heated o2 sensor?

[jiho2]

I can smell the answer 150 miles away, but here in CA, is it not illegal to retrofit a heated o2 sensor onto these motors, since they never shipped with a heated one from the factory?

The mantra here is "certified configuration" I know, and the heated o2 sensor won't be 100% the same (as an o2 sensor, leaving aside the heater). But this is one emissions shortcoming these motors have, the o2 sensor drops out of temp quickly the moment you turn the key off, and you have to gun the thing for a couple minutes to get back into closed loop. So it would be an improvement -- and illegal in CA.

Am I right, gofstbuick?

 

[gofstbuick]

Sorry to say, not legal in CA

 

[BlackLC2burd]

It will fail for a visual as tampered or modified. I personally have failed a couple cars for it.

 

[jiho2]

I thought so, thanks for the verification, guys.

 

[89mulletbird]

How in the hell do these inspectors catch stuff this small? Are you talking smog shop guys, or state inspectors?

 

[jiho2]

We are talking smog shop guys. They go through a official check list of things to look for, and they know about things.

What really gets me is, they will NOT flunk a car with a clogged catalytic converter and a broken intake manifold, such that exhaust is blowing between the heads and manifold. Nor should they, according to the state manual they are legally bound to follow. On the other hand, once the intake manifold is fixed and exhaust is blowing out the air cleaner they will flunk it, but ONLY because the throttle is floating and it can't settle down to an acceptable curb idle speed.

ALL of these behaviors are explicitly regulated by the state in a manual that has the force of law.

 

[89mulletbird]

You need to just find a shop that is easier on the visual. I took an old Lincoln Town Car to a shop on my street, the smog pump tubes had been cut and he didn't even notice. They don't have a lift, they just open the hood and put a sniffer in the tailpipe.

 

[jiho2]

The O2 sensor on any Buick V6 is under the hood, in easy view.

There's some truth in what you say, though. The last guy I went to, took my word that my catalytic converter was good. Said he was due for hip surgery, and didn't want to get down with a mirror. But he certainly had a close look at everything else.

 

[dsapper]

Is there a reason to do this on the turbo buick besides trying to do the right thing for the environment?

 

[jiho2]

It gets you into "closed loop" sooner, which means the computer can manage the mixture and ignition better sooner.

Kind of a nit-picky point on that level, though, I suppose. I was mostly venting on the fact that here in California they are utterly obsessed with the "certified configuration," which means whatever the factory did. Even when it's simple and easy to improve on that, and simple and easy to verify the results. They won't let you. Meanwhile, aftermarket outfits pay some lab to certify their parts and the state just rubber stamps them.

A heated O2 sensor would actually make life a little easier for smog techs, because the way it is they sometimes have to race the motor for a couple of minutes to "condition" it before they can run the tailpipe sniffer.