An oxygen sensor does not have to fail completely to give you problems.
What does an oxygen sensor do in a car.
In your car a functioning o2 sensor ensures that your engine is running at top performance.
Let s take a closer look at just what an oxygen sensor does and the steps you can take to do the work yourself.
The o2 sensor tip is located inside of your exhaust pipe the oxygen sensor detects the percentage of oxygen in the exhaust.
Still many people are unsure about what the oxygen sensor actually does.
Oxygen sensors work by producing their own voltage when they get hot approximately 600 f.
What does an oxygen sensor do in a car.
What is an oxygen sensor.
Failing oxygen sensors were the most common repair performed by north american automotive mechanics for the 5th year in a row with cars older than 10 years constituting most repairs.
Let s take a closer look.
Most newer vehicles have a heated element to the o2 sensor to compensate for when the engine is cold and will be putting extra fuel into the cylinders until it reaches.
If your car is slow to accelerate or if the engine stops running all of a sudden then the oxygen sensor may be the culprit in both scenarios.
The sensor measures the oxygen content of the exhaust gases and compares it to the oxygen proportion in ambient air and sends information on the gases to the engine computer.
The oxygen sensor transmits the data to the vehicle s pcm to maintain the optimal air to fuel ratio for your engine.
Every new car and most cars produced after 1980 have an oxygen sensor the sensor is part of the emissions control system and feeds data to the engine management computer the goal of the sensor is to help the engine run as efficiently as possible and also to produce as few emissions as possible.
If you notice any of the following signs you may have a bad o2 sensor or one that is about to go bad.
A bad or failing oxygen sensor will have a negative impact on environmental emissions and engine performance so there are a 3 things to watch out for before your oxygen sensor completely fails.
Check engine light comes on.
Your oxygen sensor s readings are transmitted to your engine in real time and helps your car determine its fuel to air ratio in order to maximize its performance.
When functioning the o2 sensor sends data to the management computer located within the engine.
A faulty oxygen sensor has a negative effect on the injection timing and combustion levels and can interfere with other engine functions as well.
Functioning like a monitor your oxygen sensor works like this.
The inside and the outside of the bulb is coated with a porous layer of platinum which serve as the electrodes.
What does an oxygen sensor do.
On the contrary even a failing o2 sensor sometimes called a lazy o2 sensor may cause your car to have a few issues.
All cars that were manufactured post 1980 feature an oxygen sensor.
Failing the emissions test.
