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Engine Performance Tests.com Study Question incorrect?

  • GeorgioMario
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3 years 10 months ago #52842 by GeorgioMario
Hello and good morning to all. This may be an ridiculous question to ask, but this has my brain scrambled.
I'm currently studying for the ASE A1 and A8 certifications and I came across this practice question on Tests.com.
"If an exhaust system contains large amounts of oxygen, it will cause the O2 sensor to produce:"
The answer they look for is high voltage.
Isn't this statement technically false?
Wouldn't the O2 sensor being high voltage cause the exhaust to be lean from fuel trims subtracting fuel, not the other way around?
Shouldn't this statement be:
"If an exhaust system contains less amounts of oxygen, it will cause the O2 sensor to produce high voltage"?
Looking forward to hearing what you all have to say.

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  • Noah
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3 years 10 months ago - 3 years 9 months ago #52856 by Noah
Some of those free practice tests online are not very good. That's one example.
Motor Age has some good study guides @ passthease.com

You are correct. High oxygen content equates to low voltage output from a zirconia oxygen sensor which then will drive fuel trims high.
Edit: I think it would be better to say that it would drive the trims positive, instead of driving them high.

"Ground cannot be checked with a 10mm socket"
Last edit: 3 years 9 months ago by Noah. Reason: Positive and High are not synonyms
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3 years 9 months ago - 3 years 9 months ago #53386 by Flatrater
Hope you don't mind my jumping in, but this has been misunderstood for decades in technician circles (not engineering circles). I believe the first O2 sensor engineering white papers appeared in the late 1970s.

High oxygen content equates to low voltage output from a zirconia oxygen sensor which then will drive fuel trims high."


In many cases this explanation is correct enough, but embracing this has caused errors in the field.

The output voltage is not determined by oxygen content, it is determined by the partial pressure difference AFTER the catalytic action at the sensors tip. The output voltage is a measurement of need (to complete the catalytic action), not content, and subject to exhaust gas residency (time at the sensor's catalyst tip) and exhaust diffusion (penetration into the catalyst cavity).

If we look closely at the sensor's construction and operation, it helps us to understand how the sensors fail. This in turn helps us to be more proficient at diagnostic work. I have seen (and been) technician's take a general explanation of how something works and go too far with it, ending up with a false diagnosis.

In the early days of OBD2, GM used TTA (time to activity) for O2 heater testing. Technicians could test heaters by "keying up" and watching the O2 sensor voltages. If the output went below 300mv or above 600mv in a specified amount of time, the heaters passed. The voltage could go either direction despite the engine not running.
Last edit: 3 years 9 months ago by Flatrater.
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3 years 9 months ago #53387 by Flatrater

Shouldn't this statement be:"If an exhaust system contains less amounts of oxygen, it will cause the O2 sensor to produce high voltage"?
Looking forward to hearing what you all have to say.


It was a poorly thought out question :-)

As Noah pointed out, if they were going to go down that route, it was reversed.

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