how much should they be when operating correctly?

The one on the passenger side is 455ish.
The driver side (which is throwing codes) varies from 150ish to 500ish.

Is this any indicator as to what is actually wrong? Does this show that it probably ISN'T a wiring issue? Or does this tell me nothing at all?

Thanks,
Scott

 

they shoud swithc between rich and lean. 0.0v to 1.0v low voltage is lean high voltage is rich. what codes are you getting?

 

They should change between 100's and 900's several times a second. If the car wasn't in closed loop this could cause them to look this way. After the car warms up enough they change rapidly and usually go with one high number and then a low one and so on. A bad sensor will usually do what your saying but if the wiring is burnt or damaged this could also make them read wrong.

 

Switch the sensors from side to side and let the car warm up, then check the readings. If the code changes from driver side to passenger side then you know you have a bad sensor, but if the code stays on the driver side then you know you have a bad wire somewhere

 

To be more helpfull we will need code numbers and code description, a failed 02 heater will set a code and turn on the ses light! remember your car is obdII in closed loop you fronts should switch your rears shouldn't unless it has no cats or failed cats.

 

These are idle readings. the driver side changed every time I turned the car on, and i did it a LOT. The passenger side read the same the whole time.

The code is low circuit voltage and another I don't remember.

 

You have to run the car until you get it into closed loop before you can get any kind of accutate reading of the sensors. If you turn the car off it will make the car go to open loop until you meet the cryteria you need to get it in closed loop again. Until the sensors reach 600 degree i think they will not work correctly.

 

If the sensor stays near 450mV, even in open loop, either the wire/circuit is "open", or the sensor is deceased. What you are seeing on your passnger side is the PCM's own bias voltage, indicating the sensor is not working.

Even in open loop, as the sensor starts to warm up, it will start to drift toward lean (AIR pump operating) or toward rich (AIR pump deleted) slowly, over the two minutes or so that the PCM allows for the sensors to reach the required operating temperature.

 

Bank 2 sensor 1 is the passenger side front?

 

Yes

 

Oh duh. I got it now. I didn't even think about this before posting.

 

Hope that works for you. I work with a mechanic and he said that sometimes the voltage readings on a voltmeter show the correct voltages but the wave lengths may be incorrect. (sort of like a frequency reading) In this case you need a scope to scope it out. Hope this is not the case for you... just my 2 cents.