v6 lambda sensor.anyone fitted a`universal`one?

[hogggman]

hi all,
i have had a slight problem with my v6.i`ve checked maf,plugs,rotor arm leads etc,and i think i`ve narrowed it to the lambda sensor.i came to this conclusion because when i`m driving,it`bogs down` at around 2500 rpm,then when i put my foot down,there`s sometimes a muffled`pop` and it seems to clear itself.when the lambda sensor is disconnected-not advised,probabbly,but it was only for a brief run-the problem disappears.
so,rather than buying a genuine mazda replacement,ha anyone found a compatible universal one?i`m expecting members like apole and cheffy to have had some experience of this.
many thanks
jamie

[mikexgough]

Is it like this http://www.lambdasensor.co.uk/main/ntkp ... m=OZA74-F1

It's a 626 2.5 one

[Regor]

Hi Jamie,

I have an N plate V6 and fitted the 2 wire universal sensor from Just Lambda (approx £46), works fine, improved performance and economy across the board. How many wires are coming off yours?

Just a tip:- after fitting we could not get a signal on the diagnostics. I'd read somewhere that the ecu gets confused, so you need disconnect the battery for a minute then reconnect.

Hope that helps
Regards
Roger

[cheffy34]

Nope tis a two wire sensor, i have a universal one on but i have to admit myself and my mate the mechanic are not convinced, seems lazy kicks in eventually he says double checked all the wiring and left the battery off all night and left it at that, as my cat is shall we say suspect and my fuel economy is good but we have a cunning plan for the near future, long term running rich due to bad lambda/other prob can result in the demise of the cat , hence the heat sensor in the cat pipe tells you when your pipe is to hot my cat pipe has a deff rattle and it ain't external but hey mot time is coming, I can't be sure but i think apole may have a universal one on but he has a newer van than me me finx Universal lambda £48 mazda one from mazda £170 or from jap auto £172 get in with your local mazda man and you may even get a discount luckily for me the vospers for import is around the corner from me so no postage plus i fear they may have sacked the numpty that worked there so good service now


Dar


Dar

[apole]

Hi there,

Mine was changed a while back, believe a universal one was used. Can't comment on whether it's your problem hoggman but I guess if you disconnect and it works better ....

Mind you, when the lambda isn't hot enough and not working it runs in what they call open loop, ie the ecu just runs a standard fueling map until the lambda sensor gets warm enough to start working and sending signals to the ECU.

I suspect the genuine mazda one will work better, and perhaps last longer, however it's a heavy price.

One option that is maybe worth consideration is to get a TIM air fuel ratio guage, halfrauds do them for £25, that would show if it's working, and if so what it's saying about your mixture.

From what I read about the lambda sensors and cats etc, they seem to force the engine to waste a bit of fuel which I find strange, but my LPG fitter says it's the case.

Maybe try and disconnect the battery for a while to reset the ECU, free. Also if you have a good digital multimeter you can easily test the lambda sensor output, voltage will vary all the time up to 1v, 0.4 and below lean, above rich. They are supposed only to last 50k miles.

Prices for these sensors vary alot, from £15 upwards, common sense would suggest there's a reason for that.

Good luck anyway, try the disconnect first then maybe go for a mid range sensor from a specialist supplier.

[hogggman]

hi,
just thought i`d update on my recent problems.i removed the distributor cap today and leaned it up.the contacts for cylinders 2 and 5 looked terrible,but from what i`ve read they`re all like that.i cleaned them all up anyway,including the rotor arm,which did indeed look like the surface of the moon!i checked all the bits where the various leads plug in,and the one for the coil lead was quitye black,so i cleaned that as well.only been out for a short run,so can`t really tell if it`s any better.one thing i did notice though,was a small vacuum pipe on the driver`s side that had come off.i replaced that and will go for a run tomoorow.
thanks
jamie

[cheffy34]

Contacts on 2 and 5 are flatter than the rest of the contacts, the worst point on mine was the one in the middle of the rotor arm, where the cap goes on and contacts the center point of the arm i could have got away with my dizzy cap to be honest but it would have needed doin at some point so atleast i shouldn't have any more probs in that area


Dar

[dandywarhol]

Don't think Mazda make lambda sensors - they just build cars from bits supplied by suppliers - I'd go for a spurious one at a quarter of the price - it's probably the same supplier as Mazda's anyway!