The oxygen sensor plays an important role in controlling your vehicle’s emissions. Also called the O2 sensor, this sensor detects the levels of oxygen in the exhaust and reports the information to the engine control unit. The unit uses this information to balance out the air and fuel in the combustion chamber. You can expect to get about 90,000 miles of life out of the factory oxygen sensor. Here are signs that the sensor is malfunctioning and needs to be replaced.
CEL Warning
Your check engine light will turn on if the oxygen sensor has gone bad. The sensor sends a malfunction code to the engine control unit when it needs to be replaced. To let you know that there is a problem, the engine control unit turns on the CEL.
Performance Trouble
When the oxygen sensor is faulty, it can skew the data that it sends to the unit. If this happens, the unit may add air or fuel to the combustion chamber unnecessarily. Consequently, your engine will start to suffer from performance problems.
Poor Fuel Efficiency
These problems will decrease your vehicle’s fuel efficiency. Whether the engine is sputtering or picking up speed unexpectedly, it will consume more fuel. It will also consume more fuel if the engine control unit adds extra fuel to the chamber.
Dark Exhaust Smoke
This extra fuel can create dark exhaust smoke. Any time you see black smoke coming out of the tailpipe, your engine is burning fuel. This can be caused indirectly by the O2 sensor or another problem such as leaking fuel injectors.
Sulfur Odors
Unfortunately, this excess fuel can also create problems for the catalytic converter. It can get clogged with sulfur and carbon deposits as it tries to treat the excess dark exhaust caused by the burning fuel. Unfortunately, you may end up with sulfur odors in your vehicle’s exhaust. These odors smell like rancid eggs.
Increased Emissions
In addition, this will also increase your emissions. A faulty O2 sensor will cause your vehicle to fail an emissions test. This can make your life difficult if you live in an area that requires this type of testing in order to register your vehicle.
There is no need to worry, however. We are here to help, and we’d be happy to replace the oxygen sensor. Call us today to set up a convenient service visit so we can get you in and out of our shop as quickly as possible.