Calibrating Bosch LSU4 Wideband O2 sensor

[Big1000]

I wanted to start a thread on calibrating O2 sensors. I recently learned that the Bosch sensor used in the PCV autotuner needs to be calibrated up to every 2 trackdays if you are using leaded/race fuel. The OEM suggestion is to calibrate after the first 500 hours, which is a huge difference.

I found a company that makes a calibration tool for the sensor, but the PCV will only allow you to measure, not calibrate.

Any programmers out there want to drop the knowledge on keeping sensors accurate, or re-using old sensors that just need to be calibrated?

I can also upload some tables and a tech article written by Bosch

 

[Beauregard]

I thought this thread would get some air-time.

 

[TurboTiger]

If it's a wideband sensor can be calibrated, just do a free air calibration by removing it from the exhaust stream into the air (with no exhaust fumes).

 

[Big1000]

If it's a wideband sensor can be calibrated, just do a free air calibration by removing it from the exhaust stream into the air (with no exhaust fumes).

@ TurboTiger: what you are talking about is testing the sensor, which you CAN do with the autotune module. What I'm after is calibrating the sensor, which you CANNOT do with the autotune module.

 

[catch2otwo]

@ TurboTiger: what you are talking about is testing the sensor, which you CAN do with the autotune module. What I'm after is calibrating the sensor, which you CANNOT do with the autotune module.

When you say "testing" as opposed to calibrating, whats the difference? I do calibration stuff for work. Just wondering what the difference between the autotune test is compared to the suggested "Calibration".

The way we do an 02 sensor cal is a two point, we encapsolutate the sensor with a gas (nitrogen) in order for it to see zero, and then do it with room air.

There is a set o2 in atmosphere give or take. If the auto tune tests the sensor to see if it reads between a certain range in "room air" then it could be considered a 1 point calibration.

All these readings are of course compared to our in house calibrated standard.

Also, does your power commander or autotune give you menu to where if your sensor is out of tolerance if you can put in an offset?? or do you have to buy a new one

 

[TurboTiger]

Normally a wide band is calibrated at the controller, not the sensor level. Therefore if the autotune module is also the wide band controller it needs to be able to support calibration.

The Innovate wideband controller supports doing a free air calibration to calibrate the wideband sensor.

 

[catch2otwo]

Normally a wide band is calibrated at the controller, not the sensor level. Therefore if the autotune module is also the wide band controller it needs to be able to support calibration.

The Innovate wideband controller supports doing a free air calibration to calibrate the wideband sensor.

makes sense now

 

[Grease_Monkey]

http://www.powercommander.com/downloads/UserGuides/AT200/AT-200.pdf

Perform the test on the last page. Reference the graph shown. If the flashes correspond to your altitude, then the sensor within calibration. It would appear that the Auto tune is not capable of re-calibration. I have found, with using the Innovate LM-1 and LM-2 on a regular basis there are only a few occasions that wide bands go out of calibration.

The first, a wide band installed in an exhaust stream and not hooked up to power, will foul, much like a spark plug, and go out of cal. A wide band that is ran for short periods of time with out proper warm up, much like a spark plug, will go out of cal. An excessively rich mixture for extended period of time, 11.0:1 and richer, will cause a wide band to go out of cal.

In conclusion, perform the test, if passes, you are still in calibration. if it does not, it is out of calibration, buy a new O2