The oxygen sensor is located at the beginning of your tailpipe. Its primary job is to measure how much oxygen is being released in your vehicle’s exhaust. It reports this information to the engine control module, and this module uses the information to adjust the air and fuel levels in the combustion chamber. Also called the O2 sensor, if this part malfunctions or dies, Benton Road Auto and Diesel Repair advises that you will notice one or more of the following problems with your automobile.
Check Engine Warning
One of the first things that happens with a bad O2 sensor is your check engine light will turn on. This is because the oxygen sensor sends an error code to the engine control module when it malfunctions. A malfunctioning O2 sensor is one of the primary reasons why check engine lights illuminate on the dashboard.
Fuel Economy Loss
If the oxygen sensor is sending the wrong data to the engine control module, the module will make an unnecessary adjustment to the air and fuel ratio in the combustion chamber. This can cause a reduction in your vehicle’s fuel economy because the incorrect mixture makes the engine run inefficiently.
Rotten Egg Odors
Aside from the fuel economy loss, if there is too much gasoline or diesel fuel in your vehicle’s engine, the catalytic converter can become clogged quickly while it tries to process the carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide. Once the catalytic converter is having problems, you will smell burning sulfur, which has a rotten egg odor.
Black Exhaust Smoke
Another consequence of too much fuel in the combustion chamber is black exhaust smoke pouring out of your tailpipe. This is because the engine is burning away the excess fuel, and this causes the black exhaust. You will have the excess black exhaust until such time as you replace the oxygen sensor.
High Emissions Levels
Figuratively speaking in this case, where there’s smoke there’s fire, and the excess fuel will also cause excess carbons in your vehicle’s exhaust. This increases your emissions levels beyond what is acceptable in many states. Consequently, if you live in a state that has emissions testing, such as here in Louisiana, your vehicle will fail the test if the oxygen sensor has gone bad.
Engine Performance Trouble
Finally, a malfunctioning O2 sensor can also cause problems with your engine’s performance. As with everything else on our list, the problem points back to the incorrect mixture of air and fuel in the combustion chamber. Too much air will make your engine sluggish; too much fuel will make it surge.
We can help here at Benton Road Auto and Diesel Repair in Bossier City, LA, so give us a call today.
