Sixty to 90,000 miles; that’s the average lifespan of an oxygen (O2) sensor in a newer automobile. The O2 sensor doesn’t last as long in older automobiles. Either way, once the O2 sensor goes bad, your car, truck, or utility vehicle will start to act strange. Texan Auto Repair & Collision is going to list some of the problems associated with a faulty O2 sensor below.
Black Engine Exhaust Smoke
One odd occurrence is black exhaust smoke flowing out of the tailpipe. If the O2 sensor is malfunctioning, it may convince the engine control module (your vehicle’s main computer chip) that the combustion chamber needs more fuel when it actually doesn’t. This can create black exhaust.
Engine Performance Issues
Too much fuel can also make your engine pick up speed in spurts when you least expect it. If the faulty O2 sensor convinces the engine control module that the combustion chamber needs more air when it actually doesn’t, your engine will sputter and struggle to accelerate and operate at high speeds.
Increased Emissions Levels
Another problem that a malfunctioning O2 sensor can cause is an increase in your vehicle’s emissions levels. This is because, again, the engine might burn too much fuel when it doesn’t need to. This introduces excess hydrocarbons into the exhaust, which can cause your car to fail an emissions test.
Reduction in Fuel Economy
Either condition, whether too much fuel or too much air, will reduce your automobile’s fuel economy. Unfortunately, you will continue to suffer from poor gas mileage until you replace the O2 sensor. This is because the sensor will continue to produce error codes and incorrect data.
Rotten Egg Exhaust Smell
The oxygen sensor can also affect the catalytic converter. When there are too many hydrocarbons in the exhaust, the converter becomes overloaded and eventually clogs. Unfortunately, this causes the catalytic converter to malfunction and release rotten egg odors into your vehicle’s exhaust.
Check Engine Light Warning
Finally, all of these symptoms of a bad oxygen sensor will be accompanied by a check engine light warning on your dashboard. Once the engine control module gets an indication that the O2 sensor is malfunctioning, it will turn on the check engine light because it cannot repair the problem.
Call Texan Auto Repair & Collision in Sugar Land, TX, at the first sign of trouble. We will run a diagnostic check on your automobile to see if the error code points to the oxygen sensor. If it does, we will replace it.
