Disconnecting the negative battery cable will eliminate the possibility of shorted, or grounded wires as this installation progresses.

Mounting Considerations: To begin, one must consider the mounting location for three components of this WBO2 kit: The wideband O2, the PLX Devices SM-AFR processor box, and the DM-5 gauge. One should consider wire routing, taking care to avoid extremely high heat areas (such as direct contact with an exhaust manifold), abrasion (making certain the wiring cannot become tangled in moving components such as the steering shaft, and safety (making sure a component cannot jam the throttle pedal or cable, for instance).

In this installation, the 4.3l, turbocharged Syclone motor is relatively stock, so the decision was made to mount the O2 sensor in place of the factory narrow-band sensor. In installations where the motor may be modified with a different cam, ported heads, a bigger turbo, and larger injectors, the WB O2 sensor may need to be mounted as far as 24” from the outlet of the turbo to avoid heat damage to the O2 sensor.

To remove the factory sensor it is easiest to clip the leads to the sensor off, as close to the sensor as possible (O2 sensors should not be re-used as contamination by oils - even fingers - can cause premature failure of the sensor). These are the tools required for removal of the factory O2 sensor... In this picture the sensor has already been extracted. The micro torch is used to heat the bung around the factory O2 sensor. Doing so will slightly expand the bung causing it to pull away from the threads of the O2 sensor... sometimes heat is the only thing that will get exhaust component studs and nuts to release.

The socket shown in the pic is an O2 removal socked that is available at most parts stores - this one happens to be from Snap-On. If you have better access to the O2 sensor, a simple box-end wrench can be used as well.

Although the space is tight, the proper tools make the job possible...

Going in with the new WBO2 sensor is a snap, although one should take care never to touch the exposed O2 sensor element with bare fingers, or allow any oils to touch the sensor. I applied a VERY small amount of anti-seize to the sensor threads, taking care to wipe off the excess with a kleenex to ensure that none would weep down into the exhaust downpipe and onto the sensor element. When tightening the sensor go slowly, 1/4 turn at a time, taking care not to put any undue stress or strain on the O2 sensor wires (highlighted by the red arrow). Torque the O2 sensor to factory specs.

At this point the WBO2 sensor is installed and we’re ready to run the wiring to inside the cab!

In the GMC Syclone and Typhoon there is a metal bracket that holds the throttle pedal to the firewall. It was determined in this install that this would be an acceptable, safe place to mount the PLX Devices SM-AFR Sensor Module.

In order to run the wire from the WBO2 sensor to the Sensor Module a safe method must be determined to run the cable thru the firewall. In the Syclone and Typhoon an unused plug is available almost directly behind the brake vacuum booster. The carpet is easily pulled down in the interior beneath the steering column, exposing the plug. Lightly tapping on the plug will cause it to fall from the firewall.

To ensure a waterproof seal, I actually removed the terminals from the harness connector of the PLX wideband cable, drilled a hole through the firewall plug, installed a grommet, then fed the wires through and re-inserted them into the harness connector, making certain that I followed my diagram telling me which wires went to which cavity in the plug. The result looked like this...

The cable was run through the hole, and the plug pounded back in place with rubberized silicone as a sealant. I let this dry overnight before finishing the installation to ensure I wouldn’t affect the integrity of the seal.

As mentioned previously, it was decided to mount the sensor box to the factory throttle pedal bracket. Care was taken to ensure mounting of the box in this location was done in such a manner to ensure no interference or binding with the throttle pedal, or cable. Depending on the vehicle, other locations can certainly be used when mounting the Module.

There are terminals that install into the connector housings that plug into the ECM. The GM part number has gone through a change - the old number was 12089649 (Part #12089649 - $.78 ea. in Sack of 10), and the new number is 121466448. The GM parts department may be able to order these for you. If not, they are available in the connector repair kit that the service department uses. If you’re nice to the parts guys, they may just give you some.

NAPA does sell these - you just have to buy a box of 50 of them. The NAPA part number is 725180, and they’re found in the Belden catalog.

They look like this.

In the Syclone or Typhoon, one must first gain access to the factory ECM (Electronics Control Module), which is mounted behind the glovebox vertically, and which is held in place by one bolt.

First, remove the passenger’s side underdash panel...

Secondly, remove the passenger’s side kickpanel trim...

Once these two trim pieces are removed, the single bolt is removed from the bronze-colored bracket and the ECM lowers down out from behind the dash as shown.

Care must be taken to ensure that the numerous wires attached to the ECM to not get cut, or scraped against sharp metal edges... this is where having disconnected the negative battery cable can really pay off!

This is what your ECM will end up looking like once removed from behind the glovebox.

One will be connecting the ‘black’ and ‘gray’ wires of the PLX Sensor Module harness to the ECM as follows:

Black Wire - Connected to the “B9” cavity location of the center, black connector housing of the ECM (this cavity is blank from the factory).

Gray Wire - Connected to the “F14” cavity location of the uppermost, green connector housing of the ECM (this cavity is blank from the factory).

Between these two wires, and as close to the ECM as possible, one will install one of the noise suppressors (capacitors) supplied with the kit. It looks like this..

Notice the red shrink tubing on the legs of the capacitor. Each of these bare legs will have voltage on them so it is necessary to insulate them so they can not short out against anything.

If one has a good pair of wire strippers, pull the insulation in half on both the black and gray wires, about two inches from the end of each - this is where we will solder the capacitor in place. Slide a piece of shrink tubing up over both wires, large enough to fit the capacitor into. Then, solder one leg of the capacitor to each exposed ‘break’ in the insulation - making sure you have the small heat shrink tubing over each leg of the capacitor. Once the legs are soldered in place an intermediate-sized length of heat shrink tubing can be slid up over both legs and shrunk with a heat gun. Then slide the large heat shrink down over the capacitor and shrink it in place. You will now be left with about 1 1/2 inches of gray and black wire sticking out the end of the heat shrink. Crimp the factory-match terminals (shown above) in place on each wire, then insert the wires into their respective cavities in each of the ECM connectors. The finished part should look like this...

After you’re done with shrinking your shrink tubing, you can bundle the wiring up inside a piece of convoluted tubing to protect it. Use some wire ties to stabilize and eliminate stress that may be placed on the capacitor, or capacitor legs. This is how this install looked when it was ready to put the ECM back up behind the glovebox.

To power the SM-AFR Sensor Module I used a simple piggyback fuse holder, which is available at most any auto parts store. This particular one was made by Buss. The piggyback holder plugs into the fusepanel in place of the factory fuse. The factory fuse is installed in one blank slot in the holder. A second fuse fits in the second holder and powers the lead exiting the piggyback holder. This makes for a simple, reliable method of providing power to the Sensor Module.

Any number of A-pillar gauge pods are available for the Syclone and Typhoon. Choose the one that fits your needs, install the gauge in the pillar pod, run the cable toe the SM-AFR Sensor Module, plug it in, and you’re done!

And the final install...

Here is part I of a series of installation videos: