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oxygen sensor?

is there any way to check oxygen sensors to determine if they need replaced. 99 ford escort with 94k my milage has fallen to 18 and I have new plugs air and fuel filter

Update:

there is no check engine light on

7 Answers

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  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    Ok, to know how you would trst it, you need to know basicly what the oxygen sensor does. The oxygen sensor measures the ammount of oxygen in the exhaust and sends it to the computer. The computer uses this information to determine weather or not the engine is running lean or rich, and will change injector pulse width to correct for it. Once the sensor has gotten to opperating temp., the system will go into "closed loop", which means that the computer is primarily looking at the O2 sensor and not the other sensors to determine injector pulse.

    An O2 sensor generates voltage based on the oxygen level in the exhaust. The most common is a 0 - 1 volt scale. What will happen is the sensor will give a reading, lets say lean. The computer will correct until the sensor says its rich, then the computer will correct until the sensor says its lean again, then it will correct until the sensor says its rich again. It happens several times per second, and it is how a vehicle will maintain good fuel economy.

    To test an O2 sensor, you will need a Voltmeter. Follow the wires comming off the sensor until you find the connector where it will plug into the factory wiring harness. Use a paper clip to back probe the signal wire, meaning you will slide it along the wire into the back of the connector on the wiring harness side. attach your positive lead of the meter to this paper clip and attach the negative to any good vehicle ground. Now, while the vehicle is running you should see a constant change in voltage. It should switch from below 450 millivolts to above 450 millivolts and back again, over and over. if it is switching, you probably have a good O2 sensor.

    Good Luck.

  • mattu
    Lv 4
    4 years ago

    With a 4 cylinder engine, the code definition could have study: B1S1 (for the upstream sensor in charge for gasoline/air ratio monitoring) or B1S2 (for the sensor downstream of the catalytic converter, which in basic terms video reveal contraptions that section). in case you replaced the front (S1) sensor and you nevertheless have a code for it, shop your previous sensor as there could be no longer something incorrect with it. If the code is for the O2 sensor heater, verify your fuses. If no longer, the code is possibly a symptom of yet another subject, which comprise a misfire, constrained gasoline clear out or intake air leak. is that this a similar code you acquire till now? Did you install an instantaneous-extra healthful replace or a commonplace sensor that had to be configured on your honda's wiring connector?

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    On a scanner - the voltage needs 2 constantly switch from below .5 volts to above .5 volts !

  • 1 decade ago

    your check engine light woud come on if you needed to replace it

    i had to replace the oxygen sensor on my 96 mitsubishi eclipse at 87k miles

    the check engine light came on

    autozone used a machine which told them it was bad

    bought one there for $40 easy to install

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  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    if theres no check engine light on, then the 02 sensors are working. it will let you know when they stop.

  • 1 decade ago

    yea maybe youll have to change it like every 85 to 90 thousand miles

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