Oxygen Sensor Simulator Schematic

What is an O2 sensor simulator?

The OBD-II cars (1996-1998) have the two O2 sensors to measure the amount of oxygen in
the exhaust gas. First sensor is measuring it right after gases escape engine and this data is
used to adjust fuel trim of the engine, as well as catch some faulty conditions. The second
sensor is located after the catalic converter, and is used to detect the health of catalic
converter. The ECU expects the signal from the sensor to be oscillating from below 0.4v to
above 0.6v, but not above 1.2v, every few seconds when cruising.

If you install the aftermarket downpipe with no cat (which as we all know is purely for off-
road applications) the ECU will detect this and indicate the error (MIL). The ECU is quite
lazy at detection, and detects this condition approximately during second long trip. You can
reset the ECU to clear the error code, but it's very inconvenient, as you don't really know if
the error was because of oxygen sensor or some important thing is wrong and needs to be
taken care of ASAP. It's also quite annoying.

How to build Your Own Oxygen Sensor Simulator!

The rest of the page shows how to build an oscillating signal generator with just the right
frequency and voltage to fool the ECU. It is based on classical astable operating mode of 555
timer, so nothing revolutionary there. However we spent few days of fiddling and testing to
get the right behavior.

Additional notes:
If you use different flavors of 555 timer chip or LEDs with different parameters you will need
to readjust the values of R4 and R2 to get the interval and output voltage right.

Don't attach it directly to the ECU right after assembly. Instead attach it to the battery and
check the output. You should get approximately 0v/0.7v flipping about every 3.3 seconds
when the car is not running, and 0v/0.9v when the car is running. The current should stay
below 10mA.

One LED should be always on whenever the power is supplied. Another LED indicates when
the output signal is high, so it should go on and off with the signal.
When tapping the ECU wires, triple check everything before hooking up the oscillator. The
power source should read 0v when the key is removed, about 12.6v when they key is at ACC
and about 14.3 when the alternator is running. The resistance between ground wire and the
body shield of the ECU should be 0 ohms. And it would be best if you run the car and
monitor the voltage of the original oxygen sensor wire before cutting it to make sure you have
indeed got the right one. The resistance between ECU PIN #47 and ground is about 1.3 to 1.6
M Ohm. The original sensor should still be dangling around, or plugged into the downpipe.
The reason is that ECU also monitors the resistance of heater circuit inside the sensor. If you
want to COMPELTELY disconnect it, you will need to measure the resistance of the heater
circuit and install the right resistor between ECU PIN #72 and ECU PIN #31 Anyway, there
is no need to do it if you just leave O2 sensor alone and only intercept the oxygen signal wire.

Above testing and precautions will prevent you from frying the ECU and spending major $$$
$. Anyway, I assume no responsibility if you still manage to do so.
Components
R1 100 K Ohm
R2 1 M Ohm
R3 100 K Ohm
R4 10 K Ohm
C1 4.7 uF
C2 22 uF
D1 1.7v@20mA LED
D2 1.7v@20mA LED

http://maturebabespics.com/gg/KpRCyjn1GvogJgbv9RhPuOo9CDkYYaUFO072ciiyAeGo5
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 Oxygen Sensor Simulator

The oxygen sensor simulator as built on a protoboard. Note the cigarette lighter plug used for
power source. The adjustment knob is at the left, and the switch is on the right. The red
indicator LED is in the middle. Only use red, because the voltage drop of the LED is part of
the circuit!

T
he schematic diagram for the simulator. Closing the switch engages the simulator. Turning the
knob clockwise simulates a lean condition, turns the LED off, and the car should start running
rich to compensate. The big "V" is a digital voltmeter(not shown in the pictures). Using a
smaller value for C1, perhaps 4.7 uF, will make the circuit oscillate faster and might be more
like a real oxygen sensor(a new sensor switches more often than an old one).
The schematic diagram of the adapter cable and oxygen sensor.