If you were any more full of shit it'd be coming out of your ears.
If the car were always running in open loop it damn well would trigger a code. OBD-II doesn't just sit in open loop forever without triggering a code. On top of that, there's no inherent problem with using a universal sensor (and BOSCH parts are about as far from "notoriously unreliable" as a person can get).
I couldn't believe it either but I've seen it with my own eyes using a scan tool that these cars for these model years will run for a very extended period of time in open loop and won't trigger a CEL. It's not running in open loop 100% of the time but for the vast majority of the time, it was. Like all the way from cold start to 179F, the car was in open loop and when it reached 180F, it'd enter closed loop but then while driving, I could see the car would be in closed loop for a brief amount of time before switching back into open loop for extended periods of time.
What was happening with the car I worked on was that while it had a new, working o2 sensor, the electrical grounds were corroded enough to make the signal from the o2 sensor either be too weak or just get drowned out by the electrical noise and therefore was ignored by the car. It wasn't obvious corrosion either, I just knew that since the car was over 10 years old, all of the grounds in the engine bay were in need of being cleaned up. It was only after I cleaned up the electrical grounds where the car would enter closed loop almost immediately upon cold startup and would stay that way unless you hit full throttle. Performance and gas mileage improved after cleaning up those grounds.
And there's no problem using a BOSCH part on a Japanese car. This is the same BS line of thinking that makes people swear not to use NGK spark plugs on German cars. Just absolutely ridiculous.
Now, if you put the wrong "universal" part in, that will create a problem. But that's not in any way inherent to the brand of the part, nor to the fact that it's a "universal" replacement.
Experience goes, you want to stick with OEM because aftermarket is overwhelming junk or just flat out inappropriate for the cars. Believe it or not, but no o2 sensor is built exactly the same. Just because two o2 sensors are wideband o2 sensors or narrow band, it doesn't mean they behave identically. When things are built differently, especially instruments such as an o2 sensors, they perform ever so differently. So it's not a surprise that Bosch are inappropriate for Japanese vehicles because no Japanese automaker ships with Bosch parts so their programmed firmware isn't designed with the electrical characteristics of aftermarket parts in mind. Their response speeds may be different or perhaps for a given oxygen level, they output slightly different numbers, numbers that will tell the computer whether to enrich or lean the fuel mixture.
Now as a compromise to not paying out the nose for OEM parts, the best thing you can do is find out who the OEM supplier is for your specific model year car and then buy the parts directly from them. There is really no need to ever go with an o2 sensor that didn't come with your car as the price differences between Bosch and Denso or NGK are so small as to be insignificant.
Universal o2 sensors are junk because o2 sensors are already very weak in producing signal for the computer to read so when you add things like a crimp or whatnot that can provide points of entry for corrosion or a poor electrical connection, it makes them unreliable for most cases. Experience of experienced techs says to avoid universal sensors, likely because it's too difficult for most to get something that will work reliably. Some things are better just paying a little extra for. (I'm notoriously cheap mind you)
You sound like the kind of person who thinks it's a good idea to put those 4 electrode spark plugs on their cars or something...
Look at what I quoted earlier. It absolutely IS a wideband O2 sensor (an "air fuel ratio type" as you put it). That's what "output in proportion to the air/fuel ratio" means in the description I posted from Summit Racing.
ZV
This is absolutely positively 100% NOT a wideband o2 sensor, amazon, autozone knows this, all the auto parts stores know this by stating that this sensor is NOT for California cars. All you have to do is specify 1999 Toyota Camry 2.2.L LE and when you're viewing the page, it will say
"Notes: exc. Calif.
See all products that fit this vehicle"
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/parts/_/N-5yc1s?itemIdentifier=491766
"Oxygen Sensor Type: Narrow-Band Heated"
http://www.boschautoparts.com/VehiclePartFinder/Pages/VehiclePartFinder.aspx
Using the parts selector on the Bosch parts website specifies the following:
13354 Oxygen Sensor Upstream
Without california emissions
13733 Oxygen Sensor Upstream
With california emissions
13353 Oxygen Sensor Downstream
15733 Universal Oxygen Sensor Upstream
Without california emissions
15733 Universal Oxygen Sensor Downstream
Crystal Clear, that the universal sensor is obviously NOT a wideband o2 sensor because if it was, it would have be specified for use in California cars. California cars require the wideband for the upstream because that's what Toyota determined to be necessary to make a federal car become a car that can pass California emissions.
Facebook
Twitter