O2 sensors and soldering?

Hoping someone can educate me...

When I put the header on the Celica, I bought a new O2 sensor. But with the sensor relocated, the wire wasn't long enough. I knew the wire was weird- stainless or something, so I cut the wire from the old sensor so I could splice it on to the new one so it would be long enough.

I should have known when I tried to solder it and it wouldn't solder that something was up. Eventually, I got enough solder on there and it dried such that it held everything together. So I put some heat shrink on it and called it a day. I've had an O2 code ever since.

Finally today I thought "wonder if it's that connection". Duh. I can be a little slow. So I google "O2 sensor solder" and find all kinds of info about how you're not supposed to ever solder the wire. Something about outside air coming in through the wire? And you're supposed to use crimp on connectors. Who knew?

So what do I do now? Do I need to buy a new sensor, or can I just clip it back and put on a crimp connector?

Thanks,

Ed

Clip it off and crimp it.

FWIW whenever I have purchased a bosch "universal" sensor the wires have crimps already on them.

That's interesting. The same thing happened to me. Caused me a whole huge headache because my car wouldn't pass emissions. So I bought a Bosch plug-and-play one, and it works perfectly, monitors are all set now. Strange.

I know they need shielded wire, but I soldered some onto my RB20 without any problems. I never use crimps.

Hum.

Well, I clipped and crimped, but still getting a CEL. Damn it.

ditchdigger wrote: FWIW whenever I have purchased a bosch "universal" sensor the wires have crimps already on them.

I think that's what I'll do next time. I got the one for the car because the header has a flange that accepts the factory sensor instead of a regular bung, but I'm assuming I can unbolt the sensor from the flange. I'll have to look at it more closely.

Here's another question- I just put a wideband on the car. Can I somehow use that sensor for the factory ECU?

(edit) Well, damn. The stupid thing didn't come with a manual- had to find it on line. But there it is...

"Analog output two (brown) is 1.1V = 14 AFR and .1V = 15 AFR. This is a simulated narrowband signal."

That should do it, huh?

That wire comes out of the gauge, so seems like I can just run that over to the ECU and not worry about any of the stupid factory O2 wiring. That seem right to you guys?

In reply to fast_eddie_72:

You can solder the wires going to the 02 sensor. But you can not solder the wires on on the O2 it self.

I'm not going to go in to the why. I don't like it when the shiny happy people butcher a post over grammar and spelling.

Wires you can solder- the heaters.

Wires you should not solder- the main signal and the reference line. Why? As odd as it sounds, that's where the sensor gets air into the thimble so that it can act as a battery. Why not a hole near the sensor? It's not generally a great location- easy to plug up, make a mess of.

As for the output to give a simulated NB signal- 1.1 is too high for 14:1. 0.8V is better. The point is that stoich is about .46 or so volts.

Crimp connections are good. Just do them well, and they do a great job. Soldering is overrated.

Well, not sure what to do next other than buy a new sensor and start over then.

fast_eddie_72 wrote: Well, not sure what to do next other than buy a new sensor and start over then.

On the sensor side- cut the wire down from the solder and crimp there. Should be far less than an inch that you lose.