Run Your Car On Water (Quick Update No.2)
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After receiving a number of emails and one comment on the original Run Your Car On Water post asking how it is all going I decided to write this little update.
Nothing real ground breaking to report other than after we had driven 1000km’s or so it became apparent that the signal from the oxygen sensor will need to be modified to keep the fuel mixture in check. The need for this is explained in the downloads and I knew it would be necessary sooner rather than later however I wanted to test the system in it’s most basic form before taking it any further.
The oxygen sensor is reading that there is more oxygen in the exhaust gases and the ECU is compensating for this by keeping the injectors open for longer on each cycle causing the engine to run rich. This was evident in the smell of the catalytic convertor after even a short drive, similar to when the car is taken for an extended ’spirited’ drive and the dark, sooty coating on the spark plugs.
A couple of ‘fixes’ for this are outlined in the Water 4 Gas downloads, however I am going to take the time to research what I think is the best way to achieve this mixture adjustment. The most viable method seems to be using an adjustable electronic ‘pot’ to control the signal from the oxygen sensor to the computer but rather than going by ’seat of the pants’ feel to tune it I am going to use an air/ fuel ratio (Stoich) meter to keep an eye on things.
If you are thinking of installing a HHO system on your fuel injected car be aware that you will need to modify the mixture input to your computer and after looking at the methods outlined in the manual in detail I’m not convinced that the solutions offered are suitable for long-term use of the system. I am probably over-complicating the procedure with what I am doing but I want to know that what I am doing is working, and working well.
Other than setting the mixture control gear up I also want to make a more robust set of Hydrolyzers. The original single unit has worked well however I came across some great containers at one of the cheap shops near home that I think will be better suited. On top of this I want to add a ‘bubbler’ to the system for added safety. A bubbler is merely a tube of around 25mm in diameter and about 20cm long and half filled with water. The idea is that the tube running from the two Hydrolyzers is attached to the bottom of the tube, the outlets to the engine are in the top cap and as the HHO gas is produced it bubbles up through the water and through the hoses to the engine. Should we have a backfire, which is possible when trying to lean the mixture out, any flame will be stopped by the water in the bubbler before getting any further.
So there we have it, that is where we are at right now. I am slowly gathering the bits and pieces needed for the changes and we will keep you posted on any results as they arise. If only there were more hours in a day!
Run Your Car On Water - Not EFI Friendly By A Long Shot
Craig
posted in Automotive News and Views, DIY Tutorials, Run Your Car On Water | 4 Comments
