How to make a lambda probe snag with your own hands
Content
All modern cars are equipped with a honeycomb exhaust gas toxicity neutralizer - a catalyst. It is named so on the basis of the chemical reactions taking place there, where the noble elements of the filling accelerate and make it possible to process harmful substances into neutral ones at high speed. But sometimes this useful device itself becomes a source of big problems.
Why fool the oxygen sensor
The thin structure of the catalyst does not withstand mechanical and thermal overloads for a long period of time. The temperature here even in normal mode reaches a thousand degrees.
Ceramic honeycombs are destroyed, and this causes dangerous phenomena:
- the filling melts, sinters and blocks the free exit of exhaust gases;
- small honeycombs are clogged with soot and other products with the same result;
- the most dangerous thing is that the catalyst, which manufacturers tend to place as close as possible to the outlet channel of the block head to quickly warm up to operating temperature, becomes a source of ceramic dust and debris that enters the cylinders and destroys engine parts.
In engines that are particularly unreliable on this basis, owners tend to remove dangerous converters even with relatively low vehicle mileage. Due to the use of valuable metals in the construction, the owners do not want to install expensive original or repair products.
The consequences are expressed not only in an increase in exhaust toxicity. The state of the catalyst is continuously analyzed by the electronic engine control unit (ECU) using the signals from two oxygen sensors (lambda probes).
One of them is located before the catalyst, the motor regulates the composition of the working mixture through it, but the second is entirely responsible for the efficiency of exhaust neutralization.
The indications of the second lambda are studied by means of the computer, including by conducting control cycles of heating the catalyst. Its absence will be immediately calculated, the system will go into emergency mode and highlight the control indicator on the dashboard. The engine will lose all its characteristics, fuel consumption and other troubles will begin.
To work without a catalyst, you can change the program of the control unit. The environmental class of the car will go down, but otherwise it will be a completely working option, it is even possible to increase power and reduce consumption, the environment does not go for nothing, but for various reasons, not everyone is ready to go for it.
Some people want to deceive the regular ECU program in some way, forming artificially incorrect readings of the oxygen sensor.
The principle of operation of the snag lambda probe
A similar result can be obtained by electrical and mechanical methods.
- In the first case, a signal is generated that, in fact, the oxygen sensor does not produce.
- In the second, all conditions are created for the sensor to give incorrect readings.
Not all systems can be reliably deceived by such primitive methods. Everything is decided by the equipment of a particular car.
Mechanical blende of the exhaust system catalyst
The easiest way would be to remove the oxygen sensor from the controlled area for some distance by installing it on a spacer sleeve.
The active element begins to work in a zone where the composition of gases is averaged in some way, the direct relationship between the actions of the computer and the response of the sensor disappears, which is perceived by the simplest programs as a sign of the normal operation of the catalyst.
Blueprints
The spacer is a metal sleeve with threaded ends. The thread parameters correspond to the applied sensor. On the one hand, the thread is internal, the body of the lambda probe is screwed into it, and on the other hand, it is external for placement in the threaded fitting of the exhaust tract behind the catalyst.
A hole is drilled along the axis of the sleeve for the passage of gases to the active element. The parameters of the bushing will be the diameter of this channel and the distance at which the sensor moves away from the gas passage pipe. The values are selected experimentally, the necessary data is easy to find for specific engine models.
More advanced spacers are equipped with catalyst elements. In this case, the main flow goes straight to the outlet, and the oxygen sensor receives only gases that have passed through the microcatalyst.
The signal will differ from the regular one, but many systems accept it as normal operation. Except in those cases when the ECU wants to warm up the catalyst, and the insert in the adapter will not react to this in any way. In addition, this microcatalyst tends to quickly become clogged with soot and stop working altogether.
Installation location
The catalyst is removed, and a spacer is mounted in place of the second oxygen sensor. The diameter of the working hole can be selected according to the most stable operation without displaying the indicator. The sensor is screwed into the thread of the spacer. The sound of the exhaust is normalized by installing a flame arrester.
Electronic snag lambda probe
The electronic method of deceiving the ECU is more accurate. There are many options here, ranging from the simplest, where the sensor signal is smoothed by a filter made of a resistor and a capacitor, the values of which are selected for a specific computer, and to more complex ones, with an autonomous pulse generator.
scheme
Simulation in the simplest case is subject to the output signal of the oxygen sensor. In the original, it has rather steep fronts, but if they are filled up with the help of an RC chain, then some blocks will not notice abnormal work.
More complex ones immediately recognize deception at the first control cycle.
If the sensor has a faulty heating thread, then you will need to install another resistor, since the block recognizes such a break immediately and always.
Instead of a sensor, you can connect a circuit that generates pulses, very similar to regular ones. Often this option works, but if the ECU is trained to cycle the catalyst, then this blende will not be able to respond adequately.
Installation method
The required radio components or boards are installed either in the cut of the oxygen sensor signal wire or instead of it, connecting directly to the connector.
The hole for the sensor can be plugged, for example, with a defective part.
What is the best lambda trick to use
There are no perfect cheats. It all depends on the specific car and the features of the implementation of the function of monitoring the state of the catalyst. In the general case, the only way out is to change the ECU firmware.
Often this is even provided for by his program, many cars are produced in various versions, including those without catalysts. In any case, bypassing the built-in control will not be difficult for an experienced car chiptuner.
Questions with the price of many stop and force them to engage in all sorts of tricks. Here it is necessary to clearly understand which methods work with this car, and which ones will be a waste of time and money. Although you can experiment if you have access to turning, radio components and a soldering iron.
It is unlikely that it will be possible to spoil the car here, and in case of a final failure, nevertheless, contact a specialist in registering the program for a lower environmental class.
As an option, you can install a sufficiently strong and reliable repair catalyst, which, against the background of the time spent and payment for the services of a master, does not look very expensive.
