Fuel/Air sensor test
#1
Fuel/Air sensor test
I have a 93 4Runner with the 3.0 V6.
Having some issues in that it smells rich, is idling lumpy and the check engine light comes on intermittently. So I thought I would test the sensor in the exhaust just below the drivers seat. I believe that is the Air/Fuel sensor.
So I tested it cold and had a reading of 11 ohms. Took the car out for a 5 mile drive and then tested it again and only had a reading of 16 ohms. Other articles suggest it should read between 11-16 ohms at 20'c (about what it is today) and at 800'c around 23 ohms. Now I don't know how hot it gets after a 5 mile drive, but I would think that would be operating temperature. Whether it gets to 800'c at operating temp I don't know either.
Also, when I disconnect said sensor the check engine light doesn't come on and it makes no difference to the idle.
So, is my sensor unserviceable? And shouldn't the check engine light come on when it's disconnected.
Any help would be most appreciated.
Adam
Having some issues in that it smells rich, is idling lumpy and the check engine light comes on intermittently. So I thought I would test the sensor in the exhaust just below the drivers seat. I believe that is the Air/Fuel sensor.
So I tested it cold and had a reading of 11 ohms. Took the car out for a 5 mile drive and then tested it again and only had a reading of 16 ohms. Other articles suggest it should read between 11-16 ohms at 20'c (about what it is today) and at 800'c around 23 ohms. Now I don't know how hot it gets after a 5 mile drive, but I would think that would be operating temperature. Whether it gets to 800'c at operating temp I don't know either.
Also, when I disconnect said sensor the check engine light doesn't come on and it makes no difference to the idle.
So, is my sensor unserviceable? And shouldn't the check engine light come on when it's disconnected.
Any help would be most appreciated.
Adam
#3
#4
Registered User
i understand. the leaner the mixture, the hotter it would be. so if its rich, it will not reach a high temperature. im not saying its not hitting 800c, but just keep that in mind when doing your tests.
#6
The O2 sensor does not detect heat it detects O2, Yes it is heated to bring the temp up and constant.
If you use an Ohm meter on it then it is toast now as the sensor side of it cannot handle that high a voltage.
Time for a new O2 sensor.
If you use an Ohm meter on it then it is toast now as the sensor side of it cannot handle that high a voltage.
Time for a new O2 sensor.
#7
That's what this says
http://www.ncttora.com/fsm/2003/Repa...3/hos/insp.pdf
http://www.ncttora.com/fsm/2003/Repa...3/hos/insp.pdf
HEATED OXYGEN SENSOR INSPECTION
1. INSPECT HEATER RESISTANCE OF HEATED
OXYGEN SENSOR
Using an ohmmeter, measure the resistance between
the terminals +B and HT.
Resistance:
California 2WD only
4.5 – 6.0 Ω at 23°C (73°F)
Others
5.1 – 6.3 Ω at 20°C (68°F)
If the resistance is not as specified, replace the heated
oxygen sensor.
1. INSPECT HEATER RESISTANCE OF HEATED
OXYGEN SENSOR
Using an ohmmeter, measure the resistance between
the terminals +B and HT.
Resistance:
California 2WD only
4.5 – 6.0 Ω at 23°C (73°F)
Others
5.1 – 6.3 Ω at 20°C (68°F)
If the resistance is not as specified, replace the heated
oxygen sensor.
Hint: An O2 sensor ≠ A/F ratio sensor
http://www.autoshop101.com/forms/h37.pdf
That high a voltage? WTF do you mean by that? They don't even put out 1V. And ≤ 1V is certainly not considered "high voltage" by ANY standards(not to mention very closely approximating the actual operating voltage of the sensor).
How it works:
An Ohmmeter supplies it’s own calibrated voltage and current to a circuit under test. The
voltage output from the meter is typically less than 0.5 Volts. The Ohmmeter is hooked-up to a
circuit or component using the test leads so that it temporarily becomes a regulated power supply
for the circuit or component under test. In layman’s terms, the meter internally takes a
measurement of the voltage that is being supplied to the circuit, and also measures the resultant
amperage that it is able to push through the circuit under test. A kind of ad-hoc Ohm’s Law
calculation is then done, which comes up with a value for resistance that is displayed on the
meter screen. A typical Ohmmeter can accurately measure resistances from about 10 million Ohms (10MΩ),
down to about 1 tenth of an Ohm (0.1Ω).
voltage output from the meter is typically less than 0.5 Volts. The Ohmmeter is hooked-up to a
circuit or component using the test leads so that it temporarily becomes a regulated power supply
for the circuit or component under test. In layman’s terms, the meter internally takes a
measurement of the voltage that is being supplied to the circuit, and also measures the resultant
amperage that it is able to push through the circuit under test. A kind of ad-hoc Ohm’s Law
calculation is then done, which comes up with a value for resistance that is displayed on the
meter screen. A typical Ohmmeter can accurately measure resistances from about 10 million Ohms (10MΩ),
down to about 1 tenth of an Ohm (0.1Ω).
Last edited by MudHippy; 09-25-2012 at 04:48 PM.
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#8
Well, I don't recall suggesting it measures or detects heat, but it would appear it gives a different reading depending on if it's hot or cold. Most likely down to thermal expansion of the materials involved no doubt.
Regardless
Mudhippy, a reading of 11 ohms cold and 23 ohms hot would indicate failure do you think?
I haven't measured the voltage feedback. Is it worthwhile or is the indicated resistance enough to confirm failure?
Thanks
Adam
Thanks for the links BTW.
Regardless
Mudhippy, a reading of 11 ohms cold and 23 ohms hot would indicate failure do you think?
I haven't measured the voltage feedback. Is it worthwhile or is the indicated resistance enough to confirm failure?
Thanks
Adam
Thanks for the links BTW.
Last edited by AdamP; 09-25-2012 at 05:14 PM.
#9
Contributing Member
iTrader: (3)
O2 sensor outputs voltage, not resistance. You measure at the check connector and should see approx. 8 - 0.2v to 0.8v swings in 10 seconds with the engine at operating temp and revving at 2500 or so. At least that is the 22RE testing spec. May need an analog volt meter or better yet, hook up an air/fuel meter in the cab and you can see what is up as you drive:
- http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTri...FuelRatioGauge
- http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTri...FuelRatioGauge
#10
The manual shows 2 tests: Resistance across +B & HT (listed first) and Output voltage. My question was: if it fails the resistance test, is it a total failure anyway and should I not even bother with the output test?
#11
Contributing Member
iTrader: (3)
Not sure what portion of the sensor is being tested with the resistance. Likely that is the heater coil part of the 4-wire sensor, if so if that is open circuit, that would imply the heater is burned out. I've never worked with a heated sensor as my '85 is a simple 1-wire sensor.
#12
Registered User
Not sure what portion of the sensor is being tested with the resistance. Likely that is the heater coil part of the 4-wire sensor, if so if that is open circuit, that would imply the heater is burned out. I've never worked with a heated sensor as my '85 is a simple 1-wire sensor.
#13
That's very useful to know. Thanks.
#14
Contributing Member
iTrader: (3)
All depends on how far out the heater resistance is. Basically that is a coil of wire that heats the sensor up to temperature. If the resistance is a little high, it may be that the sensor takes a little longer to come up to temperature, since more resistance = less current = less heat and ther other way around if the resistance is lower than spec. My take on readings like that or a relay coil, for example, is that when they fail, they are either a dead short (0 ohms) or an open circuit (infinite ohms), so if it is close to the factory spec, then it is probably OK. Different brand of sensor may have a heater coil that has more or less resistance than what the factory spec'ed.
Last edited by 4Crawler; 09-29-2012 at 09:04 AM.
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