I have a 97 Dodge Ram 1500 with the 5.9 in it. Kicked the Check engine light the other day on the way home from work, didnt run bad just a light. I took it yesturday to get it checked and come as a P0132 Bank 1 Sensor 1 Highvoltage out of range. They reset the light and all went fine the rest of the day and then today, this afternoon the light came back on. My question is, do I need to change the O2 sensor or is there something else that makes the voltage go out of range? Just making sure before I start dumping $70 on a sensor. Thanks in advance for any help.

 

The voltage is a range that the o2 sensor will light the engine light...Take for example the range is 5-15 volts meaning that you have 5-15% un burned fuel in your exhaust. Any thing in the range of 16-25 voltsthe O2 sensor lights. This is only an example. Depending on driving habits grade of gas and Age of sparkplugs ,aftermarket parts you have added will change when the that engine code comes up. I have simular problem on my 97 with the 5.2 I have 70k on it and did the mods listed in my signature when my O2 started lighting. it does it like everyother day. Or when I tow my boat etc. I have thought of replacing but if it keeps comming and going then I will wait till it doesnt go away any more. You might .. That is just my 2 cents.

Basicly the O2 sensor is cloged or indeed going bad. 70 bucks isnt bad if it fixes the true problem. I have heard a few people who dont have emission tests have added a ceramic power resistor to the wires of the 02 Input plug and the light goes out for good. Sensing the right voltage. This is not recommended but.....In a pinch

 

25 Volts from an o2 sensor would burn a hole in your pcm like an arc welder & a sim for a front o2 would get you about 5mpg and black smoke out of the tailpipe!!!!!!
I'd start with a new 02 sensor if I were you.

 

Chances are the heater circuit has shorted into the signal cicuit of he O2 sensor.
The right diag tests would verify this.
An O2 sensor works between 0 to 1 volt.
The heater circuit in the O2 sensor heats the sensor up to about 600 degres allowing computer to take full comand of the air/fuel mixture faster than if it was heated up by the exhaust gasses.
The computer tries to keep the O2 sensor at about .5 of a volt .
.1 volt lean , .9 volt rich .5 volt about 14.7 to 1 air/fuel mixture.

At about 600 degres the O2 sensor can create a chemical reaction voltage as oxygen passes through it . Too much oxygen means to much hydrocarbons = unburned air/fuel mixture ,so the computer makes more adjustments then looks at the O2 voltage to make further adjustments.
This is why the O2 sensor signal toggles from about .1 to .9 volts crossing the .5 volts.
It is trying to mantain the perfect scotiametric air/fuel mix of about 14.7/1 air to fuel mixture.

This is in rough terms how an oxygen sensor works . I'm not trying to badmouth Trippen but he should read up on how things work before he tells someone his version of an O2 sensor curcuit and its operation.

P.S. Auto diag is what i do for a living.
No hard feelings Trippen

 

Sorry guys didnt knotice you had replied.
Ok, after the light was reset it waited about two days and came back on. I went ahead and ordered a sensor for it. Well before the sensor came in, the light went out on its own. And so far hasnt came back on. So I am guessing it must be like what was said above, I do remember it came on after I had drove it kind of hard. So I guess now it is just a waiting game to see if it comes back on or not. Thanks for the imput and the lesson on 02 sensors.

 

No offence taken... I Didnt know the voltage ranges. Just the way the schematic works. Sorry if my "Take for example" threw you guys. But no hard feelings. Some times for folks its easyer to deal in whole numbers and precents not tenths.