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Gene Messer Kia can help you identify the indicators of a malfunctioning oxygen sensor.
There are many unique sensors a car uses on a day-to-day basis, perhaps one of the more vital sensors is an oxygen sensor, which is needed for a vehicle to perform at its very best. With all of the exhaust gases a vehicle creates, your vehicle will need to watch the O2 levels in the exhaust gases. The oxygen sensor plays an important part to play in keeping track of a vehicle’s O2 levels to make sure the engine is correctly burning its gas. A well-working oxygen sensor can be an important component of a consistent running car. Still, a poor O2 sensor can most likely cause bad smells from your car, bad fuel economy, and a below-level performing powertrain. Here we’ll go deeper into symptoms to watch for when using your vehicle that can be telltale symptoms of a failed oxygen sensor.
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If you’re ever riding on the highway and smell anything rotten out of your vehicle, this could be a crucial sign that the O2 sensor is going bad. If you ever start to keep track of some differences like bad engine performance, misfires, or loud noises, this can be a clear symptom of the oxygen sensor potentially having issues. A huge problem a failing O2 sensor could cause is an unexpected catalytic converter failure, which could cost a lot of money and might put your vehicle in the shop for a bit.
Like many different components of a car, oxygen sensors can break down after lots of usage and begin to fail. But if you don’t pay close attention, a failed oxygen sensor can begin to bring major issues all over your car. A build-up of contaminated oil ash or coolant can cause an O2 sensor to fail, so a choice in fuel or oil is incredibly important. Due to its placement in a car, it’s important that you bring your car to our professional mechanics to get it checked or hooked up with an OEM O2 sensor replacement.
We recommend against driving with a failed O2 sensor as your powertrain is not running on the right fuel mixture. Though it might seem fine in the beginning, if your engine is using too much fuel it could end up clogging the catalytic converter. Considering the possible cost to get new oxygen sensors is much less than purchasing a new catalytic converter, it’s better to make the investment earlier. Also, if your vehicle is over 15 years old or has over 60,000 miles on the road you should consider getting new O2 sensors for lower pollution and better performance.
Gene Messer Kia is a great place to get vehicle repair in the Lubbock area. We gladly service all makes and models of vehicles. Visit our dealership online or in person to schedule service and repair for your car or SUV. Our knowledgeable technicians are ready to serve you.