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Author
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Topic: Air Fuel Ratio & Gauge Advice Needed Narrow vs Wideband
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RaSMG
Journeyman Posts: 26
From: Central CA
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted 04-11-2004 02:14 AM
   
I'm looking at new gauges, found a nice Autometer gauge that would match the rest of mine. Autometer also sells a 'kit' that includes an oxygen sensor and everything to hook it up. The gauge reads lean, stoich, or rich, I've heard it's considered 'narrow band'. I've been told by some that the 'narrow band' a/f gauges are nothing more than expensive light shows and that their tuning/efficiency isn't good. I've read all kinds of good info on the wide-band sensors and setups but would it make a big difference in a N/A carbed setup? I mean I could see how on an EFI engine where the fuel pressure varies so much and there are so many throttle positions and changes being made by the computer that a wide band sensor would be superior, lotsa variables. But on a carbed car, where the fuel pressure is going to be consistently between 6-9 psi, and the timing is locked out, wouldn't the meter be accurate enough to determine/analyze main and secondary jet changes, only 2 variables. Anyone tried any a/f metering setups and how do you like it for tuning a N/A car? THANKS!!!!
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jeffstar
Journeyman Posts: 93
From: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Feb 2003
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posted 04-11-2004 07:03 PM
Hi
The problem with a narrow band sensor is that it is only designed to work in the stoich. range. It actually works well on the lean side, but it won't give you accurate #'s when you are on the rich side of 14.7, and they will vary a fair bit depending on how hot the sensor is. So its still a valuable tool to warn you when your running too lean. The narrow band sensors are often called switching sensors, because the CPU controlling the mixture constantly forces the engine to run ever so slightly rich, and then ever so slightly lean of 14.7 and then back again constantly because this helps the catalytic process and therfore reduce emisions. If you where to monitor the output of a narrow band sensor on a EFI car you would see the output quickly fluctuating back and forth around 14.7 Hope that helps
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