Car Care Tips: When Should You Actually Change The Oxygen Sensor?

Latest car engine control systems depend on response from several sensors to control the engine’s performance along with its emissions and other important functions. When these sensors fail to deliver exact info, the driver may experience more fuel consumption, glitches in drivability, emission failures and other complications. Hence, it is highly recommended to take care of your car’s oxygen sensor as it is one of the vital sensors in modern cars. If you are looking out for an authorised Volkswagen service center in Hyderabad, PPS Motors is here to meet all your service and repair requirements. Our Volkswagen service center in Khajaguda is renowned for providing genuine spare parts.

Oxygen sensor is also known as the O2 sensor because O2 is the chemical formula for oxygen and the oxygen sensor observes the quantity of unburned oxygen that is left in the exhaust as exhaust exits the engine. By checking oxygen levels, the sensor offers a means of assessing fuel mixture. The O2 sensor transfers the information to the computer if the fuel mix is burning rich (insufficient oxygen) or lean (excessive oxygen). Knowing the ratio of fuel to air allows your vehicle’s engine to make any essential changes to make sure that your car runs as it is supposed to.

Fixing O2 sensors in cars is made compulsory for all cars, manufactured from 1981. As per the OBD-II regulations, cars manufactured in 1996 and after are required to have a second oxygen sensor that is located below the catalytic converter. Many modern cars have multiple O2 sensors. Indeed, some cars even have four oxygen sensors.

If the sensor after the catalytic converter displays slight changes from the reading on the first oxygen sensor, it is an indication that the catalytic converter is going faulty. Latest vehicles with V-6 or V-8 engines can consist of as many as four O2 sensors — one situated in every cylinder bank and one next to each catalytic converter. Either a blockage of the oxygen sensor in the cylinder or the catalytic converter failure can cause some severe engine complications.

Because oxygen sensors play a crucial role in your engine’s performance and emissions control. So, when should you replace your O2 sensor?

Oxygen sensors’ replacement does not fall under the list of regular maintenance such as oil and air filters, so they will usually be changed only when they fail.

So how should you know whether oxygen sensors are failed? Mostly, no vehicle has a warning light that indicates the oxygen sensor failure, so you have to rely on other vital signs to aware you when you have a bad oxygen sensor that you will need to change, such as the check-engine light on the dashboard illuminating and increased fuel usage.

An illuminated check-engine light can be a signal of a more severe issue, such as with the catalytic converter, or something as minor as a loose gas cap, so further examination is always needed. It could, however, show that there is an issue with your O2 sensor or even a different part of your exhaust or emissions system. If you are unable to detect whether the oxygen sensor is failed or not, you can visit our PPS Motors’s Volkswagen service center in Hyderabad, where our qualified team of technicians perform all service and repair jobs efficiently.

So, book an appointment today at PPS Motors’ Volkswagen service center in Khajaguda and enjoy smooth rides all through your way.