effect of leaded gas on wideband O2?

[Bruce Plecan]

----- Original Message -----
From: greg kring <summit01 at nationwide.net>
To: <DIY_EFI-Digest at efi332.eng.ohio-state.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, April 13, 1999 1:19 AM
Subject: effect of leaded gas on wideband O2?

Now bear this in mind that this is just personal theory, and I have
absolutely no doumentation on it.  But:
  Up until the last year or so Some countries were using only leaded fuels,
with O2 sensors.  So the issue of being leaded, is void, in my book.
  The US and some other countries have outlawed unleaded for street use, one
way to make that law totally enforceable for late model cars is using an
additive that kills O2 sensors.  Which also explains some of the secrecy
about what is in the gasoline we buy.
  Also, explains way there is such a large opinion as to O2 life.
  The WB O2s all seem to be heated, and I just wonder if that helps reduce
stuff from accumulating on the sensor during warm-up, which might be what is
actually killing the sensors.
  One of the designers of the Fel-Pro unit used to/might still subscribe to
the GN/Ttype list, just be sure to mention Buick V-6 in your post....
Bruce
   Sneezy's in trouble again.  Was a Hooters and thought he saw an owl move
under one of the gals shirt.  He tried protecting here, and some how got in
trouble for that....  Just doesn't pay trying to be a good samaritian

> I know leaded gas will poison a standard oxygen sensor, but what happens
> to the UEGO wideband sensor under repeated use with leaded gas? Most of
> the racers I know just leave their standard sensor in at the dragstrip
> using leaded gas, then switch back to unleaded for the street. When the
> sensor goes bad, about once or twice a year, they just replace it. Easy
> to do with a 30 buck sensor, not so with a high dollar wideband. The
> whole purpose of the wideband on my Fel-Pro system is to tune at wide
> open throttle, which happens at the track with 116 octane leaded gas.
> Any ideas on life expectancy? We are talking 5 or 6 passes down the
> track, then back to street gas all week.
> Greg Kring
> Arlington, Texas
>