Brett Jenkins

Last week, when I was doing my clutch, I thought it would be a good time to replace the o2 sensor, which was original I assumed. I replaced it with the Bosch 3-wire from 928 international. I had a very difficult time getting the sensor to thread in and ended up having to put an open end wrench on it and hit the wrench with hammer many times to get the wrench to turn. After that, the car ran a little odd, very unstable idle, 200-1200 rpm, and ran rich.

So, I figured the hammering had hurt the sensor, so I picked up a Bosch 1-wire sensor from Autozone and dropped the exhaust today and swapped them out.

The car started up and ran great, good idle, not rich, lotsa power. I took a spirited spin of about 10 miles and then put it back in the garage.

I just went out to run into town and when I started it up and put it in reverse, it started sputtering and died when I gave it gas. It would restart, but it would idle very poorly and would die anytime I gave it gas. I disconnected the battery so it would sort itself out, but then it would not start at all. I disconnected the o2 sensor but still no start. I see no LED's lit on the ignition circuit monitor.

Any suggestions?

RyanPerrella

I think your 02 sensor problem is just coincidence. You have another issue I would think.

Also, why would you put in a 1 wire 02 sensor? How do you wire it up?

If an o2 sensor is out of whack it should effect running condition or idle quality, at least i imagine now. When you say it wasnt running rich, how do you know that, did you have anotehr sensor monitoring this when under load?

Brett Jenkins

I considered it running rich because of the overwhelming fuel smell of the exhaust.

I wired the 1-wire sensor black to black. The 2 whites are pre-heat circuit.

I swapped out my ignition relay and fuel pump relay for new relays and still no luck.

I do believe the reason I didn't see LED's on the ignition circuit monitor is because I don't have an ignition circuit monitor, my 90 did, but this 88 doesn't.

I wonder if my plugs are fuel fouled.

RyanPerrella

a faulty o2 sensor wont lead to a car not running anymore, that in itself wont just cause your car to shut down. Yes you may have drivability issues but your car wont just up and die, or in this case cease to run again do ONLY to an o2 sensor problem. I hate diagnosing stuff, thats never fun but hit nk you need to look elsewhere and start at the beginning. I have little to no experience on diagnostics, i hate doing that so i couldnt tell you where to start, but i can say with almost certianty that an o2 sensor alone wont cause the symptoms your describing.

AO

Plugs may be fouled, but I would suspect the O2 sensor installation. Unfortunately, I don't knwo enough to help you there. And the ignition circuit monitoring relay did not start until 1989 or 90 IIRC.

worf928

Has your LH be rebuilt? (As in you know where I'm going with that question...)

Alternatively, it is possible that you messed up the impulse sender (above the flywheel) when you did you clutch. But, your description is not consistent with the sensor failing unless it is failing intermittently, while your description IS consistent with one (of several) LH-death failure modes. (Dies as soon as you give it gas.)

Jack Riffle

Unplug the MAF and see if the symptoms change. This sounds exactly like the way my 87 was acting when the MAF was bad.

killav

I second the MAF unplug test. Also, if your rubber hose that runs from the Idle Control Valve to the MAF elbow is cracked/has an air leak, it will cause the symptoms you describe. I almost replaced my MAF, but it ended up being that this hose was disconnected from the rubber elbow below the MAF, and my MAF was not measuring the airflow correctly at idle. I plugged this hose back in, and my car returned to normal.

Brett Jenkins

Hmm, I was rooting around in that area trying to get the clutch arm cup to pop onto the ball, maybe I loosened/damaged a connection or hose. I'll check it out this weekend.

Dave Howerdel

Check the fuel pump fuse.

Brett Jenkins

Well, I let it set for a day and went out this morning to try to start it again. Still no start.

So, I checked the fuses/relays again and found the fuel pump fuse blown. I replaced it and restarted, blew it again.

Unplugged the o2 sensor and replaced the fuse again and it started right up.

So, I guess this indicates a problem with the new 1-wire sensor or wiring. Do I need to wire the 2 white wires from the plug together to close that loop? I didn't, but now that I think about it, seems like a good idea.

Also, there was much black soot out of the tail pipe and there never has been before, always burned clean. Is this just from being rich for a while? It should clean up and clear out, right?

RngTrtl

I was reading in a fairly recent post that the fuel pump and the o2 preheater circuit are on the same circuit. So if you are blowing the fuel pump fuse with the o2 plugged in and not blowing it with the o2 unplugged, then I sermise that you definitely have a problem with the o2 circuit causing the fuel pump circuit to blow. As a thought, since you are using 1 wire o2 sensor (btw, I got a 3 wire universal bosch o2 on ebay shipped for 27 bones, do a search for universal o2 on ebay and they will come up), did you properly make all connections to the o2, and also did you properly insulate the o2 preheater wires that you are not currently using? My guess is that perhaps the hot wire for the o2 preheater circuit (and fuel pump) is just dangling there and grounding the circuit out and blowning the fuse. Just my $0.02. Keep us posted and GL.

RyanPerrella

interesting, I didnt know this about the fuel pump circuit.

So get a 3 wire, wire it up and try again, its interesting i said no way an o2 snesor would cause a no start in and of itself, but it seems to have although not the way i would have expected, it just kept on blowing your fuel pump fuse and thus you cant get fuel and cant get the car to start. Makes sense, get the universal o2 sensor from 928intl, or just buy the cheapest 3 wire you can find if your cheap and wire that, I have been lead to believe they are the same, so you cant go wrong.

j.kenzie@sbcglobal.net

Brett,
Definitely do not wire the two white O2 sensor wires together. In fact, make sure they don't touch each other or either one touches ground. Either condition will blow fuses. Worth a try. BTW a one wire should be OK, it just takes longer to heat up to operating temp assuming it is not otherwise defective.

Dave Howerdel

Yeah that was me, hence I suggested the pump fuse. They are on the same circuit, mine is unplugged as I kept blowing fuses.