So guys, yesterday i made a thread about my headers (about a hole on my headers) and it was for an o2 sensor.

So today i'm making a thread about a wideband. Somebody suggested a wideband for my headers. Can anyone explain to me what exactly a wideband is, and what it does because for all purposes i have no idea what it is or does.

There are a million threads on this but reading through them only made me more curious because they only say things like "installed my wideband today, it was great, i'm happy and my 7 rocks" and stuff like that. So please, any input would be nice.

Thanks guys
Ant

 

It is a very accurate O2 sensor that tells you exactly what your Air/Fuel ratio is at all times. Extremely helpful for tuning, usually only needed on turbo cars though.

 

Uhhh...I disagree. And so does anyone that races a non-turbo vehicle.

 

Care to go into more detail? What if the N/A is only lightly tuned?

 

"Wideband" in this context means a wideband oxygen (lambda) sensor. This article explains the difference between the various sensor types:
http://home.att.net/~ngksparkplugs/w...or_History.doc

Lambda sensors (both wideband and narrowband) were originally designed for use with an engine management system, but when combined with an aftermarket guage kit they are commonly used as an engine tuning tool and/or engine monitor. The lambda gauge usually speeds up the engine tuning process, and the wideband type is preferred for performance tuning because it more accurately senses variations in the rich mixtures associated with engine acceleration, especially during boosting conditions. Unfortunately, internet and vendor hype has distorted the fact that this is just a tool, and the resulting tuning will only be as good as the tuner's skill. Also, a lambda sensor does not directly indicate detonation or temperature, and it is prone to errors just like any other sensor.

I see from your other thread that you installed a narrowband sensor to work with your stock ECU. You can add a narrowband gauge to this if you wish (search this forum for the proper installation method). A wideband sensor has a specific driver and a completely different output that is not compatible with the stock ECU.

It is not NEEDED on any car.

Note the use of the word "usually".