Growing up doesn't have to suck

[swathdiver]

For what it's worth, I bought the oem gm sensors and they have denso etched on the sensor itself. But, I too, am hanging at 21.6% alcohol, even after filling over half a tank with 100% gas. All previous fill ups have been e10 for years. I think I put e85 in it a few times in 2012-2013 but not since then

Well, that contributes to our knowledge base. Now I'm going to look at my old sensors and see if they have any makers marks on them too.

 

[swathdiver]

I've looked at that and another version a few times ever since @swathdiver mentioned that exact one a good while back. I almost pull the trigger then tell myself that this will be the last time I deal with this since I'm going back to regular E10 93 until I get a physical sensor. Then I don't do either.

Honestly, I'm kinda fed up with the whole thing. I think it's stupid that it takes miles and miles and days of driving for it to finally read half-assed close, assuming all pertinent components and systems are operating properly. Then, apparently, it needs to be reset ever so often to "unstick" it from reading certain ways. It's a whole lot of to-do for a return that you might not get, in full or in part, and you will only know after you've put the fuel in your tank and have waited. Comparing E0-E10 93 with E85 at the track is impossible.

I'm with you Chris, how much was that actual sensor kit?

 

[iamdub]

Did you get the ABS wire problem settled? I was going to write a reply and forgot with all the other topics we had going at the time.

I stretched one out once but didn't break it. When the bed was removed from one of our pickups for painting one was stretched out and broke internally.

I swapped left and right sides, cleaned the tips and wiped the area on the axle shafts directly in front of the sensors. I cleared the code for the LH sensor fault and when I turned the key on, I immediately got a RH sensor fault and no more LH sensor fault. So, I'm lead to believe it's a failed sensor.

Now, among the many new existential crises I'm having, I'm wondering how this sensor failed when I hit that hard dip. I've hit it and got the warnings twice before, but they went away after a few key cycles. I saw no damage or even witness marks in the tip indicating contact with the axle shaft. I have a junk axle shaft I referred to and it has no reluctor on it. So I don't know how the sensor reads the axle and I don't know how it failed.

Maybe I do have some radial slack in my bearings (I checked but I can't recreate vehicle weight slamming on it) and the axle just ever-so-lightly tapped the sensor. Being there's no reluctor and it's a smooth surface covered in heavy gear oil, it didn't leave contact marks.

I'm gonna grab a sensor off a parted-out vehicle and test. Might even use a thin shim to space it out a couple thousandths. I'd get a new sensor, but I'd rather kill a cheap used OE sensor than a new $60+ one.

 

[iamdub]

Well, that contributes to our knowledge base. Now I'm going to look at my old sensors and see if they have any makers marks on them too.

All this BS makes me want some Maker's Mark.

 

[iamdub]

I'm with you Chris, how much was that actual sensor kit?

IIRC, around $300. You can source the parts yourself, etc. and maybe save a few bucks. But it's probably not worth the hassle. My problem is my OCD. I want the sensor in or around the factory location, or at least in a safer location than on top of the engine with heat and ignition sources immediately below it. I have a fear of leaks from a faulty aftermarket component. I think there may be a QD junction near the front of the tank in the nylon fuel line where one can be "spliced" in. If I'm looking at the correct sensor(s), they're around $65. I'd love to splice this in with one of the 3/8" nylon hose barb-to-3/8" QD adapters I have on hand, run some wires (three?) to the PCM and be all-in for under $100.

 

[swathdiver]

IIRC, around $300. You can source the parts yourself, etc. and maybe save a few bucks. But it's probably not worth the hassle. My problem is my OCD. I want the sensor in or around the factory location, or at least in a safer location than on top of the engine with heat and ignition sources immediately below it. I have a fear of leaks from a faulty aftermarket component. I think there may be a QD junction near the front of the tank in the nylon fuel line where one can be "spliced" in. If I'm looking at the correct sensor(s), they're around $65. I'd love to splice this in with one of the 3/8" nylon hose barb-to-3/8" QD adapters I have on hand, run some wires (three?) to the PCM and be all-in for under $100.

We still have to turn it on in the tune. BlackBear can do mine.

 

[swathdiver]

I swapped left and right sides, cleaned the tips and wiped the area on the axle shafts directly in front of the sensors. I cleared the code for the LH sensor fault and when I turned the key on, I immediately got a RH sensor fault and no more LH sensor fault. So, I'm lead to believe it's a failed sensor.

Now, among the many new existential crises I'm having, I'm wondering how this sensor failed when I hit that hard dip. I've hit it and got the warnings twice before, but they went away after a few key cycles. I saw no damage or even witness marks in the tip indicating contact with the axle shaft. I have a junk axle shaft I referred to and it has no reluctor on it. So I don't know how the sensor reads the axle and I don't know how it failed.

Maybe I do have some radial slack in my bearings (I checked but I can't recreate vehicle weight slamming on it) and the axle just ever-so-lightly tapped the sensor. Being there's no reluctor and it's a smooth surface covered in heavy gear oil, it didn't leave contact marks.

I'm gonna grab a sensor off a parted-out vehicle and test. Might even use a thin shim to space it out a couple thousandths. I'd get a new sensor, but I'd rather kill a cheap used OE sensor than a new $60+ one.

Maybe the wire stretched when the suspension unloaded if I'm understanding this right. The wires are inside the plastic which stretches.

 

[swathdiver]

I almost pull the trigger then tell myself that this will be the last time I deal with this since I'm going back to regular E10 93 until I get a physical sensor. Then I don't do either.

Mine has been on E85 for almost six months now. Every time I think about switching the price of 93 has me running back to E85. Thankfully the AC stays between 73% ad 80%. Close enough for TV.

 

[Sam Harris]

Mine has been on E85 for almost six months now. Every time I think about switching the price of 93 has me running back to E85. Thankfully the AC stays between 73% ad 80%. Close enough for TV.

I miss my corn gas… (deva-vu..)

 

[iamdub]

We still have to turn it on in the tune. BlackBear can do mine.

Correct. Which brings up another one of my fails from yesterday. I couldn't get HPT (VCM Editor) to connect to the Tahoe. I should've just worked. Sometimes it doesn't pay to try to have downtime.