I've been running pretty rich with my T-28 kit for the last 6-8 months and wrote it off as normal. However, my plugs would get very sooty with only 5-7k on them. It wasn't until I went to a driving event where I pushed the car pretty hard that I got a CEL. It was a B1S1 Lambda No Signal error. It was initially intermittent but after clearing the DTC, it reappeared a few days later until it was constant. I pretty much finished off the O2 sensor. I experimented with different o2 sensors (another story) but it pretty much removed my rich condition. Time will tell but the week that I've had it on, my exhaust tips have not exhibited the normal collection of soot after a few hard drives. I've logged on about 500 miles and so far so good. I have some logs from before and after that I still need to scrub through (Block 31 and some other o2 sensor related ones) to see what differences between the old and new.

I immediately noticed how smooth my car is running with the new sensor. My engine has gotten quieter as well. I was pretty much due for a new one since I'm at 92k. My initial thought is that my o2 sensor was on the edge of failure for the last 10k miles but it wasn't until I tracked it that I pushed it over the edge. Either way I'm glad I changed it out and my car really feels good.

 

now it's time to get you on the list ;>P

 

He told me that I better break into the 13s with this power. Man I so suck at the launch. ;-)

As for the o2 sensors, this is the run-down...

-I put the rear spec o2 sensor ($80) equivalent in on the drive up...no go it gave me the same no signal error.

-I repinned and put the $20 sensor. It gave me an electrical malfunction error

-I swapped the heater wires on it. It still gave me an electrical malfuntion error.

- I started ohming out the sensors ($80/$20/OEM sensor). The heater wires were the only ones that could be ohmed out. The $20 was 10.7 ohms and the OEM and rear spec cat ohmed out to ~3.5ohms. However, according to Bentley, both values were valid.

-I then swapped the $80 sensor again just to see if the original no signal DTC code would return. However, I started doing continuity checks between the connector pin and wire at the back end just to make sure and I also yanked the ECU and let it sit for about 3 hours. Once I put everything back in and I drove around again, the error did not reappear. It looks like the rear sensor was fine to use after all! The best part was that the engine really smoothed out and the normal excessive soot I collect at the tips was minimized to almost nothing. Thanks to you and Greg for the idea. I think Greg's theory was right that the O2 sensor starts to degrade over time and really make the car run like crap.

 

I think I'm getting better at launching. I had a good one there other day messing around. I had a CD in it's case in my visor and it flew out and nailed me in the forehead when I took off.

 

I think the recommended change interval by Bosch is something like every 20K miles. Every 50K is probably fine though

 

I had to stop putting CD's above the visor.

 

so it's tucked away when the visor is folded up.

 

In a weird way, that was the best thing to happen to me. It was the cause of my car running rich, which led to pinging (as well as the stock range plugs I experimented with).

 

nah, this was just a loose CD in it's case...damn thing hurt!