Oxygen Sensor Troubles Cause the Following Problems

The oxygen sensor is also called the O2 sensor, and it is a sensitive auto part that keeps track of the oxygen levels in the exhaust. In older automobiles, the most a driver could expect to get out of the oxygen sensor was 30,000 miles. Today’s vehicles have sensors that last as long as 100,000 miles. Righteous Auto Care advises that a faulty O2 sensor can cause numerous problems with your automobile. We’re going to list these problems below.

When the oxygen sensor goes bad, it generally sends a code to the main computer chip to report the error. To alert you of the problem, the main computer chip will turn on the check engine light. It will keep the check engine light illuminated until you replace the malfunctioning O2 sensor.

A malfunctioning O2 sensor can also affect the delicate balance of air and fuel in the combustion chamber. When this happens and you end up with excess fuel in the mixture, you will see black exhaust smoke pouring out of your tailpipe. This is an indication that your engine is burning too much fuel.

The excess fuel will also increase the emissions levels in your vehicle’s exhaust. Consequently, your vehicle will fail an emissions test if you live in a state that conducts them. In fact, a vehicle cannot pass an emissions test with an illuminated check engine light. You will need to replace the oxygen sensor to pass the test.

The imbalance of air and fuel can also cause engine performance problems such as surging or sputtering. It might seem strange that the oxygen sensor can affect how well your engine performs, but it can. This is because, again, the oxygen sensor is indirectly skewing the balance of air and fuel in the combustion chamber.

Anytime your engine struggles to perform, you will take a hit to your fuel economy. There’s no way to avoid this because engine efficiency affects fuel efficiency. As you can see, a malfunctioning oxygen sensor can create all kinds of trouble.

Finally, if you notice rotten egg smells in your vehicle’s exhaust, it’s probable that your catalytic converter is failing. This is because there are too many carbons in your vehicle’s exhaust for the converter to process.

Call Righteous Auto Care in Racine, WI, today if you believe your vehicle’s oxygen sensor has gone bad. We can test the sensor and replace it if necessary.