Why do my wideband oxygen sensors die so often?

Start your engine …. and your wideband is not working again. Is it the controller? Is it the lambda sensor? Yes, it is. Again.

Why are they failing so often when OEMs use the same sensors in so many cars and they do millions of miles with no issues?

The truth is most wideband controller manufacturers still haven’t designed a proper way to control the temperature of the sensor.

The number 1 cause that is killing wideband oxygen sensors like the bosch LSU 4.9 or ADV is the thermal shock of water condensation hitting the already hot sensor. This is what happens every time you start the engine in the morning. The engine is cold, the exhaust is cold and condensation is forming on the inside of the exhaust. Depending on the positioning of the lambda sensor, some of it or a lot of it will inevitably hit it. Every time the engine is cold. Once the exhaust gas temps are above a certain value there is no more condensation and it’s all good.

So how do we fix it?

Basically, the wideband needs to know when the water condensation phase is over and keep the oxygen sensor temperature according to the specs. But here comes the difficult bit, how could an aftermarket controller that is working separately from everything else, determine when the condensation is finished? It doesn’t know the engine EGT, coolant temp or anything else. So they simply ignore it.

LDpeformance Smart warm-up feature

The LDperformance wideband controller monitors the temperature of the lambda sensor after every start and quickly determines if the engine is hot or cold. On a cold start it will control the sensor temperature appropriately and it might take up to 7 minutes for the engine exhaust gas to reach the required temperature for the wideband to provide a reading. On a hot engine it will take less than a minute. And it happens automatically with no additional sensors or added complexity.

Sometimes when cold start needs to be tuned on an engine it is necessary to have the wideband operational and the Smart warm-up feature can be disabled.

The lambda sensor position in the exhaust also greatly influences the lifetime of the sensor. Find out our top tips on where to weld the lambda sensor bung.

Optimal lambda sensor location

Distance

Mounting the sensor closer to the engine will heat it up faster and the water condensation phase, which is the most common cause for failing sensors, will be shorter.

Positioning

The sensor should be placed on the upper surface of the pipe, from 9 o-clock to 3 o-clock position. If it has to be placed on a curved section it is better to be on the inside of the curve because placing it on the outside will get it exactly in the way of the exhaust stream and water condensation.

Depth

The lambda sensor will work fine even if it’s not sticking inside the exhaust pipe but is entirely protected by the weld-on bung or boss.

Direction

The lambda sensor can be mounted at an angle towards the pipe which is not 90 degree. If it points away from the exhaust stream, it will be a lot harder for the water condensation to hit the inside of the sensor and damage it.