Few things can be more frustrating in California than a malfunctioning oxygen sensor. Also called the O2 sensor, this auto part can make your vehicle fail the smog check quicker than anything else can. You may get some indications that the O2 sensor is going bad. Boulevard Auto Repair lists six signs below that your car, truck, or utility vehicle has an oxygen sensor that is malfunctioning.
1. Check Engine Light Warning
The first thing that will happen is your check engine light will turn on, and if you’ve ever had a smog test with the check engine light on, you know your vehicle will not pass it. When the oxygen sensor malfunctions, it sends specific error codes to the main computer in your automobile. This computer is called the engine control module, and the module will turn on the check engine light.
2. Emission Levels that are Too High
A failing oxygen sensor can cause more fuel to be burned in your combustion chamber and this will create higher-than-normal emission levels and, you guessed it, a failed smog check. Unfortunately, your vehicle won’t pass the smog check until such time as you have the O2 sensor replaced.
3. Engine Performance Problems
If your engine is burning too much fuel, you will also notice engine performance problems such as surging. Your vehicle will pick up speed even though you didn’t press down harder on the accelerator. A malfunctioning oxygen sensor can also cause too much air to be sent to the combustion chamber and this will make your engine hesitate, hiccup, and stall.
4. Noticeable Black Exhaust Smoke
Going back to too much fuel, if the oxygen sensor has tricked the engine control module into thinking that the combustion chamber has too much air in it, it will send more fuel into the chamber and you will have noticeable black exhaust flowing out of your tailpipe. This is because the engine is burning away the excess fuel.
5. Significant Decrease in Fuel Economy
This condition can also cause a significant decrease in your vehicle’s fuel economy. Simply put, when the engine burns away the excess fuel, you go through a full tank of gas or diesel fuel much quicker.
6. Sulfur (Rotten Egg) Smell in the Exhaust
Finally, a malfunctioning oxygen sensor can directly affect how well your vehicle’s catalytic converter works. If it is clogged with fuel, you may notice a rotten egg smell in your vehicle’s exhaust or coming from the engine itself.
Boulevard Auto Repair is the best auto repair shop in Sherman Oaks, CA. Call us today if you suspect your oxygen sensor is going bad.