Thursday, July 10, 2008

Now that I've Achieved Consistancy I Also Have a New Problem

As much as I'd like to deliver good news all of the time it's jut not possible...
I have another issue that came up for me this afternoon and I'm trying to figure it out, and see how it all relates. Here's the scenario: Georgina and I have driven into Manhattan to deliver some things to a friend who happens to be a shut-in recovering from an operation. It's hot and muggy. The AC is on. So anyway I get on the FDR Drive and switch the MAP Enhancer over from "City" to "Highway" at which point the AC dies as do the cooling fans behind the radiator (which I do not know until I get to where we're going and the car begins to overheat sitting at a traffic light. My wife goes in and delivers the packages and I try to figure out what's going on. I let the car cool off and add some distilled water (which I happen to have in the trunk at all times). I see that the fuse to the AC has blown and I happen to have a replacement which I put in. Then I see that the Electrolyzer does not come on when I turn the key in the ignition. I check it's fuse and it is not blown. At the moment it's looking like the AC relay may be dead, but I cannot figure out the cause. Is it all unrelated stuff, or have I done something really wrong? At the moment I simply do not know. The most recent adjustments that I've made to the system are these: I added another half teaspoon of Baking Soda to the water bring my content up to 2 teaspoons; the new Electrolyzer tower is notched every quarter inch and the windings have increased accordingly; I removed the check valve from the vacuum line going to the manifold, and I plugged the other vacuum line with a bolt so that it no longer connects to the air filter housing. That's it - the only thing electrical in all of that - is the Baking Soda. Seems like I'm grasping at straws. Is it possible that even though the original MAP Sensor has been replaced with a new one - could the new one be equally goofed but in a different way? Dunno. I'm going to copy/paste all of the above onto the w4g forum and see if anyone of the mucky-mucks can figure out what's up. Once I have an answer I will post back here.

On another subject I want to pass along something that was kindly passed to me by a friend of mine - Henry in Taiwan (hello Henry:-), I think that nearly everyone will find it very interesting. It on the subject of Oxygen Sensors... copy/paste begins Henry,
There are a few things you can do with the O2 sensors once you've put in the DEMSE. Remember, only mess with the O2 sensor(s) before the catalytic converter, not the one(s) after.

1. Leave the O2 sensors alone. This will probably not work. Usually, when faced with an 'enhanced' signal from the MAP sensor, the ECU will apparently ignore it and only look at the O2 sensor input.

2. Try one of the O2 sensor enhancers -
a) foil wrapping - I have not seen this work for many people.
b) O2 extenders/oxyisolators - I also have not seen this work for many.
c) EFIE - you can adjust the O2 sensor output. This is rather pricey, but works.

3. Disconnect the O2 sensors before the catalytic converter. This is what Ozzie does. Make sure you wrap the disconnected plugs so they don't get damaged. This is the way to go, if you're going to have a MAP sensor enhancer. The ECU will not be able to look at the O2 sensor signal, because there isn't one - it is forced to take the ECU signal. Your Check Engine light will go on, but you'll be prepared for it. Just ignore it.

Happy Mileage!
JJ Ferretti
Tech Support
copy/paste ends

Now I gotta say - I have the spacer on my sensor and I cannot really tell if it's doing anything or not - but I am opting for the Number three solution. If it's good enough for Ozzie - it's good enough for me.


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