Originally intended to document my experience of DeLorean ownership, focus is often radical and strange, boring and obtuse.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Unpolluting The World

New, 1st gen single-wire Bosch 02 sensor.Recently my DeLorean spent a few weeks at my mechanic's being tuned. But the tuning was nearly impossible due to a failed 02 sensor. In order to combat the black, fuel-laden exhaust belching out the DeLorean's exhaust, I ordered a new oxygen sensor ($27) from PJ Grady's in New York and installed the sucker myself.

First, I jacked up the car and slid some random junk underneath so it wouldn’t fall on my head. You know, oily rags, plastic gas cans, a couple of kittens and a bag of popcorn.

I slid underneath with a wrench and unscrewed the oxygen sensor. It was so crusty that bits of black carbon fell from it when I tapped it. And not the delicious carbon you get from burning bacon either.

I had to remove the rear driver’s-side wheel to reach the sensor’s connector. While it was off I examined the brakes. I have to say they looked pretty darn fabulous. And the 10.5 inch discs were as smooth as a baby's ass. If babies had smooth, rock-hard steel asses.

I pulled the bright blue wire through the frame and unplugged it. Next, I crawled back underneath with the new Bosch 02 sensor. I screwed it into place, plugged it in with my super plugging abilities, then pushed the wire back though the epoxy-coated frame.

Resetting the Lambda is easy.Finally, I had to reset the Lambda unit, which is located under the steering column. The Lambda is connected to the speedometer and, at around 30,000 miles, gives a readout displaying the life of the 02 sensor as 100% exhausted. I am a few miles shy of 60,000, so it seemed appropriate that my 02 sensor had bought the farm.

I unscrewed the Lambda from the firewall for easy access. I unbent a large paperclip into a 'U' shape, twisted it, then placed the ends of it into the two tiny holes where the blue arrow is pointing. I turned it clockwise until the counter read 000%.

Almost instantly the exhaust stopped burning my eyes, and the poisons turned invisible again so that I could silently kill the world with my whopping 21 U.S. mpg. If you can't see it, it can't hurt you.

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7 Comments:

Blogger X said...

For some reason I started singing "The hip bone's connected to the..." when I was reading this. You inspire me, my friend. It kinda makes me want to fix my broken windsheild washer fluid container by myself. Kinda. :)

11:09:00 PM

 
Blogger Bella said...

Very impressive mechanical work.

12:38:00 AM

 
Blogger Ellie Creek Ellis said...

did you eat the pop corn afterwards?

12:14:00 PM

 
Blogger Monogram Queen said...

Wow I never knew you were a shade-tree mechanic!

2:44:00 PM

 
Blogger Unknown said...

Impressive!

12:00:00 PM

 
Blogger ZoeyBella said...

Now, let's put it on railroad tracks and push it with a train and see if we can get the fires burning fast enough to get it up to 88 miles an hour. :P

1:00:00 PM

 
Blogger Martini said...

The speedometer only goes to 85. :(

2:54:00 PM

 

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