How hard can it be to mount an O2, or oxygen, sensor? It just screws into a bung in the exhaust right? Well yes, it does, but if you don’t follow some simple rules of thumb, yours might not work right and certainly won’t last long. And at a couple hundred bucks a piece, that wouldn’t be good. There are a lot of things to consider when running any sensor in your car, but with an O2 sensor the most common things folks think about is finding a location that is easy to install it in, that the wiring will reach, and that won’t be in the way of anything else. All of those are good things to consider, but the list is a bit short. Factor in a turbo combo, which really needs good clean sensor data to run properly, and these things become real important real fast.
Here are the other things you want on your list of considerations. Besides allowing you to screw it in, will the location you’ve chosen allow the sensor to be installed in the right orientation? Besides just reaching, will the wiring be in a location that will allow it to survive for more than 10 minutes without melting, or that will keep it from being smashed into the firewall or fender? And will the location you choose keep the sensor from being too close to the turbo, which could result in damage, and will it keep it far enough from the open end of the exhaust to keep it from being contaminated by fresh air?
This video from Doug and the Motion Raceworks crew gives you some tips and tricks for mounting yours up correctly. Plus, you can buy anything you need to mount one in your vehicle by visiting MotionRaceworks.com.
