The oxygen (O2) sensor is located in the tailpipe. It is designed to measure how much oxygen is being released in your high-performance automobile’s exhaust. The main computer chip, the engine control module, uses this information to keep the air and fuel in the combustion chamber balanced. A faulty O2 sensor can cause an imbalance in the air and fuel in the combustion chamber by sending skewed data to the engine control module. HQ Autosport can replace the O2 sensor when it needs it.
Check Engine Warning
An extremely common reason for a check engine dashboard warning is a malfunctioning O2 sensor. When the sensor goes bad, which is usually around 90,000 miles, it sends an error code to the engine control module. You will end up with the check engine warning until the O2 sensor is replaced.
Performance Problems
The O2 sensor can also cause engine performance problems in your high-performance automobile. This is because the air and fuel in the combustion chamber are not balanced. When this happens, too much air will cause the engine to sputter and the acceleration to lag. If there is too much fuel in the combustion chamber, the engine will surge unexpectedly while you are driving.
Reduced Fuel Economy
Unfortunately, these engine performance issues will reduce the fuel economy you get out of your high-performance automobile. You will head to the gas station more often until you get the oxygen sensor replaced. It cannot send correct data to the engine control module when it is malfunctioning.
Rotten Egg Exhaust Odors
If the engine control module believes that the combustion chamber needs more fuel in it actually doesn’t, this can clog your catalytic converter and damage it. Again, if the O2 sensor is sending incorrect data to the engine control module, it might think the combustion chamber needs excess fuel. As the converter tries to treat the excess hydrocarbons, it will eventually clog and fail. Consequently, you will smell rotten eggs in the exhaust which will most likely be black.
High Emissions Levels
Finally, your high-performance automobile will fail the smog check because there are too many hydrocarbons in the vehicle’s exhaust. This can actually be caused by an oxygen sensor that is going bad. As you know, you cannot get your vehicle registered in California if it doesn’t pass a smog check every two years.
Call HQ Autosport in Escondido, CA, today if you believe your automobile’s oxygen sensor is going bad. We can determine if the sensor has sent an error code to the engine control module and replace it if necessary.
