO blundar? That's what i use, it's their old one with the NTK sensor and i've been very happy with it.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by blundar &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
So you are saying there is a NTK sensor the PLX units? Do you have a part number?</TD></TR></TABLE>

The M250 uses the NTK I believe.

I am also kinda partial to the zeitronix with the display. Its a nice unit, and I haven't had any problems with it.

But for tuning I use the M300, I actually haven't had any problems with sensors going bad.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by tony1 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">What's your experience with FJO blundar? That's what i use, it's their old one with the NTK sensor and i've been very happy with it.</TD></TR></TABLE>
I've not used it. Next time I have $1000 to to spend on a wideband I might

 

Mine was about $600, but is still going 2 years strong on the same sensor. I just bought another one since this one has to go out eventually and i did a back to back with my old vs. new one and they read the exact same.

 

thanks for the words of wisdom.