Oxygen Sensor Heater Test -P0135 (1997-1998 4.2L V6 Ford F150, F250)

TEST 2: Verifying The Heater Element Is Getting Ground

If you've reached this point, you have confirmed that HO2S 11's heater element is being fed power. The next step is to check that it's getting Ground.

The right front oxygen sensor's heater element is fed Ground by red with white stripe RED/WHT wire (of the engine wiring harness HO2S 11 electrical connector).

We can do a very simple multimeter voltage test to see if Ground is indeed present or not.

IMPORTANT: The illustration of the connector above is of the engine wiring harness O2 sensor connector. This connector has female terminals.

CAUTION: The heater element gets Ground from the PCM (internally). Be careful that you don't accidentally or intentionally short this wire to battery 12 Volts or you'll fry your Ford's PCM. Doing the described multimeter voltage test below is a safe way to test this circuit for Ground.

These are the test steps:

1. 1

   Disconnect the O2 sensor from its engine wiring harness connector.

2. 2

   Place your multimeter in Volts DC.

3. 3

   Connect the red multimeter test lead to the battery positive (+) post.

4. 4

   Turn the key to the RUN position but don't crank or start the engine.

5. 5

   Gently probe the female terminal of the connector that connects to the RED/WHT wire with the black multimeter test lead.
   
   NOTE: This test is done on the O2 sensor's 4-wire engine wiring harness connector. This connector has female terminals.

6. 6

   Your multimeter should register 10 to 12 Volts DC.

Let's take a look at your test results:

CASE 1: The multimeter registered 10 to 12 Volts DC. This tells you that HO2S 11's heater element is getting Ground.

So far you've confirmed that the HO2S 11's heater element is getting both power and Ground. The next step is to check the heater element's resistance with your multimeter. For this test, go to: TEST 3: Testing The Heater Element's Resistance.

CASE 2: The multimeter DID NOT register 10 to 12 Volts DC. Re-check all of your connections and make sure you're testing the correct terminal.

If your multimeter still doesn't register the 10 to 12 Volts DC, then the most likely cause of this missing Ground is an 'open' in the RED/WHT wire between the O2 sensor's engine wiring harness connector and your Ford's PCM.

TEST 3: Testing The Heater Element's Resistance

Up until this point in your testing you have verified:

• A P0135 trouble code is lighting up the check engine light.
• The HO2S 11's internal heater is getting power (TEST 1).
• The HO2S 11's internal heater is getting Ground (TEST 2).

In this last test, we're gonna' check the O2 sensor's heater element's resistance. If the resistance is not within specification, then we now know the O2 sensor is bad and the cause of the P0135: P0135: HO2S 11 Circuit Malfunction trouble code.

NOTE: Just a reminder that the upstream oxygen sensor has to be completely cold before proceeding with this test since the manual calls for the O2 sensor to be at room temperature for the resistance test.

OK, this is what you need to do:

1. 1

   Disconnect the O2 sensor.

2. 2

   Locate the male terminals labeled with the number 1 and number 2 of the O2 sensor connector itself (not the engine wiring harness O2 connector).
   
   NOTE: This connector has male terminals and belongs to the O2 sensor itself.

3. 3

   Place your multimeter in Ohms mode.

4. 4

   With your multimeter in Ohms mode probe terminals number 1 and number 2 of the O2 sensor's connector.

5. 5

   If all is OK, you should see about 3 to 30 Ohms (Ω) on your multimeter.
   
   If the heater element is fried, your multimeter will show an open (usually indicated by the letters OL) or a number over 10 K Ω.

Let's take a look at your test results:

CASE 1: Your multimeter confirmed the indicated resistance. This test result tells you that the HO2S 11's heater is OK.

CASE 2: Your multimeter DID NOT show the indicated resistance specification. This confirms that the HO2S 11's heater element is fried.

You can conclude that the oxygen sensor needs to be replaced if you have:

• Confirmed that the right front O2 sensor's heater element is getting power (TEST 1).
• Confirmed that the right front O2 sensor's heater element is getting Ground (TEST 2).
• In this test, you have confirmed that the heater element's resistance is out of specification.

More 4.2L V6 Ford F150 And F250 Diagnostic Tutorials

You can find a complete list of 4.2L Ford F150/F250 tutorials and wiring diagrams in this index:

• 4.2L Ford F150 And F250 Index of Articles.

Here's a small sample of the tutorials you'll find in the index:

• How To Test The Fuel Pump (1997-2003 4.2L V6 Ford F150, F250).
• How To Test The Fuel Injectors (2001-2003 4.2L V6 Ford F150, F250).
• How To Test The Throttle Position Sensor (1997-2000 4.2L V6 Ford F150, F250).
• How To Test The Ford EGR Valve EGR Vacuum Solenoid, DPFE Sensor.
• How To Test The Coil Pack (Ford 3.0L, 3.8L, 4.0L, 4.2L).