# 02 Sensor Tester

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/02-sensor-tester/92537>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Created:** [February 16, 2016, 8:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/02-sensor-tester/92537 "2016-02-16T20:49:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Sloepoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@Sloepoke](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Sloepoke)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2016, 8:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/02-sensor-tester/92537/1 "2016-02-16T20:49:01Z")

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Does anyone think this would be worthwhile for the home diy’r mechanic ? Costs about $105.00 .

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**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2016, 9:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/02-sensor-tester/92537/2 "2016-02-17T09:04:32Z")

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How does it work? What’s the theory of operation based on? Do you test the O2 sensor while its on the car, or do you remove it from the car first?

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**Author:** ![Sloepoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@Sloepoke](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Sloepoke)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2016, 9:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/02-sensor-tester/92537/3 "2016-02-17T09:14:12Z")

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Can you not watch the video ? The video shows it being used with the 02 sensor on the car & they say it can also test one that’s off the car but it doesn’t show how .

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**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2016, 9:30am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/02-sensor-tester/92537/4 "2016-02-17T09:30:06Z")

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No can’t watch it, vdo’s blocked by the computer’s security software. If that gadget monitors the O2 sensor signal in the time domain while the engine idles, monitoring the rise and fall times, the low and high voltage levels, and the frequency of the oscillation, that could indeed be diagnostic enough to tell if an O2 sensor was malfunctioning or not. If I had $105 though, I’d use it to purchase an oscilloscope, which with your own brain would serve the same purpose and then you’d also have an oscilloscope.