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O2 sensor testing and wire colors?

Dozer31

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Hi All
Just need some tech advice on bench testing O2 sensors.
Car is VE series 1 alloytec.
4, wire o2 sensors.
From these wire on the sensor side I need to know what colour wires are for;
Signal
Heating
And earth's.
Wire colours I have are;
White.
White
Light grey
And black.

Once I can have someone confirm this I then need to bench test with my multi meter.
See pic as attached.
Plug from O2 sensor whites,light gray, and black, to otherside.
Thanks
 

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07GTS

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the white white will likely be the heater, the others are the sensor, unless u can accurately control 14.68 AFR would be hard to test, it may show high millivolt reading like 1000-1300mv when just sitting but if u want to change that u need exhaust heat and AFR
 

losh1971

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If you think it's suspect then it's probably worth replacing it with a new one rather than trying to test it. They shouldn't be overly expensive. Last 02s I bought for a Commodore were in the $100 region.
 

Dozer31

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the white white will likely be the heater, the others are the sensor, unless u can accurately control 14.68 AFR would be hard to test, it may show high millivolt reading like 1000-1300mv when just sitting but if u want to change that u need exhaust heat and AFR
Thanks for getting back to me.

So on the other side of this plug it's believed that the pink and the violet colour wires are for heaters and signal wires and others are earhs but I'm trying to source and wiring diagram to confirm.
There is a way that these sensors can be tested including heating them up but I need to confirm what these wires serve.
 

losh1971

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I have a manual. I have to go vote, upon my return if no one has posted a shot of the diagram I'll have a look and see if I can.
 

Dozer31

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If you think it's suspect then it's probably worth replacing it with a new one rather than trying to test it. They shouldn't be overly expensive. Last 02s I bought for a Commodore were in the $100 region.

Thanks mate
I just don't like throwing money at something if this is not the cause.
Also x4 sensors would be around $400 which would be a waist of money if this is not going to make any difference.
Hence why I would like to test spare ones I have before taking yhe next step.
 

Dozer31

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the white white will likely be the heater, the others are the sensor, unless u can accurately control 14.68 AFR would be hard to test, it may show high millivolt reading like 1000-1300mv when just sitting but if u want to change that u need exhaust heat and AFR

Thanks mate
Colours are now Confimed.
On O2 sensor side the following wires are ;
-X 2 white wires are for heating element and can be tested for resistance.
-x 1 light grey is the signal sensor wire.
And the black wire is the earth. When connecting these black and light grey wires to multi meter set under M volts , you can heat up the o2 sensor with a propane torch or similar which is the same as when your exhast being warmed up.
When sensor heated up it is believed multi meter should read just under 1, volt.
So these x2 tests can give you an understanding if your sensors are stuffed.
Some people out there say just replace but whats the point if they are still ok.
The reason why I'm going down this track at this stage is because I have some spare 02 sensors and wanted to know if they were still working as they should.
I'm not saying that in the future they won't have to be replaced but it is a process of elimination as car runs rough on cold start producing fault code lean mixture on idle 2189 and 2187 this changes from bank one to bank 2 .
This code which i get sometimes and which I clear each time can relate to vacuum leak which I have none.
Fuel rail and injectors are all good when car warms up it runs fine so other problem which can cause this fault is 02 sensors.
If this doesn't work it may be time to go back to where they carried out the performance tune and they be able to re tune not producing lean mixture on idle.
Sorry about the long message but now you know why.
As I say to most people is usually pretty easy to fix certain things but it can be Very hard to diagnose what the problem is.

Thanks
 

07GTS

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on cold start the 02's arnt used until they reach there set ect temp for CL or some when the 02 sensor heats up enough to go below a set mv reading, so if its happening in OL its not an 02 yet unless one stays failed all the time and once it enters CL its not able to cycle or something
 

Dozer31

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on cold start the 02's arnt used until they reach there set ect temp for CL or some when the 02 sensor heats up enough to go below a set mv reading, so if its happening in OL its not an 02 yet unless one stays failed all the time and once it enters CL its not able to cycle or something

O Ok
I though the heaters in the 02 would also preheat or something like that on cold start.
 
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