When the oxygen sensors on your Toyota Solara go out, the engine control unit–the computer of the car–won't be able to properly determine how to run the engine. As a result, you'll have idling issues, and get poor gas mileage as well. That means replacing the sensors so that things can run correctly. But before you do that, you first have to find them. In this case, the project vehicle is a 2005 Toyota Solara, but the process is similar for other vehicles as well.
Raise the vehicle up in the air using the jack and secure it on jack stands. Double check that the vehicle is secure prior to crawling underneath it.
Turn on the flashlight and locate the catalytic converters on the exhaust system. These are canisters that are in line with the exhaust, are a wider overall diameter than the exhaust itself, and are about 8-12 inches long.
Shine the flashlight just forward and just past the catalytic converters, looking for small, three to four-inch long tubes that jut out perpendicular to the exhaust tubing, that also have wiring running out one end. These are the oxygen sensors, and depending on the year and state your vehicle was purchased in, there may be more than two.
