Alpine951

I have had a wideband O2 sensor only for a few years. After some point the sensor started indicating I was running lean. SO lean that I thought I have an intake leak. Mine is an AEM UEGO. Recently from gooling online I see that these things can fail after 6 months. Wondering if my sensor is giving me false readings. What has everyone experienced on here with failure rates. Saw a youtube video saying if I pull it out of the downpipe and turn the car on it should read full lean and then wrap it in a brake fluid soaked rag it should read full rich. if not it is bad.

V2Rocket

I had a lot of issues with an AEM Uego that came down to how well it was wired.
Their gauge is very sensitive to good power and grounding.
I learned that after buying a second WB sensor thinking it was the cause, and sending the gauge into AEM for repair/calibration where they found nothing wrong.

odonnell

Where is the sensor installed? The stock location gets way too hot for a wideband.

I've had a UEGO installed in my NA for about 2 years with no issues.

Alpine951

Mine is not in the stock location. Narrow band is still there. Mine is in the same location as this pic but it is angled up at about 45 degrees.

fejjj

The sensors can go bad after a couple of years.

I got about 3 out of mine.

marky522

It is also reccomended (at least with Innovate) that you re calibrate every 10K miles.

Mark

Alpine951

will check the paperwork at home but reading online looks like the AEM doesn't.

Alpine951

How did you know the sensor was bad?

fejjj

AFR readings were all wonky.

raleighBahn

I had one go bad in my AEM. Symptom was it would show rich then crazy lean under throttle. Replaced and all good. Be sure to get the replacement sensor from AEM as they are calibrated.

gruhsy

Anyone ever clean the sensor by soaking it in gasoline?

Raceboy

Sensors cannot be calibrated, it's always the controller that is calibrated. Either manual calibration against fresh air or using rCal pin (pin 2 on LSU4.2).

raleighBahn

From the AEM site:

These sensors have a laser-etched, calibrated resistor in the sensor’s connector body. This resistor is specifically created for the exact sensor that it is attached to. Modifying this will invalidate the sensor’s output. The wideband sensor is laboratory-calibrated at the Bosch factory, accurate to 0.1 AFR and never requires free-air calibration when used with an AEM wideband AFR controller.

• Accurate to 0.1 AFR
• Never requires free-air calibration when used with an AEM Controller and connector plug.
• Specifically designed for use with AEM Wideband UEGO controllers
• Includes sensor, weld-on bung, connector, wire seals and pins

kev951

Rule #1, always install the sensor STRAIGHT DOWN so it will not build up moisture and affect service life. Leaded fuel will also alter service life.

Raceboy

It directly says that sensors are not to be calibrated by end user and controller needs free air calibration if not using rCal.
AEM says that their controller uses rCal so further controller calibration is not necessary. Same goes to like most WBO2 controllers, nothing special and exactly what I was saying above (should have been adding "by end user" also).

The statement where they say that sensor is designed to be used with AEM UEGO is total BS, been using off the shelf VAG WBO2 sensors before with AEM, Innovate, VEMS Round, Zeitronix etc. Always have verified sensor calibration, never any issues.