Anyone kill an O2 sensor at the track?

Kmeleon · 10-09-2022, 08:47 PM

So I was at Watkins Glen this weekend and wow.... What a track! I ran WG on my iracing simulator but I was in awe when we out for the track ride Friday night

. The elevation changes are unbelievable! Fast forward, ran 3 sessions Saturday.... Car pretty much flawless in the new E85 tune. Pack up for the evening and left the car parked outside of the trailer for the night and head to dinner. Come back this morning and start the car before the first session and it throws an SES light. Hook up the laptop, B1S1 o2 fault, service axle, etc. Car idling like shit. So looking at the voltage of the o2's I can see b1 is dead, doesn't move off 1.017v. Looked back at the log I made of my last run Saturday for my tuner.... O2 working fine.

So is this just a coincidence or is there maybe a reason the o2 failed?

N Camarolina · 10-09-2022, 11:47 PM

I had an O2 sensor fail shortly after a track day. Hard to tell what caused it, as I also had an engine failure at the track previously and lost the main cat on the same side (the side of the engine that failed and sent raw fuel through the exhaust). Makes me think the engine failure may have partially ruined the O2 sensor (same side as the engine and cat failure), but it took 4 more track days before it finally failed. And when it did, the engine still seemed to be running smoothly, with no obvious symptoms.

I know nothing about E85 tune, but you may want to check that you aren't running too rich and throwing fuel through the exhaust as that likely can't be good for your cats and (maybe) O2 sensor.

Kmeleon · 10-10-2022, 06:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by N Camarolina

I had an O2 sensor fail shortly after a track day. Hard to tell what caused it, as I also had an engine failure at the track previously and lost the main cat on the same side (the side of the engine that failed and sent raw fuel through the exhaust). Makes me think the engine failure may have partially ruined the O2 sensor (same side as the engine and cat failure), but it took 4 more track days before it finally failed. And when it did, the engine still seemed to be running smoothly, with no obvious symptoms.

I know nothing about E85 tune, but you may want to check that you aren't running too rich and throwing fuel through the exhaust as that likely can't be good for your cats and (maybe) O2 sensor.

That's the thing, during long pulls in 4th on straights I was seeing my lambda reading rich 0.81 down to 0.76.....im NA so that's too rich. Tuner had given me an updated tune to correct this but I don't think it helped much. Pretty sure the tune is calling for. 0.85 or 0.86 at WOT. I'll have to review my log on my final run Saturday.

Thanks for your thoughts

wakespeak · 10-10-2022, 11:50 PM

Yes had one fail also on the passenger side before the cat when the car was fairly new. I am not sure if it was bad gas or engine managed pulled timing due to any number of reasons that maybe fouled it. I did see a trail of black smoke first time on the track on the back straight at COTA so maybe there was carbon buildup somewhere. Same symptoms, got code next day after track weekend. This is with the stock tune. No recurrence.

Kmeleon · 10-11-2022, 07:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wakespeak

Yes had one fail also on the passenger side before the cat when the car was fairly new. I am not sure if it was bad gas or engine managed pulled timing due to any number of reasons that maybe fouled it. I did see a trail of black smoke first time on the track on the back straight at COTA so maybe there was carbon buildup somewhere. Same symptoms, got code next day after track weekend. This is with the stock tune. No recurrence.

So I've learned more.... the car is going into Cat protection (COT) and adding extra fuel at WOT to protect the cats, hence the lambda reading going so rich. The question is why.

Badmojo · 10-13-2022, 08:33 AM

I've melted cats with a stock tune, both sides at VIR. A fellow ZL1 buddy has gone through 3 cats with stock tune. Similar to the above post, the cat efficiency code shows up a day or two after the event.

Kmeleon · 10-13-2022, 11:36 AM

Thanks for the replies guys. Good news, I replaced the defective o2 last night and stuck an endoscope in the bung while it was out and checked the cat. All looks good. Cleared the codes, ran a test log last night and tuners happy with everything again.

Moral of my story.... I'll be keeping an extra o2 in my track box along with wrenches to change it so I don't lose an entire day.

10-09-2022, 08:47 PM	#1
Kmeleon Drives: 2018 NFG 2SS 1LE! Join Date: Jul 2018 Location: PA Posts: 527	Anyone kill an O2 sensor at the track? So I was at Watkins Glen this weekend and wow.... What a track! I ran WG on my iracing simulator but I was in awe when we out for the track ride Friday night. The elevation changes are unbelievable! Fast forward, ran 3 sessions Saturday.... Car pretty much flawless in the new E85 tune. Pack up for the evening and left the car parked outside of the trailer for the night and head to dinner. Come back this morning and start the car before the first session and it throws an SES light. Hook up the laptop, B1S1 o2 fault, service axle, etc. Car idling like shit. So looking at the voltage of the o2's I can see b1 is dead, doesn't move off 1.017v. Looked back at the log I made of my last run Saturday for my tuner.... O2 working fine. So is this just a coincidence or is there maybe a reason the o2 failed?

10-10-2022, 11:50 PM	#4
wakespeak Drives: 2020 ZL1 1LE Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 1,381	Yes had one fail also on the passenger side before the cat when the car was fairly new. I am not sure if it was bad gas or engine managed pulled timing due to any number of reasons that maybe fouled it. I did see a trail of black smoke first time on the track on the back straight at COTA so maybe there was carbon buildup somewhere. Same symptoms, got code next day after track weekend. This is with the stock tune. No recurrence. __________________ 2020 ZL1 1LE [Moroso SC Expansion Tank, otherwise stock]

10-13-2022, 08:33 AM	#6
Badmojo aka BeastZL1 Drives: 2019 Camaro ZL1 1LE, 2004 Cobra Join Date: Dec 2017 Location: NC Posts: 1,135	I've melted cats with a stock tune, both sides at VIR. A fellow ZL1 buddy has gone through 3 cats with stock tune. Similar to the above post, the cat efficiency code shows up a day or two after the event. __________________ 2019 Camaro ZL1 1LE Racing for ALS Youtube Link

10-13-2022, 11:36 AM	#7
Kmeleon Drives: 2018 NFG 2SS 1LE! Join Date: Jul 2018 Location: PA Posts: 527	Thanks for the replies guys. Good news, I replaced the defective o2 last night and stuck an endoscope in the bung while it was out and checked the cat. All looks good. Cleared the codes, ran a test log last night and tuners happy with everything again. Moral of my story.... I'll be keeping an extra o2 in my track box along with wrenches to change it so I don't lose an entire day. Attached Images

10-09-2022, 11:47 PM	#2
N Camarolina Drives: 2021 2SS 1LE Join Date: Aug 2020 Location: Cary, NC Posts: 960	I had an O2 sensor fail shortly after a track day. Hard to tell what caused it, as I also had an engine failure at the track previously and lost the main cat on the same side (the side of the engine that failed and sent raw fuel through the exhaust). Makes me think the engine failure may have partially ruined the O2 sensor (same side as the engine and cat failure), but it took 4 more track days before it finally failed. And when it did, the engine still seemed to be running smoothly, with no obvious symptoms. I know nothing about E85 tune, but you may want to check that you aren't running too rich and throwing fuel through the exhaust as that likely can't be good for your cats and (maybe) O2 sensor.

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