Why is a wideband more accurate than a narrowband o2 sensor?
Wide-band oxygen–or O2–sensors are beginning to come into their own as a performance item, but have actually been around for some time. These sensors can accurately monitor air/fuel ratios well outside the range of narrow-band sensors, and are crucial to tuning.HistoryThe wide-band O2 sensor was first patented by Robert Bosch GmbH in 1994 for emissions testing, but was rapidly miniaturized for use in automobiles.O2 Sensor PurposeThe purpose of any oxygen sensor is to record a vehicle’s exhaust gas heat, and to send the data to a computer to extrapolate the engine’s air/fuel ratio in real time. A hotter exhaust stream means too little fuel to the engine, and a colder one means it’s getting too much.Wide-Band PurposeWhile narrow-band O2 sensors can only give a signal indicating whether the vehicle is above or below the ideal 14.7:1 air/fuel ratio, wide-band sensors are designed to accurately detect readings from 7:1 to 22:1.Wide-Band ConstructionWide-band sensors use an integrated gas
