The oxygen sensor in your car helps your car’s onboard computer to properly calibrate the fuel to air mixture in your car’s engine. Without that data, your car’s engine has big problems. Here’s what Allman’s Automotive wants you to know.
Engine Performance Is Suffering
The big thing you’ll notice when your oxygen sensor starts to fail is that engine performance really suffers. Your car’s engine isn’t able to run like the finely tuned machine that it is, and that’s something you’ll see in a variety of ways. Poor gas mileage and sluggish response are just two of the ways you’re going to notice problems.
You’re Seeing More Exhaust Smoke
You’re always going to see a little bit of exhaust smoke, but when your oxygen sensor is failing you might start to see a lot more. That happens because your car’s engine isn’t working as well as it should be. That excess smoke is the byproduct of poor engine performance.
And that Smoke Might Be Stinky
As if increased exhaust smoke weren’t bad enough, that additional exhaust smoke is not likely to smell all that great. It might be heavy on the gas smell, or it might smell a lot more burnt than you’re used to smelling. Regardless, this is a change that lets you know that something is definitely not right.
The Engine Might Not Sound So Good
When the oxygen sensor is failing, you might start to hear a lot more knocks, pings, and other sounds. That’s because that fuel and air mixture is off, and it’s causing the engine to misfire. The big problem is that those sounds are letting you know that there’s damage forming in the engine.
Finally, You’re Seeing the Check Engine Light
Ultimately the check engine light is going to be your big warning that there’s something seriously wrong. You may not know that the problem is the oxygen sensor just yet, but the check engine light is the catch all warning light for that issue. It’s never good to ignore the check engine light. Get the situation checked as soon as possible.
Is your engine giving you trouble? Don’t wait, give us a call at Allman’s Automotive in Groveland, MA right away. We’ll set up an appointment and get right to work diagnosing the issue for you. Once we know what’s wrong, we’ll let you know what your car needs in order to get back to perfect running order again.