I'm not sure if my wide-band oxygen sensor is working correctly. How can I tell? (Back to the top)
- The first thing to check is for the appearance of a Lambda symbol (l) in the lower right-hand corner of the screen while online. This indicates that the O2 sensor is connected to the ECU and that the ECU is calibrated for that sensor. The sensor is not properly connected or the ECU is not calibrated for this sensor if this symbol does not appear.
- If the Lambda symbol appears, start the vehicle and look at a sensor called UEGOS (V) in the main dashboard display. This voltage should stabilize between 0.43 and 0.49 volts within 30 seconds of operation. If it does, it is an excellent indicator that the sensor is in good working order. If your sensor seems to be reading incorrectly but the UEGOS voltage is OK, this is most commonly caused by exhaust leaks, dead or misfiring cylinders, or air reversion in the exhaust pipe causing artificially lean readings. Engines with long-duration camshafts and/or large, open exhaust systems often produce artificially lean readings at low RPM.
- If the UEGOS voltage is out of range, the sensor will become inoperative. This could be the result of wiring harness damage, physical damage to the sensor, contamination of the sensor, or damage to the ECU.
-There is a heating element within the sensor that can break if the sensor is dropped or struck by another object. If this element is damaged, the sensor must be replaced. You can check to see if the heating element is broken much like you would check a light bulb - hold it next to your ear and listen for something rattling around inside the sensor. Be certain to hold the sealing washer on the end of the sensor or it too will rattle.
-If the sensor element does not appear to be broken, apply power to the ECU but do not start the car. You should be able to see the element glowing in the end of the sensor within about 30 seconds, and in 1 to 2 minutes, you should feel the body of the sensor getting very warm. You should also be able to look directly into a small hole in the very tip of the sensor and see the orange glow of the heating element.
-Carefully inspect all of the wires leading to the oxygen sensor and make sure that no wires have been melted or pinched. Also pay special attention to the connectors and be certain that all pins in the connector are securely seated within the connector body.
-The sensor element should become a light gray or tan color after a while. If the sensor is blackened by carbon or oil, this indicates an excessively rich fuel mixture and/or oil burning , which tend to dramatically decrease the life expectancy of the sensor.
-If the sensor has been exposed to any significant amount of antifreeze, it is almost certain to fail if it hasn't already. All oxygen sensors are highly prone to damage when exposed to antifreeze.
-Oxygen sensors are also very prone to failure when exposed to salt water vapor in marine applications. The water vapor will dissolve on the sensor element and leave the salt crystals behind, often leading to premature sensor failure.
- To verify that the oxygen sensor circuitry in the ECU is working properly, disconnect the oxygen sensor and observe the following sensors in the main dashboard display while online: UEGO (V) should read approximately 3.51 volts, UEGOS (V) should read approximately 1.02 volts, and UEGOR (V) should read approximately 4.98 volts.
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You would have to actually buy it for your box as they are serialized, but the above is an excert from the help section.
