My AEM wideband seems to oscillate pretty badly--hunting wildly around 14.7 during idling or cruising in an almost unreadable way. Under boost, it will briefly dip down into the 11s and 12s but then pop back up into the jagged up-and-down of the mid teens. Is this normal behavior or it there a problem with the gauge installation?
Also, the o2 sensor is pointing slightly upwards into the exhaust pipe, not 10 degrees downward as the manual suggests. Will this be a problem?

Thanks!

 

Well it sounds like you have some thing going on . You have 2 problems . Boost is low and A/F is off . My first suggestion would be to check your connection on your MAF sensor , check your serp belt , check for vacuum leaks . Did you say that you was on a Dyno lately ? Check your setting's in the R4 program if you have been tuning it lately .
The A/F may just be off because your boost is low at higher RPM , So your tune will be off in that area . It probably some thing simple . With a little checking I hope you find it...Bill

 

Yes-- I have a sneaking suspicion that the loss of boost and the absence of positive vacuum is affecting the SS box and, therefore, the enriching of the mixture. Is it normal for the AEM to hunt around a lot and not seem to settle down on a small range while cruising?

 

One more thing-- anyone know if it's OK to have the sensor going slightly upwards into the exhaust pipe? The manual says to go down at least 10 degrees to avoid moisture on cold startup. This was technically difficult in my situation. Will anything nasty happen to the sensor as a result of mine pointing in an upwards direction?

Thanks.

 

gersteinp, its totally normal for the AEM to bounce pretty wildely...especially if you are looking at the LED gauge instead of the numerical gauge. Mine used to dance around quite a bit. But once the car is warm, it should be vacilating between around 13.5 and 16 or so. Based on your description, it sounds like its normal. The gauge is so damn precise, that it jumps around quite a bit. You willl notice that at WOT, its much more stable.

Your installation is fine....the angle is deisgned to keep condensation from collecting on the sensor.

 

Thank you very much for your reply. I do notice that under accel and/or boost the readout stabilizes in the appropriate lower range (11-13 or so). I'm reassured about the O2 sensor angle knowing that this is only to prevent condensation and won't damage the sensor if it's tilted upwards rather than down.