CONTROL APPARATUS FOR AN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE

A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes an exhaust gas sensor that has a sensor element and a heater for electrically heating the sensor element, a sensor circuit that detects the electric current generated by the exhaust gas sensor, a controller configured to: carry out starting processing to start the internal combustion engine, learn a value of the output of the sensor circuit when the starting processing is carried out by the controller, and control a temperature of the sensor element by using the heater, and controls the temperature of the sensor element to less than the predetermined temperature until the learning of the output value of the sensor circuit by the controller is completed after the starting processing is carried out by the controller.