Lambda sensors & wading...

[TobyMellin]

I have a closed loop LPG system on my disco. After doing a spot of wading recently, it ran extremely rough on gas & wanted to stall. I have temporarily fitted a power valve in place of the lambda feedback stepper motor.

My question is, are there any lambda sensors available which don't mind being dunked in cold water?

thanks.

[Hybrid_From_Hell]

"Non"

Nige

[FridgeFreezer]

I've never had one fail from dunking, and it's not like I've been gentle on them. I'd check / buzz out all the connections before condemning it. You can also try cleaning it up by heating the tip with a blowlamp, if water has got in the exhaust (through a leak) and fouled the sensor tip it may revive it.

Wideband sensors do "breathe" external air as a reference, and are too expensive to want to leave in for rough stuff anyway, but narrowband ones seem pretty resilient.

[TobyMellin]

I assume it's a narrowband type.

Hmm, thanks for that, I'll check all connections. I have ordered a software kit for the system, so I will see if that can analyse the problem.

Thanks for the help.

[Highway_Star]

I had this exact same issue, the generic ones on the whole don't like being dropped in cold water.

Local motor factors had 'Fuelparts' which is Lucas by another name. The bloke that runs the place is a keen mud plugger and reckoned he'd been using one on his RRC without issues, despite wading.

So, £30 odd quid later I fitted one, that's 6 years ago and I've never had any trouble since. Previously I was going through them at a hoor of a rate.

Someone else, I can't remember who, did tell me that NGK Lambdas were ok with wading, but I've never actually tested that first hand.

I'd wager that the OEM one would be OK too, I do have a pair of those somewhere, the plan was to fit them if the Fuelparts didn't survive, but that far it has.

My RRC is 3.9 Hotwire EFi, with OMVL Millenium LPG system. The lambda probe is purely for the LPG system.

[FridgeFreezer]

I assume it's a narrowband type.

Very unlikely to be wideband unless you specifically bought one.

Just for note; your LPG system probably uses a universal Zirconia sensor, whereas LR used the more exotic Titania sensors on the Hotwire setup. The two work differently and aren't interchangeable (don't think they even fit in the same hole) so make sure you have the right thing for the job. This one causes confusion quite regularly with people fault-finding their setup.

[TobyMellin]

I had this exact same issue, the generic ones on the whole don't like being dropped in cold water.

Local motor factors had 'Fuelparts' which is Lucas by another name. The bloke that runs the place is a keen mud plugger and reckoned he'd been using one on his RRC without issues, despite wading.

So, £30 odd quid later I fitted one, that's 6 years ago and I've never had any trouble since. Previously I was going through them at a hoor of a rate.

Someone else, I can't remember who, did tell me that NGK Lambdas were ok with wading, but I've never actually tested that first hand.

I'd wager that the OEM one would be OK too, I do have a pair of those somewhere, the plan was to fit them if the Fuelparts didn't survive, but that far it has.

My RRC is 3.9 Hotwire EFi, with OMVL Millenium LPG system. The lambda probe is purely for the LPG system.

Great, thanks for the info. I'll contact Fuel Parts to see where my local stockist is.

I have a landi renzo system with omvl r90.

I assume my lambda is purely for the lpg also, as it's a hotwire range rover engine.

Is your lambda in the y-piece? Mine is in one of the manifolds before the y-piece.

Very unlikely to be wideband unless you specifically bought one.

Just for note; your LPG system probably uses a universal Zirconia sensor, whereas LR used the more exotic Titania sensors on the Hotwire setup. The two work differently and aren't interchangeable (don't think they even fit in the same hole) so make sure you have the right thing for the job. This one causes confusion quite regularly with people fault-finding their setup.

Thanks Fridge.

I'll try and get some numbers of my sensor and google it to see if it brings up anything. I'll take it to the shop when I get a new one too.

[Highway_Star]

Fridge, that's true, well mentioned. The two types have different mounting bosses, and aren't eletrically interchangeable. The OMVL software allows you to set up the parameters of the Lambda sensor, so it can use either, hence why I'd never thought of it as an issue. The thread size isn't an issue either for me, have lathe, can do Although like I said, the Fuelparts unit has been working fine now for years so I've never bother my rotund jacksie.

Toby, my Lambda probe is in the same place as yours, however if/when the Y piece disintegrates (it's the last remaining mild steel bit of my exhaust system) the probe will be moving to downstream side of the Y, so it sniffs both banks.