The O2 sensors or automotive oxygen sensors make contemporary fuel injected – electric - and emissions control possible. What these sensors do is to determine if the air fuel ratio exiting a gas-combustible engine is loaded with unburnt fuel vapors or has very little excess oxygen.

According to real-time sensor data, rather than operate with a predetermined open-loop fuel map, close-looped feedback-controlled fuel injected varies the fuel injector output. Although to improve overall engine operations, there needs to be a reduction in the amount of both oxides of nitrogen and unburnt fuel from entering our atmosphere. Air-borne hydrocarbons or the unburnt fuel in pollution form, while oxides of nitrogen are the results of excess air in the fuel mixture which can cause acid rain and smog.

How to install universal oxygen sensor

There is essentially 8-step to installing a new Universal oxygen sensor.

1] Remove the old sensor, which is normally located in the exhaust type, or manifold.

2] Lay the new Universal oxygen sensor next to the old oxygen sensor and using a wire cutter cut the new one to the size of the old one.

3] Strip 3/8" of the wire insulation from all the wire ends.

4] Use the color table in the installation instructions to install the connector over the expose wires. Don’t connect your sensor if you cannot match wire colors.

Type A Type B Type C Type D Honda GM Titania 3W Toyota Titania 4W

OE Signal Black Blue Gray Gray White Purple Black Gray Yellow

OE Heater White Black Black Black Black Brown Red Brown Red

OE Heater White Black Yellow Red Black Brown White White White

OE Ground Gray White Green Tan Blue Black

5] The wire seals are then placed over the color-coded caps.

6] Connect the two ends in the middle without twisting or criss-crossing the wires, again using the color chart to match which wire goes with which wire.

7] Push the wire cap into the body case of the wires until everything locks into place.

8] Reinstall the Universal sensor back into the car in the same location as the original sensor. Making sure you keep the wires away from any hot spots or possible abrasions. And now you have installed an oxygen sensor.

4-wire O2 sensor installation

There is a black wire next to the gray one, which is located at the rear of the cam cover on the passenger side. You can unclip this using a screwdriver. Disconnect the old wire first, it should be a 7/8" and an open-end wrench works great for this. No need to buy fancy equipment such as an O2 universal sensor socket. Cut off the old sensor and use it to splice into the black wire on the new Universal sensor. The actual O2 sensor is the black wire. And where does the gray wire go? It will be grounded to a bolt at the rear of the head on the driver side.

Make sure you have good splices and solder them. Using butane torch or a pencil iron to get a good tin on the wires some people use solder rings and crimp them on the ends. The signal gray wire from the sensor or the grounding wire goes under the bolt way back. But where do the other two white wires go? One is attached to grounding but not the same grounding as the signal ground, and the other white wire is attached to the 12-volt source.