Oxygen Sensor question
Thread Starter
|
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 299
Likes: 0
From: South Texas
Oxygen Sensor question
I need some information about oxygen sensors. The sensor on my '87 Ranger is bad. It has a heated sensor with three wires. Now for my question. I have been given a sensor off a newer Ranger that is practically new. The only difference is that this sensor (it's a Ford badged sensor made in Japan) has four wires, two of which are white. The sensor on my truck only has three. The connectors are the same, except for the extra prong on the four wire one and the sensors are pretty much the same apperance wise.
Can I use this four wire sensor to replace the one on my truck that has only three? The connectors and sensors seem to be the same except for that one extra white wire.
Can I use this four wire sensor to replace the one on my truck that has only three? The connectors and sensors seem to be the same except for that one extra white wire.
Freshman User
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 31
Likes: 0
From: State Of The Nation
I remember reading about this over at TRS. Is the extra prong in the connector coming from one of the white wires?
If so I believe that is the oxygen sensor you're supposed to use now, which is why two wires are white.
Allen
If so I believe that is the oxygen sensor you're supposed to use now, which is why two wires are white.
Allen
Thread Starter
|
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 299
Likes: 0
From: South Texas
Yeah the extra prong in the connector is from the extra white wire. I can't find an updated Motorcraft O2 sensor for my truck to look at, but the replacement Bosch sensor only has three wires. Of course the Bosch sensors seem to be a different design than the others.
I'd think that the sensor would work ok, I was just looking for confirmation.
I'd think that the sensor would work ok, I was just looking for confirmation.
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 145
Likes: 0
From: ventura, CA
Here's what I found on the BOSCH website
<table bgcolor="#ffffff" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="433"> <tbody><tr><td colspan="2">
</td></tr><tr><td></td> <td width="433">Q. I have a Bosch original equipment 4-wire sensor. What do the wire colors mean?</td> </tr> <tr><td colspan="2"></td></tr> <tr><td></td> <td>A. All Bosch 4-wire sensors have a black wire for the signal, a gray wire for ground and 2 white wires for the heater. Note: the wire colors and functions on non-Bosch sensors are not necessarily the same as on Bosch sensors.</td> </tr> <tr><td colspan="2"></td></tr></tbody> </table>
http://www.boschusa.com/AutoParts/FAQs/OxygenSensors/
Maybe your 3 wire has the ground wire common to both the sensor and the heater?
<table bgcolor="#ffffff" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="433"> <tbody><tr><td colspan="2">
</td></tr><tr><td></td> <td width="433">Q. I have a Bosch original equipment 4-wire sensor. What do the wire colors mean?</td> </tr> <tr><td colspan="2"></td></tr> <tr><td></td> <td>A. All Bosch 4-wire sensors have a black wire for the signal, a gray wire for ground and 2 white wires for the heater. Note: the wire colors and functions on non-Bosch sensors are not necessarily the same as on Bosch sensors.</td> </tr> <tr><td colspan="2"></td></tr></tbody> </table> http://www.boschusa.com/AutoParts/FAQs/OxygenSensors/
Maybe your 3 wire has the ground wire common to both the sensor and the heater?
Last edited by probedude; Nov 10, 2005 at 10:06 PM.
Trending Topics
Thread Starter
|
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 299
Likes: 0
From: South Texas
FTE Stories
Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts
10 Things Every Truck Owner NEEDS (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Most Expensive Ford Trucks Ever Sold on Bring a Trailer
Joe Kucinski
2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)
Brett Foote
Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies
Joe Kucinski
AEV FXL Super Duty - the Super Duty Raptor Ford Doesn't Make
Brett Foote
Lobo Vs Lobo: Proof the F-150 Lobo Should Be Even Lower!
Michael S. Palmer
Ford's 2001 Explorer Sportsman Concept Looks For a New Home
Verdad Gallardo
10 Best Ford Truck Engines We Miss the Most!
Joe Kucinski
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 145
Likes: 0
From: ventura, CA
Originally Posted by irishguyincc
So it's just an extra heater wire. Thanks for that info.
Wish I could find my service manual CD on my 93 Ranger so I can lookup the wiring of my 4-wire O2 sensor. That'd tell me if both white wires are the same/redundant.
I found this for the pinout of a 3-wire O2 sensor.
http://www.theguestroom.net/manuals/...%20Sensors.htm
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 145
Likes: 0
From: ventura, CA
Originally Posted by RangerPilot
I would go ahead and say use only Motorcraft parts, but it's obviously a little late.
Give it a shot and tell us how it turns out.
Give it a shot and tell us how it turns out.
They were BOSCH with the bosch logo and a ford pn on them.
Bosch is OEM for a lot of mfgrs.
Thread Starter
|
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 299
Likes: 0
From: South Texas
The sensor I have (the 'new' one) is made by NGK. So is the consensus that it should work ok? It is off a Ranger, just a much newer one than mine. And it has an extra white wire.
Last edited by irishguyincc; Nov 11, 2005 at 12:30 AM.
Elder User
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 911
Likes: 2
From: Northern Virginia, USA
The extra wire is sensor ground. The older models have the ground through the engine block, looking at my Haynes manual. Newer models, for emissions accuracy, have the ground separate. Your new sensor should work fine; just ground the extra wire.
Everybody makes sensors. The OEM sensor on my F150 was NGK. I replaced it with Bosch for $40.
Everybody makes sensors. The OEM sensor on my F150 was NGK. I replaced it with Bosch for $40.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 1,245
Likes: 0
With a 4 wire sensor, the 2nd white wire is where you ground the heater. It is otherwise identical to a 3 wire sensor. A 3 wire O2 sensor has a signal (purple or green in the case of most Fords), signal ground (typically black) and heater wire (white); the heater is grounded to the case. I suspect the 2nd heater wire was added to ensure that the heater always had a good ground.
1 wire sensors are unheated and ground the signal through the body of the O2 sensor, but there is typically a ground wire attached somewhere on the exhaust nearby. They can be "upgraded" to 3 wire sensors by adding a switched 12v power source to the heater wire and attaching the aforementioned ground wire to the O2 sensor ground. This *may* give you a little extra fuel economy since one of the inputs for closed loop operation is when the O2 sensor starts switching above a certain voltage that is only attained when the sensor is warmed up.
1 wire sensors are unheated and ground the signal through the body of the O2 sensor, but there is typically a ground wire attached somewhere on the exhaust nearby. They can be "upgraded" to 3 wire sensors by adding a switched 12v power source to the heater wire and attaching the aforementioned ground wire to the O2 sensor ground. This *may* give you a little extra fuel economy since one of the inputs for closed loop operation is when the O2 sensor starts switching above a certain voltage that is only attained when the sensor is warmed up.
Last edited by Bart99GT; Nov 11, 2005 at 08:34 AM.