How to Disable an O2 Sensor

by Zyon Silket
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Oxygen sensors, commonly called O2 sensors, measure the air/fuel mixture, as it burns in your engine. The O2 sensor helps to ensure proper pollution levels are maintained. If you like to tinker with your car, or add performance parts to increase horsepower, such as a larger throttle body, nitrous or even headers, the O2 sensor will likely tell the ECU the engine is producing too much pollution and the "Check Engine" light will illuminate. It could also cause the ECU to recalibrate and hinder your efforts to add horsepower to your car. To avoid this, you can disable your O2 sensors.

Step 1

Locate the O2 sensors on your vehicle. Every vehicle has at least one O2 sensor but most have four. Inspect both exhaust manifolds and inspect the down tube extending out of the exhaust manifolds. You will likely find one sensor in each manifold and down tube. The O2 sensor looks like a white spark plug and has a green wire extending out of the top of it.

Step 2

Follow the green wire from the O2 sensor, and locate the wiring harness that connects to it.

Step 3

Unplug the O2 sensor from the wiring harness, and tie the green wire into a loop.

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