Oxygen Sensor
In order to provide the best possible combination of drivability, fuel economy and emission control, the ECM uses a closed loop air/fuel metering system. The ECM monitors the HO2S signal voltage and adjusts fuel delivery based on closed loop fuel control. Changes in fuel delivery will be indicated by the long-term and the short-term fuel trim values. The ideal fuel trim value is around 0%. The ECM will add fuel when the HO2S signal is indicating a lean condition. Additional fuel is indicated by fuel trim values that are above 0%. The ECM will reduce fuel when the HO2S signal is indicating a rich condition. Reduction in fuel is indicated by fuel trim values that are below 0%. The DTC relevant to fuel trim will be set when the amount reaches excessive levels because of a lean or rich condition.
The rear heated oxygen sensor is mounted on the rear side of the Catalytic Converter (warm-up catalytic converter) or in the rear exhaust pipe, which is able to detect catalyst efficiency. The rear heated oxygen sensor (HO2S) produces a voltage between 0V and 1V. This rear heated oxygen sensor is used to estimate the oxygen storage capability. If a catalyst has good conversion properties, the oxygen fluctuations are smoothed by the oxygen storage capacity of the catalyst. If the conversion provided by the catalyst is low due to aging, poisoning or misfiring, then the oxygen fluctuations are similar to signals from the front oxygen sensor.
The HO2S (Heated Oxygen Sensor) is used to supply the ECM with information regarding the composition of the air/fuel mixture. The HO2S is positioned in the exhaust pipe ahead of the TWC. To measure the oxygen content, the HO2S requires a supply of ambient air as a reference. Since this is supplied through the wiring, the lead must not be clamped or damaged in any other way. The HO2S produces a voltage that varies between 0.1V and 0.9V under normal operating conditions. The Engine Control Module (ECM) monitors this voltage and determines if the exhaust gas is lean or rich. If the voltage input at the ECM is under approx. 0.45V the exhaust is lean, and if the voltage input is over approx. 0.45V the exhaust is rich. The ECM constantly monitors the HO2S signal during closed loop operation and compensates for a rich or lean condition by decreasing or increasing injector pulse width as necessary.
The linear O2 sensor is mounted on the front side of the Catalytic Converter (warm-up catalytic converter) or in the front exhaust pipe. It detects a wide range of air/fuel ratios in the exhaust gas from the rich to lean regions. This linear O2 sensor produces a current that corresponds to a specific air/fuel ratio. The ECM monitors this signal and determines whether the air/fuel mixture is rich or lean. The ECM constantly monitors the linear O2 sensor and increases or decreases the fuel injection duration using this signal. This is called closed-loop fuel control operation.