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An O2 sensor, is a sensor that is inside the exhaust pipe, and detects the amount of oxygen that is in the mixture going down the pipe. My explanation here is generic and not specific to your model/make. For an inline 4 cylinder engine where the output of the four cylinders combines, there are typically two sensors. One sensor is in the pipe between the engine exhaust manifold and the catalytic converter, and one sensor is in the pipe after the catalytic converter.
The computer looks at these oxygens level, and adjusts the input side (the carb or fuel injectors) changing the fuel mixture level....so that it gets compete burning of the mixture. It also then makes sure the converter is doing it's job.
For a V6 or V8, there would be two sensors prior to the catalytic converter (one for each bank of cylinders), and depending how the converter(s) were configured either one sensor after a single converter.....or two sensors after, if there are two converters.
So without proper sensing of the 'burnt' fuel mixture, the computer mis-adjusts the input and typically you'll have very poor engine performance.
Last edited by kiawah; 10-04-2007 at 05:50 AM.
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