How To Test An Oxygen Sensor With a Scanner | O2 Sensor Bank 1 Sensor 1 Test With OBDII Scan Toll
How To Test An O2 Sensor With A Scanner
An OBD2 scanner can help you to diagnose the oxygen sensor problem yourself.
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To test an O2 sensor to ensure that it’s working properly, you’re going to need an OBD2 scanning tool. The following is a list of steps that you need to follow in order to perform a proper scanning test:
Step 1
Using the diagnostic link connector (or DLC) in your vehicle, plug in the OBD2 scanner. If you need to know where your DLC is, please consult with the owner’s manual that goes with your vehicle. Your DLC should have 16 triangle-shaped pins located in its port.
If you cannot locate the DLC or the pins, consult with your owner’s manual or with online sources.
Step 2
In order for the scanner to work properly, turn the ignition on your vehicle. But leave the engine off. This way, the scanner will communicate with the onboarding system.
If you are not getting a reading from the scanner or if its blank, try reconnecting or giving it a good shake or two. Depending on the scanner you use, you’re going to need your vehicle’s ID number handy. You also might need to enter any additional information like your vehicle’s make, model, or year.
To note, not every scanner will be able to ask for this information.
Step 3
Once you’ve successfully activated the scanner, search for trouble codes or “codes”. Depending on your scanner, the labeling will be different.
Step 4
Find the system that needs troubleshooting. Once you’ve found it, you should see a code or two pop up. Either they will be in a “pending” mode or “active”.
Remember, there will be other types of codes as well. The active codes are the codes that activate your “Check Engine” light. Of course, these are the type of codes that will tell you that there is a problem with your vehicle.
A pending code will mean that you’ll have an issue that has yet to be active. For example, something will fail once. If it fails again, that’s when it will switch from “pending” to “active”.
Step 5
This is where you need to translate the code. The scanner will look at the issue and will give you a code. If you’re not familiar with the codes, be sure to consult with the scanner’s manual or research the codes online. At this point, you may need to find the code and search “oxygen sensor” along with it. This will also give you an opportunity to learn some of the codes that you might make a note of so you can easily identify them for future reference.
Note: To save you time, we’ve taken the liberty of including these codes that are common with O2 sensors. They are as follows: P0030, P0031, P0036, P0037, P0130, P0131, P0132, P0133, P0134, and P0135.
Bottom Line
An oxygen sensor is one of the most vital parts of your vehicle. Whether you know it or not, if anything happens to it, there’s a good chance that it can cause some issues if you neglect it. Know the common symptoms and always err on the side of checking on your O2 sensor to see if this may be an issue.
Alternatively, you can rely on the services of a professional mechanic to diagnose the issue for you. However, you should be able to diagnose the problem yourself using a scanner.