How to Check an Oxygen Sensor?
1 Answers
Oxygen sensor inspection method: The condition can be judged by observing its color. The normal color of the oxygen sensor tip is light gray. Any color change indicates the oxygen sensor has a fault or potential failure. A black-tipped oxygen sensor is caused by carbon contamination. After removal, the carbon deposits should be cleaned off. If the oxygen sensor tip appears reddish-brown, it indicates lead contamination, which results from using leaded gasoline in the vehicle. The function of the oxygen sensor is to measure whether there is excess oxygen in the exhaust gas after engine combustion (i.e., oxygen content) and convert the oxygen content into a voltage signal transmitted to the engine computer. This enables the engine to achieve closed-loop control targeting the excess air factor, ensuring the three-way catalytic converter maintains maximum conversion efficiency for the three pollutants in the exhaust: hydrocarbons (HC), carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen oxides (NOx), thereby maximizing the conversion and purification of emission pollutants.