The oxygen (O2) sensor in your car, truck, or utility vehicle is designed to measure the oxygen levels in the exhaust. It reports these levels to the main computer chip, the engine control unit (ECU). The oxygen sensor can last anywhere from 30,000 miles to 100,000 miles, so it’s important to know the signs that it has gone bad. Auto Service Kingston is going to list those signs below.
Performance Trouble
When the oxygen sensor goes bad and returns incorrect data to the ECU, the ECU makes unnecessary adjustments to the air and fuel in the combustion chamber. This causes engine performance problems such as sputtering, hiccupping, stalling, and surging.
Fuel Efficiency Loss
These engine performance problems will also reduce your vehicle’s fuel economy. With petrol prices on the rise, it can be incredibly frustrating to have to fill up more often. Unfortunately, the ECU will not balance out the air and fuel in the combustion chamber until the O2 sensor is replaced.
Rotten Egg Odors
If the ECU believes that the combustion chamber needs more fuel when it doesn’t, this can clog your catalytic converter. The excess hydrocarbons released in the exhaust will build up inside the converter and you will smell rotten eggs in your car, truck, or utility vehicle’s exhaust.
Black Exhaust Smoke
The excess fuel and faulty catalytic converter will also increase the exhaust that flows out of your tailpipe. Instead of being unable to see the exhaust, you will see black exhaust smoke flowing out of the tailpipe. This is an indication that the exhaust is untreated and toxic.
High Emissions Levels
The reason why the exhaust is toxic is that it has higher emissions levels than it normally would with a functioning O2 sensor and catalytic converter. It also has higher emissions because the combustion chamber is burning excess fuel. You will continue to have these high emissions levels until you replace the malfunctioning O2 sensor and the ECU balances out the combustion chamber.
Check Engine Warning
Finally, when the O2 sensor goes bad, it notifies the ECU. The ECU is unable to repair a faulty oxygen sensor, so it turns on the check engine light to let you know there is a problem in the engine. In this case, this problem is your malfunctioning oxygen sensor that needs to be replaced.
We can do that here at Auto Service Kingston in Kingston, ON, so give us a call today. We’d be happy to test your O2 sensor and replace it if necessary.