M20 hall effect sensor - how nessesary?

[billy]

the sensor on my m20 motor has broken with age, im told its not needed for the general running of the engine....however I do like to keep things as they should be...but the part is quite expensive for what it is
whats your thoughts

sensor fits on one of the spark plug lines

[Adnan]

the sensor on my m20 motor has broken with age, im told its not needed for the general running of the engine....however I do like to keep things as they should be...but the part is quite expensive for what it is
whats your thoughts

sensor fits on one of the spark plug lines

Hi,

If the M20 has the same DME type as the M30 then I think you are correct in a sense. These engines are bank-injected, which means that the engine management fires three injectors at a time, not each cylinder as it needs it. This is a reasonable compromise for a street engine.

If the #6 sensor is missing, the engine may do one of two things - alternately fire the banks without knowing which one to fire in time with the ignition cycle or simple fire all six together. I don't know that detail but Bill R. is one who would.

If the sensor is missing, it probably translates to a slightly less than ideal situation but it wouldn't keep the engine from running. You might see a slight loss in peak power and perhaps poorer fuel consumption. Others may be able to add to this but might the DME "learn" that the sensor is out and eventually decide to throw an error code? Could this be tough on your oxygen sensor and cat?

If you plan to keep the car, my recommendation would be to replace the sensor. The engineers put it there for a reason so it must affect performance and longevity.

Regards,
Adnan

[winfred]

you probably won't notice it's missing in the running of the engine