Walker Products Oxygen Sensor

A right combination of oxygen and fuel is very necessary in order to create a better combustion. But if you have a failing oxygen sensor, this can hardly be achieved. Your oxygen sensors, which are installed before and after the catalytic converter, are devices that measure the ratio of air and fuel that leaves the exhaust manifold and enters the catcon. The device has platinum electrodes that get charged up, and the charge is sent through the wires and to the computer, which then tells if the air-fuel mixture is too rich, too lean, or just enough. After the reading, the computer regulates the amount of oxygen in the manifold to achieve a better performance. Because your oxygen sensor is always exposed to air in the exhaust system, it can get clogged up with contaminants, during which it will need replacement. Walker Products is one brand that you can opt for, but before buying its oxygen sensor, let us first put it to the test.

• Comes with four wires
• With length according to OE specification
• Sold individually
• Installs after the catalytic converter
• Heated sensor

We tested this component on a 2009 Nissan Sentra and a 1999 Hyundai Grandeur, and here is what we have to say:

• The product passed our visual inspection. The wires were not twisted and had no cuts on the insulation. The metallic exterior looked okay as well.
• We had a hassle-free installation of the component. We knew better not to work on the cars with a hot engine, so we let the cars cool down first. We just needed to remove the old unit from the end of the catalytic converter of each car, then splice the old connector to the new unit. We finished the job under thirty minutes for each car.
• We drove the Sentra and the Grandeur for some time in order to see if the check engine light would come on. The alert did not light up.
• We checked the oxygen sensor using a voltmeter. We got a highly fluctuating reading when the vehicles were warmed up. We performed the vacuum leak test and got 0.1 volt when the port was opened and 0.5 volt when the plug was closed. We had good readings.

• This heated oxygen sensor took a little bit longer to heat up once the engine had been turned on. The old ones removed from the Sentra and the Grandeur would heat up after one minute, but the new unit heated up almost twice longer. We just hoped that this would not affect the performance of the two cars.

This oxygen sensor is one of the cheaper products you can find out there. The unit is of good quality despite heating up a little longer than normal. If you have a van or truck with running boards, just be more patient with the installation, for the mounting location would be a bit difficult to reach.