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EFIE Description
EFIE is short for Electronic Fuel Injection Enhancer. Modern fuel injected vehicles are fitted with an On Board Diagnostics (OBD) computer or Electronic Control Unit (ECU). One of the operations of this OBD or ECU is to monitor the oxygen level in the fuel system. The way this computer monitors the oxygen level in the fuel is by the use of oxygen sensors that are installed before and after the catalytic converter.
If the computer receives a signal from the oxygen sensor stating that the oxygen level is too high, the computer will think that the fuel is too lean; to compensate for this leanness the computer sends a signal to the fuel system telling it to increase the fuel level in the oxygen/fuel mix.
When you install an energy saving device on your fuel injected vehicle, the OBD or ECU computer will destroy any fuel savings. This problem is corrected by installing an EFIE. To make it real simple, the EFIE creates an electrical current which is sent to the oxygen sensors. The oxygen sensors then send a signal to the OBD or ECU computer telling it that the oxygen/fuel mixture is correct.
If you installed an EFIE, is it the correct unit?
The type of EFIE you will need is determined by how many oxygen sensors you have, and the type of sensors they are. You will find that most of the German and Japanese cars and trucks manufactured in 2000 to the current day use the Wide-Band EFIE. In most cases the upstream (before catalytic converter) are the only oxygen sensors that need to be treated.
The easiest way to determine which EFIE you need for your vehicle is to follow this link, and scroll to the bottom of the page to Sensor Information Request Form.
Have you installed your EFIE correctly?
From all the reports we have received about an EFIE not working properly, the most common problem was that the EFIE was not connected properly. Some have connected the lead wire to the oxygen sensor that is after the catalytic (downstream) instead of to the sensor or sensors (upstream) pre-catalytic.
If you are looking for:
EFIE Installation Instructions
Wide Band EFIE Installation Instructions
Digital Narrow Band Installation Instructions
Notes On Circuit Board & Basic EFIE Models
Oxygen Sensor Color Codes
Go to EFIE Installation Instructions
Is the EFIE working properly?
To test your EFIE you simply connect a multimeter. Connect the multimeter leads to the input and output wires of your EFIE. It should change rather quickly from .1 to somewhere around .9 volts. If you do not see this increase check and make sure you are connected to the right wires, if you are, the problem may be a bad EFIE.
Does your downstream oxygen sensors need an EFIE?
You may be surprised, but some vehicles do require that the downstream oxygen sensors be treated when installing an EFIE for an hho generator. We have learned that some models of Dodge/Chrysler, Jeep, Honda, Ford and Mercedes have used the rear oxygen sensors as part of their 02/fuel ratio calcs used by the OBD or ECU computer. When you have tried all of the other help topics on this site and nothing has helped, this is the suspected problem. If this is the case, it can usually be remedied with the analog narrow band efie. |
