You’d be surprised at how much a bad oxygen (O2) sensor can affect your high-performance engine. Excelerate Performance is going to discuss the problems caused by a faulty O2 sensor below. It’s important to have the O2 sensor replaced in order to restore your engine’s performance.
Engine Power Loss
Your high-performance engine will lag if the O2 sensor is bad and tricking the engine control unit (ECU) into putting too much air in the combustion chamber. This creates a lean fuel mixture in the chamber and causes sputtering and power loss in the engine. If the malfunctioning O2 sensor causes the ECU to add too much fuel into the chamber, your engine will surge and buck.
Reduced Fuel Economy
Whether a lean or rich fuel mixture, your fuel economy will suffer. Anytime the high-performance engine is not running efficiently, it will burn through the gas or diesel fuel more quickly. Replacing the O2 sensor will restore your engine’s performance because the ECU will balance out the air and fuel. This will also restore your vehicle’s fuel efficiency.
Black Exhaust Smoke
If the engine is running on a rich fuel mixture, you might end up with black exhaust smoke flowing out of the tailpipes. In severe cases, you may even see flames or sparks. Driving your high-performance beauty is dangerous if there is excess black exhaust coming out of the exhaust pipes; especially if you see sparks or flames, too. Don’t drive your vehicle under these conditions.
Burning Sulfur Odors
Excess fuel in the combustion chamber can cause all kinds of problems with the catalytic converter, and problems with the catalytic converter spell performance problems. The excess fuel can deposit too much carbon and sulfur in the converter and clog it. This will cause burning sulfur odors to come from the converter and cause your engine to lag and sputter.
High Emissions Levels
Excess fuel will also cause problems with your high-performance engine’s emissions. The emissions will be too high for states that require emissions testing. This can leave you stranded without a vehicle registration until you get the O2 sensor replaced.
Dashboard Warning Light
Finally, all of these signs of a bad oxygen sensor may result in an illuminated dashboard warning light. The O2 sensor’s problems will turn on the check engine light. The ECU will receive error codes from the sensor and other system sensors.
There you have it. Excelerate Performance in Branford, CT, has just explained what will happen to your high-performance automobile if the O2 sensor goes bad.