Ford O2 sensor is like a small tool that figures out how much oxygen is in the dirty air that comes out of the car. That way the car knows how well the engine is burning fuel and ensures the perfect amount of fuel and air.
Here, I’ll break down all the important information about the O2 sensor in Ford cars. This includes what it is, how it works, wiring and code details, location, and more. Let’s Start!
Table of Contents
What Is Ford O2 Sensor and How It Works?
The O2 sensor in Ford cars is a small device that can detect the air-to-fuel level in the catalytic converter and inform the ECM quickly.
By doing this, it ensures that the engine is working well without having an issue of fuel not burning. Plus, the sensors in the car help detect the O2 contents of the exhaust gases and deliver signals so that the parts keep on working properly.
- First, the engine’s combustion chamber releases leftover gases to sensors on both sides of the car. These sensors then check how much oxygen is in these gases and tell the car’s cleaning system about it.
- Then, the cleaning system makes sure the gases are cleaner and sends them back to the sensors to check again. This time, another set of sensors checks if the cleaning worked well.
- After that, these new sensors tell the car’s computer about the gases. The computer then adjusts how the engine works based on this information and checks if the cleaning system is doing its job right.
- If the computer doesn’t get the right signals, it might show a problem on the dashboard or turn on a warning light. To know the working of the F150 O2 sensor in detail, be sure to check this guide!
Common Ford O2 Sensor Error Codes!
When you use an OBD II or other scan tools to detect the fault codes of your car, you’ll mostly see some weird digits with numbers.
All of the error codes have specific meaning and indication of the problematic part. Here are the most common O2 sensor codes that you’ll find:
| Error Code | Meaning | Location |
| P0135 | Heating circuit / open | Bank 1 |
| P0175 | System too Rich | Bank 2 |
| P0713 | Fuel trim issue | Bank 2 |
| P0171 | System too Lean | Bank 1 |
| P0162 | O2 sensor circuit issue | Bank 2 |
To know more about the Ford O2 sensor codes, check this guide now as it shows their meaning, causes, and fixes.
Wiring Diagram of Ford O2 Sensor!
Ford O2 sensors usually come with 1 to 4 wires based on the year of the car’s model. In most cases, the sensors have four wires. Let me share each wire detail along with the diagram:
O2 Sensor Line Wire
This wire has a strong resistance to being connected to the ground. When the engine gets warm, the voltage on this wire changes between 0V and 1V.
In setups with only one wire for the sensor, this wire carries the signal from the O2 sensor, which gets grounded by the exhaust manifold.
Heater (Power) Wire
This wire gets connected to a 12V power source when the engine is running. But in setups with four wires, the ECU controls it by either connecting or disconnecting the ground for the heater internally.
To know more details about the Ford’s 4-wire O2 sensor including its diagram and color code, you can check out this guide!
O2 Signal Ground Wire
This wire is always connected to the ground on the engine’s wiring harness side. It’s used in 2, 3, and 4-wire O2 sensors.
Heater (Ground) Wire
This wire gets grounded when the heater needs power. Like, when you start the engine or when the exhaust gas temperature is low.
Once the engine warms up completely, the ECU disconnects the ground for the heater, causing it to no longer be grounded and float up to the 12V line.
Ford O2 Sensor Location!
Depending on the Ford car series, the location of the oxygen sensor would be diverse. Usually, you’ll find it under the car and may need to jack up the car to reach it. Here’s the details:
Ford Focus O2 Sensor
The location of the O2 sensor for Ford Focus cars in the Bank 1 and Bank 2 chamber. In that case, you’ll find the 2 or 4 O2 sensors in Ford Focus based on the engine type.
For example, you’ll find the O2 sensor in the 2012 Ford Focus near the catalytic converter underneath the car.
Plus, you’ll locate the upstream O2 sensor for the 2012 Ford Focus under the exhaust manifold flanges and above the cat converter. The same goes for the latest cars too.
Ford Ranger O2 Sensor
The O2 sensor’s location of the Ford Ranger is beneath the car near the catalytic converters. But, it may differ a little based on the number of sensors.
For instance, the 2000 Ford Ranger O2 sensor can be 3 in number if your car has a single exhaust pipe. In that case, you’ll find them near the left, right, and middle catalytic converter’s tailpipe.
In the same way, the 2000 Ford Ranger 3.0 O2 sensor can be 4 in number if your car has a dual exhaust pipe. You’ll find the sensors above and behind each cat converter’s tailpipe.
Ford Fusion O2 Sensor
The O2 sensor in a Fusion car is placed in the exhaust system, between the engine and the catalytic converter.
Mostly, there’s one sensor near the radiator fan at the front, and another in the front of the exhaust after the converter. Then again, you’ll find two more sensors on the rear side.
Ford Explorer O2 Sensor
Usually, the location of the O2 sensor in Ford Explorer is near the catalytic converters. In older or latest models, the O2 sensor for Ford Explorer is placed on each side of the vehicle near the catalytic converters.
Ford Escape O2 Sensor
In most cases, you’ll find around four O2 sensors for Ford Escape cars. And, they are separated into 2 sectors based on the position of the Bank chamber.
For example, the 2008 – 2011 Ford Escape O2 sensor location is under the car near the front-left and front-right catalytic converters.
And, the same goes for the latest cars. In Bank 1 and 2, you’ll find the O2 sensor Ford Escape above and behind the cat converter.
Ford Taurus O2 Sensor
If you have a Taurus car, the O2 sensor location would be diverse. Bank 1 Sensor 1 and Bank 2 Sensor 1 are on the exhaust manifold.
Then again, you’ll find the Bank 1 Sensor 2 in the middle of the Y-shaped tailpipe (between the exhaust manifold and catalytic converter). However, the Bank 1 Sensor 3 is on the rear cat converter.
To know exactly where is the O2 sensor located in detail, look into this in-depth guide and find it easily!
Bypassing Ford O2 Sensor in 2 Ways!
To bypass or delete the O2 sensor on your Ford car, you can do this by tricking the system. For that, you’ll need an NF (non-fouler) shifter or simulator. You can look into this guide to learn more about the Ford O2 sensor simulator. After that, follow the given steps to bypass it:
Via Wired Simulator
- Firstly, locate the O2 sensors underneath the car by checking the service manual.
- Then, identify the O2 Signal, Heated (Power), and Ground wires of O2 sensors.
- Afterward, use a multimeter to check the Heated wire while the ignition key is in the ON position.
- Next, check the Ground wire for continuity with the car’s chassis.
- After that, detach the negative battery terminal of the car and jack it up.
- Once it’s done, unplug the O2 sensor wiring harness and connect the wires like in the above diagram.
- Connect the Black wire of the O2 sensor simulator to the sensor’s Ground wire.
- Attach the Red wire of the O2 sensor simulator to the sensor’s +12V (power) wire.
- Cut the Signal wire of the O2 sensor halfway and connect the car end to the White/Green or Yellow/Blue wire of the O2 simulator.
- Afterward, insulate the crimps or solder and electrical tape.
- Then, reinstall all the parts.
Via Threaded Simulator Adapter
- Starting with taking out the negative battery cable and using a transmission jack to lift the car.
- Then, go underneath the car and find the O2 sensors.
- Next, disconnect the sensors using a wrench.
- After that, put an O2 simulator or shifter into the hole where the O2 sensor was and then install the O2 sensor in its thread. Repeat this for the other sensors.
- Finally, lower the car back down and remove the jack. If you want more detailed instructions, check out this guide to learn how to bypass the O2 sensor on the Ford F150 cars.
How to Replace Ford O2 Sensor?
You can easily change the O2 sensors from your Ford car if following the service manual direction. Here’s how you can do it:
- To start with, you’ll need to check the service manual based on your car series and model.
- Then, open the hood of your car and disconnect the negative cable of the battery using the right tool.
- After that, insert the transmission jack stand and pads under your car to lift it up.
- Next, go under your car and find the O2 sensors.
- Afterward, detach the O2 sensor’s wire using your bare hand. Then, detach the sensor using a suitable wrench. According to wikiHow, you should use some penetrating oil on the sensor to loosen it up before twisting it with a wrench.
- Once it’s done, remove the old sensor and install a new one. Be sure to apply some anti-seize or grease to ensure perfect fitting. Do not apply too much grease on the sensors.
- Lastly, tighten it out using the wrench and do the same to replace other sensors too.
For Your Information: Based on one user of a discussion site, you may need to change an O2 sensor around 30k to 100k miles.
Ending Notes
That’s all you should know about the Ford O2 sensor! Be sure to take care of the sensors in your car and inspect it on a regular basis.
Keep in mind that lead, antifreeze contamination, rich fuel, or silicon are some of the things that can damage the sensor badly. If you spot it on your car, be quick to replace it.
Hope this detailed guide helps you to know everything about the sensor and I’ll catch you in a new guide soon. Have A Great Day!
