Re: Idle air control valve or oxygen sensor or what? - SOLVED

I realize this is going against all current Netiquette ;-) but I thought I'd tell you what it was. It was the oxygen sensor

*relay*.

At least after about 150 miles since it was changed, and the car running just great, I am willing to take a gamble and say that they finally got it right this time.

I /tried/ to figure out how much my mpg has improved, but I've used calculators since the mid-70's, and I'm 53 and have been getting stupider (specifically speaking, losing brain cells at an increasing rate) since about when I turned 30 (this is a scientific fact for all humans, no matter how much you may not like it).

So I am not at all sure whether my previous calculations (of about 15 mpg) were /anywhere/ near correct, but it would appear I am now getting between 20 and 25 mpg. The 20% margin is because of the differences between US and imperial miles and gallons, and the fact the US appears to have dry and liquid gallons and the UK just "gallons". Is pudding liquid or dry (*after* it's made)?

20-25 mpg is just fine with me. I drive the car less than ever - like once every 7-10 days. (How you guys manage with those insane units of measure is beyond me. I will /never/ understand why anyone would say something is XX Guineas instead of XX £ unless they just enjoy being snotty.)

The third Temic coil is OK so far, as well (for those of you with a good memory).

Again, thanks to all who tried to help. I am more than ever convinced the whole car repair thing is basically hopeless. How many of you even /knew/ there was such a thing as an oxygen sensor relay? I sure as hell did not, and no one I spoke to /here/ or wrote to "here" mentioned it either. And I certainly will not be surprised if the car doesn't start the next time.

Cheers.

Reply to
vampire chicken
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We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember vampire chicken saying something like:

So it's our fault? Fuck off.

Reply to
Grimly Curmudgeon

It sounds as if you may be using an American vehicle. US spec cars are very different to UK especially in the emission control department. It is quite possible that over here the car is not even fitted with that relay.

Reply to
Mrcheerful

vampire chicken gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Nor me. But then, I don't buy many racehorses.

Reply to
Adrian

Is the unit still used? A guinea used to be 21 shillings. And if it is still used, what is it now £1.05 ? Mike.

Reply to
Mike G

Mark wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@news.newsguy.com:

To the best of my knowledge (it was not explained by the mechanic but I have a friend who is an MD and also a car freak) the relay just processes the info from the sensor and passes it on. The car being over 13 yrs old, it's no big wonder that a small electrical part would slowly start going bad (rust? basic degeneration?). That's what happened - it started about a year ago and just kept getting worse. In the meantime, the coil died as well, but it had nothing to do with the rough idle.

Reply to
vampire chicken

Grimly Curmudgeon wrote in news:g8h9ql$5k2$ snipped-for-privacy@registered.motzarella.org:

I see the drugs have also destroyed your sense of humor.

Reply to
vampire chicken

"Mrcheerful" wrote in news:u0Qqk.45339$ snipped-for-privacy@text.news.virginmedia.com:

It was made in Mexico (most of it, anyway). I had no idea that the same model cars made/sold in different countries could be so different. Just proves my point. It is an endless maze where if you are /very/ lucky, you will stumble upon the exit.

Reply to
vampire chicken

Doesn't seem to have been weed.

Glad it got found. I learned something too. Did they say what the function of this relay is? Does it switch between multiple sensors, turn a heater on and off, hand the sensor from cylinder to cylinder??? (aka like in Olympic relays )

Mark

Reply to
Mark

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember vampire chicken saying something like:

Sorry, you are just off your head. It's you who should be watching the prescription drug intake.

Reply to
Grimly Curmudgeon

Yes & Yes

Reply to
Duncan Wood

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember vampire chicken saying something like:

If by 'sense of humour', you peculiarly mean the ability to follow a set of incoherent ramblings, then yes, I was never much good at that. Once you start actually getting funny anywhere outside your own head, be sure to let us know.

Reply to
Grimly Curmudgeon

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