Explaining

The Oxygen
Sensor
Due to the vital role and
suggested service intervals,
the oxygen sensor can be a
quality maintenance repair
for your customers.

What is the
life expectancy of According to Walker Products, which offers one of
an oxygen sensor? the industry’s most robust oxygen sensor programs,
an oxygen sensor’s life expectancy can vary great-
Shorter than what your ly depending on the condition of the vehicle and
whether it is properly maintained. Generally, based
customers think. on typical maintenance routines, an oxygen sen-
sor’s effective life span is between 30,000 and 50,000
And that’s the problem. miles. After that, performance begins to degrade,
which will in turn affect the vehicle’ s overall fuel
But it’s also one of the easiest to economy and performance. That can arrive quickly
solve problems when a custom- in the eyes of today’s drivers, many of whom won’t
er comes in and asks for a “tune have their vehicle paid off by the time it needs
replaced. However, if the engine is properly main-
up” or preventive maintenance. tained in all aspects, the oxygen sensors could last
much longer, up to 100,000 miles in some cases. The
Basic maintenance is key today truth is, many vehicles on the road today would not
and checking the oxygen sensor meet the maintenance requirements to achieve that
is a great place to start. level of sensor life.
 It’s no surprise that oxygen sensors need to be sors. Staying up-to-date with these technologies
checked regularly and replaced as needed; they per- is critical in diagnosing the oxygen sensor and
form under fierce conditions, battling harmful exhaust this technology will only continue to grow as
gases, extreme heat and high velocity particulates. And emission controls become stricter every year.
the harder someone drives his or her vehicle, the more
punishment the sensors take. What Goes Wrong?
A few things, actually. There are two scenarios
The Oxygen Sensor’s Impact technicians need to look for when inspecting an
Remember earlier you read about the oxygen sensor? oxygen sensor to determine the cause of failure
That’s a key component, as faulty oxygen sensors cause (and thus finding the root cause of the prob-
a very large amount of emission inspection failures. lem). First, it can happen instantaneously when
Why? Because not all oxygen sensors are created equal. a contaminant comes into contact with the
The oxygen sensor reports to the engine manage- oxygen sensor’s ceramic element.
ment computer the air/fuel ratio in the exhaust system. Technicians who suspect this type of fail-
While it no longer is a one-wire unheated sensor like it ure should look for evidence of certain types
was in the 1970s, but rather a four- or five-wire air/fuel of silicone compounds or of an engine that is
ratio sensor, that means it can report information more burning oil. Small amounts of tetra-ethyl lead
accurately, but can be damaged more easily. These in gasoline as well as over-the-counter fuel ad-
sensors include heated, fast light off, ultra-fast light off, ditives that are not “oxygen sensor safe” can kill
Titania, zirconia, thimble, planar and wideband sen- an oxygen sensor.
The second scenario is the gradual deterio-
ration, resulting in a slow sensor that reacts so
slowly that it causes a catalytic converter to per-
form less efficiently. This can lead to premature
failure of the catalytic converter.
In this case, technicians will hear complaints
of decreased fuel economy (approximately 10
to 15 percent in most cases), excessive exhaust
emissions and overall poor drivability. Now,
while a customer might notice they are covering
fewer miles per fill-up, they might not be aware
of other problems as they adjust to vehicle
driving conditions and, in the case of emissions,
simply cannot observe this. That’s where tech-
nicians who perform emissions tests can assist
customers by detecting these issues.
But technicians can be the hero of this story
when using the proper equipment. Using a digital
volt-ohmmeter (DVO), a technician can detect a
dead oxygen sensors. Two other tools – a digital
storage oscilloscope (DSO) or scope meter – will
be able to diagnose a slow oxygen sensor.
Not All Sensors Are Alike
How do you know that you’re getting a quality
sensor? Walker Products’ robust oxygen sensor
programs features the highest quality com-
ponents to ensure OE fit, form, and function
guaranteed. Designed, engineered, and 100%
tested in house to ensure unsurpassed quality
and sensor longevity for the greatest customer
satisfaction.
 Walker oxygen sensors feature a ceramic body is Selling to Customers
made of stabilized zirconium dioxide and contained But how do you explain that to your custom-
in a housing that protects it against mechanical effects ers? It starts with the basics: an oxygen sensor
and facilitates mounting. A gas-permeable platinum monitors the oxygen content of the exhaust gas,
layer comprises the electrodes that coat the surface, which is processed by the vehicles engine com-
and a porous ceramic coating applied to the side ex- puters to evaluate engine efficiency. For quick
posed to the exhaust gas prevents contamination and explanations, service writers can share four sim-
erosion of the electrode surfaces by combustion residue ple benefits customers can receive by replacing
and particulates in the exhaust gases. their O2 sensors:
That means when you install Walker oxygen sensors, •  Improved engine response and perfor-
your customers get improved engine response and mance
performance, lower emissions, better fuel economy and • Lower emissions
longer sensor life. • Improved fuel economy
• Longer sensor life
Essentially, put a little bit of money in now,
and you could save big down the road. In fact,
for the cost of two tanks of gas, you’ll be able to
stretch your fuel economy and potentially buy
less gas. What a selling point!
When a shop offers to check the oxygen
sensors at any appropriate service interval, the
customer can ward off further damage by having
faulty or contaminated sensors replaced. Here is
a breakdown of replacement intervals.
• 30,000 – 50,000 miles: One-wire and two-
wire “unheated” type oxygen sensors. These
sensors are early technology units that depend
on exhaust heat to become active and are gen-
erally more sensitive to the elevated contamina-
tion of dirty or unbalanced exhaust, especially
the “wide-slot” varieties found on early Chrysler,
Ford and General Motors vehicles.
Put a little bit of money • 60,000 – 100,000 miles: “Heated” type
sensors and air fuel ratio sensors are the latest
in now, and you could high-tech products in this segment. Their
engineering advancements and sophistica-
save big down the road. tion allow them to operate more efficiently by
placing built-in heaters to warm the sensor up
In fact, for the cost of on initial startup. In addition, these sensors are
two tanks of gas, you’ll generally found in newer vehicle applications
that are more fuel efficient, therefore exposing
be able to stretch your the sensors to less harmful exhaust gases – all of
which adds to the life expectancy of the oxygen
fuel economy and sensors themselves.
Using these selling tips, installation informa-
potentially buy less gas. tion and Walker Original Equipment Oxygen
Sensors, your customers get improved engine re-
What a selling point! sponse and performance, lower emissions, better
fuel economy and longer sensor life. That trans-
lates to increased trust and potential business for
your shop, a win-win.
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The most robust

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oxygen sensor program
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The Walker Products Oxygen Sensor program is the most
comprehensive offering available to the aftermarket. All sensors
feature 100% OE Fit, Form and Function for all makes and all models.
WALKER PRODUCTS • 525 WEST CONGRESS STREET • PACIFIC, MO 63069
Corporate Office: 636-257-2400 • Fax: 636-257-6211
Customer Service: 636-257-1700 • Technical Support: 844-252-0114
www.walkerproducts.com

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