Circuit Description

Heated oxygen sensors (HO2S) are used for fuel control and post catalyst monitoring. Each HO2S compares the oxygen content of the surrounding air with the oxygen content in the exhaust stream. The HO2S must reach operating temperature to provide an accurate voltage signal. A heating element inside the HO2S minimizes the time required for the sensor to reach operating temperature. Voltage is provided to the heater by the ignition 1 voltage circuit through a fuse. With the engine running, ground is provided to the heater by the HO2S heater low control circuit, through a low side driver within the powertrain control module (PCM). The PCM commands the heater ON or OFF to maintain a specific HO2S operating temperature range. The PCM determines the temperature by measuring the current flow through the heater and calculating the resistance. Based on the resistance, the PCM can predict the sensor temperature. For diagnosis, the PCM monitors the heater current with the engine running. The PCM also calculates the heater resistance on a cold start. Both diagnostics will only run once per ignition cycle. If the PCM detects that the heater current or the heater calculated resistance is not within an expected range, DTC P0141 sets.