V8 passes gas ... emissions check

[John Karasaki <johkar@teleport.com>]

Thanks to Scott Mockery and his patient diagnostic skills, the V8 is once
again a smog legal, tree-hugging, earth friendly beast.  The VAG 1552 scan
tool reveiled two problems:

1)O2 sensor out of operating range
2)O2 heated wire shorted to ground

There were two oil breather hoses on the back of the engine that had
decomposed.  Oil had dripped from these hoses down the O2 sensor wires, into
the connectors, and into the O2 sensor killing it.  Scott mentioned a
service bulletin addressing this problem.  We had had the breather hoses
replaced recently, but there was alot of oil in the connectors and O2 sensor.

I removed the O2 sensor, cleaned all the oil from the connector and replaced
the O2 sensor with one I had from an '88 VW Jetta (similar connector, though
modification required).  Drove about 40 miles and then had the emmissions
checked.  It passed with flying colors!

The V8's computer stores fault codes on just about everything.  If you're
trying to trouble-shoot these cars without the VAG 1552, good luck!

BTW, the '88 Jetta O2 sensor is not the stellar cost saver I thought.  The
V8 O2 sensor is $125 from Halsey Automotive.  The '88 Jetta sensor is still
$100, not the $40 I was expecting.  I'm glad I didn't throw that Jetta
sensor away years ago!

Thanks to all who responded to my first post!
Regards,

John Karasaki

The Karasaki's, proud owners of AUDI automobiles

1981 Coupe
1982 TQC
1984 5000S Wagon
1990 V8