YACT: Is disconnecting your secondary 02 sensor bad for the car?

[tnitsuj]

My rear (after cat) 02 sensor is bad and I am to cheap to change it especially since the car will be in storage for almost a year. I was wondering if clearing the code, wrapping the secondary o2 sensor in foil, and zip tieing it will actually have any negative effect on my car?

 

[Quixfire]

Yes, you check engine light will still be on. Plus the on-board computer uses this input to know when the cat is up to temp and can lean the fuel mixture out even more to reduce emission and improve efficiency.

How do you know the sensor is bad and not just doing its job of informing you there is a problem with your car? This monitor lets the computer know if the cat is working properly.

 

[tnitsuj]

Originally posted by: Quixfire
Yes, you check engine light will still be on. Plus the on-board computer uses this input to know when the cat is up to temp and can lean the fuel mixture out even more to reduce emission and improve efficiency.

How do you know the sensor is bad and not just doing its job of informing you there is a problem with your car? This monitor lets the computer know if the cat is working properly.

I was under the impression that the rear sensor had no effect on the mixture in Hondas. I am pretty sure it isn't the cat itself as I had that replaced a few months ago.

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Good cat or bad, you should still replace that O2 sensor. You're probably running a way-off fuel mixture, so your gas mileage is either halved or your having issues getting started.

I don't know what I'd do in the case, but I sure wouldn't wrap it up. Just fix it up and go without a new RAM upgrade for awhile. 😛

- M4H

 

[notfred]

What would be the point of doing that?

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: notfred
What would be the point of doing that?

Satiating the "gotta do somethin" mentality? 😉

- M4H

 

[tnitsuj]

Originally posted by: notfred
What would be the point of doing that?

I was hoping it would make the annoying CEL stop coming on. I was probably wrong.

 

[tnitsuj]

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire
Good cat or bad, you should still replace that O2 sensor. You're probably running a way-off fuel mixture, so your gas mileage is either halved or your having issues getting started.

I don't know what I'd do in the case, but I sure wouldn't wrap it up. Just fix it up and go without a new RAM upgrade for awhile. 😛

- M4H

Actually the car runs fine, mileage is the same, starts fine, don't think it is running rich. As far as I know the rear sensor doesn't affect the mixture.

 

[Quixfire]

Plus the on-board computer uses this input to know when the cat is up to temp and can lean the fuel mixture out even more to reduce emission and improve efficiency

This is from my first post.

 

[Wingznut]

As far as I know... The only job of the rear O2 sensor is to monitor the catalytic converter's performance. (i.e. If the readings of the two O2 sensors are too similar, it means the cat is not doing much.) Unless there's some new function in the last three years, or specific to Honda, I don't believe it affects fuel mixture (or any other parameters) at all.

At any rate... Disconnecting it will result in the CEL staying on.