Oxygen sensor necessary?

[VWNaught]

I have an '84 Vanagon with a 2.1 litre installed in it. Please, what are the pros and cons of running without an oxygen sensor ? Thanx.

[Ahwahnee]

I'm pretty sure you will not get either optimal performance nor mileage without the O2 sensor.

I see no advantage to omitting it other than a $20 savings as you avoid buying a new one every 60,000 miles or so.

[bluebus86]

[fraggle00]

Integral part to keep the engine running correctly. This isn't some part that's just for emissions control.
_________________
'91 Vanagon Carat
'87 Porsche 928S4 DOWN
'12 Fiat 500 Abarth

[Wildthings]

Most people are going to be way ahead running the sensor. As others said the system will default to just reading the output from the AFM with the O2 sensor disconnected, so if your AFM isn't 100% on you may have drivability issues and suffer poor gas mileage. You may also find all those vacuum leaks that have been accumulating over the years that the Bay Window guys are forever fighting to eliminate. If lean enough you could also see valve damage and will be more likely to crack the header pipes.

[jimf909]

Just curious as to why you're (OP) curious about this.
_________________
- Jim

[djkeev]

[Merian]

Can we make a stickie out of the comments by insyncro & Terry Kay??

[Paulbeard]

It looks like my O2 sensor is disconnected. I was looking at mufflers to replace mine with (I'll share the before and after: it will be entertaining) and the cats I saw displayed have a space for the O2 sensor where I have a dangling wire…

As an 87, mine is exempt from smog testing so I have no idea how nasty it's breath is. But it sounds like that should maybe be connected and I assume that means a wire run back to the ECU.

Just went out to refresh my memory and it's a single wire sensor, the wire being about 4 inches long.
_________________
Currently -> Frida: 87 Tizian Red (mostly) Vanagon GL Westfalia w/ 2.0L ABA conversion
Formerly -> Steward of a 73 Super Beetle (Beater) and 67 Beetle 1300 (Little Max) both names by POs

[Wildthings]

A '87 should have had a heated sensor so maybe you don't have the correct one in there. It should still work just takes longer to come on line. Likely it is pretty old and either it wasn't functioning correctly or there were other problems that cause a PO to disconnect it.

Edit: Oops, missed that you have a conversion.

[Paulbeard]

I'd guess it's the right one but somehow was never connected to the ECU. Not sure where it would connect, given that this is a Rev A ECU from the Tiico kit, back when no one had worked out how to take the South Africa-targeted ECU and make it work elsewhere. That took til Rev E, this year.

Now I have to wonder if the cat is operational. I'm thinking I'll worry about that later. The muffler is my first problem project, followed by the updated fuel rail that the updated ECU will need to work properly. Then we'll see if the O2 sensor is worth anything. They (FAS) spec a four wire one.
_________________
Currently -> Frida: 87 Tizian Red (mostly) Vanagon GL Westfalia w/ 2.0L ABA conversion
Formerly -> Steward of a 73 Super Beetle (Beater) and 67 Beetle 1300 (Little Max) both names by POs

[jimf909]

[Merian]

not here - both have posted on several threads about the cheapness of Vanagon owners

I agree there is a lot of penny wise pound foolish attitude (along with "I spent thousands on upgrades, and nothing on maintenance")

[jimf909]

There's a corollary with BMW riders: "the only cheap part on a BMW motorcycle is the wingnut attached to the handlebars".
_________________
- Jim

[Merian]

well, that kills my nascent theory - I was thinking that VW owners were cheap because it is an economy brand - the German name literally translates as "Cheap people's Car"

[?Waldo?]

You either have a bad translator or an incorrect definition of 'literally'.

[newfisher]

And then there are the Prius owners. Dont get me started.

[crazyvwvanman]

That reminds me, just recently someone mentioned adding an oil cooler to their van, just before the van blew a hose and destroyed the engine. Why spend money and effort for something the van made it 30 years without? Sure, in theory the cooler may add some small additional life to something that already lasts for decades but then a hose blows and game over in spite of the cooler. Wonder if it was an old hose or one of the hoses added for the cooler?

Mark

[newfisher]

Or the " why would I spend $99 on a blaze cut supression system when my van didnt come with one from the factory" argument.

[crazyvwvanman]

No, the argument is more like why worry about something that "could" help the the engine in the long run if you don't first worry about immediate threats. So don't add the fire suppression system unless you first deal with the likely causes of a fire, like replacing old fuel hoses and making sure any new ones are right for the job.

mark