a/f ratio gauge?

[shaunmac9128]

Just wondering what you have to do to wire up an a/f ratio gauge and if you guys think that it is even useful to begin with. I figure for the 3rd pod hole it would be a good one other than boost and oil temp. Thanks.

[thepope540]

Wideband is very useful and necessary if you plan to do any tuning yourself. Narrowband is just bouncing lights and not much more.

[shaunmac9128]

Excuse the stupidy but can you clarify the difference between the two for me. I don't plan on tuning it myself until I learn more about the cars but I was just curious what is involved with installed them as well.

[.mazda.speed.]

Wideband acually has its own 02 sensor, and it has a digital reading on the gauge for more accurate reading.
Like the Pope said, Narrowband just splice's into the primary o2 sensor, and is just more for looks, does not give an accurate reading

Widebands are excpensive, and not really worth it imo if you do not have big plans for the car.

[thepope540]

To add a little more info...

A wideband is a well calibrated O2 sensor and meter that will accurately read the A/F over a wide band from around an A/F of 10 up to around 16 or 17.

A narrowband taps into the stock (or similar) O2 sensor and is only accurate over a very narrow band (I've seen different numbers on this, but most of the time a narrowband will only be accurate from about 11.5 to 12.5.

For a turbo engine most people tune for somewhere between 11 and 12 which nearly impossible with a narrowband because it will tell you if are rich or lean, but not how rich or lean so tuning is just guess work. If you plan to do any tuning then you NEED a wideband. If you have the car tuned or run the stock ECU with stockish boost a wideband is totally unnecessary.

[Amdeus]

dont stock o2 sensor stop reading when ever your at WOT?

[thepope540]

The O2 sensor is working all the time, but the ECU stops looking at the readings.

[Alamo1]

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