What is a Wideband Oxygen Sensor?

I was recently asked, “What is a Wideband Oxygen Sensor?” Welcome to Mercie J Auto Care, where compassion and craftsmanship come together, I'm Rick Smith.
So first of all, an oxygen sensor, the old school ones that have been around for a very long time, they change voltages based on the amount of oxygen in the exhaust. So typically below half a volt, the system's lean above half a volt, the system's rich.
Now Wideband Oxygen Sensor, instead of being kind of an on/off scenario like a regular oxygen sensor. These are also known as air fuel ratio sensors. They're linear, they can measure the air fuel ratio as opposed to just say whether it's above or below a threshold. The problem with them is they are very difficult to test because the equipment to test the microamps that you have to check is very very expensive equipment. To me it's not worth it, you can typically use a scanner to diagnose those properly.
I hope that helps you understand a little bit about an Air Fuel ratio sensor or a wideband oxygen sensor. Until next time, safe travels and blessings to you.