How to Troubleshoot Ford Taurus Oxygen Sensors
The oxygen sensor on the Ford Taurus checks the air to fuel ratio as the engine runs to make sure that the Taurus is running with the correct mixture of air to gasoline. Since the ideal mixture is a constant 1 part gasoline to 14.7 air, the sensor needs to constantly monitor the exhaust gases for any deviation and to make sure that the mixture leaving the exhaust is burning efficiently. After 100,000 miles though, the oxygen sensor starts to wear out. If you notice your Taurus lurching, running rough at idle, or you have a rich gasoline smell all of the time, you may want to troubleshoot the Taurus oxygen sensor to verify that it is working properly.
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Instructions
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Raise the Ford Taurus onto jack stands. Locate the front jack point behind the radiator and lift up on the Taurus. Place a jack stand underneath each of the two front pinch welds on either side of the Taurus under the front driver and passenger side doors and lower the vehicle onto the stands.
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2
Remove the electrical connection running to the O2 sensor underneath the Taurus. The oxygen sensor is located on the catalytic converter.
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Connect the red lead and black lead on the voltmeter to the feedback wire and ground wire, respectively, on the sensor. Normally, the ground wire will be black.
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Set the dial on the voltmeter to the millivolt option.
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Start your Taurus's engine and run it at idle until it reaches normal operating temperature. Oxygen sensors will not show you a correct reading until the engine is warm.
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Check the voltmeter for proper voltage. The meter should fluctuate and then settle on or near 150 millivolts. Have an assistant rev the engine for you. If the sensor is working properly, the voltmeter reading will drop while the throttle opens, indicating an initial lean mixture of air to fuel. Then, as the throttle closes, the meter will read slightly higher than 150 millivolts, indicating a rich mixture of air to fuel. It will then return to the 150 millivolt reading. If it does not do this, the sensor has failed, and you will need to have it replaced.
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