O2 sensor or oxygen sensor is an electronic instrument in an automobile that tells the engine how much oxygen is coming out of the vehicle’s exhaust. This helps the engine to optimize oxygen levels in the combustion chamber, maintaining an optimal air-fuel mixture. If the o2 sensor goes bad, your car’s engine will not get the optimal level of oxygen in the air-fuel mixture, resulting in many complications. In this article we are explaining a few tested methods to temporarily fix the bad o2 sensor in a vehicle. While we try our best to fix your vehicle’s technical issues, you might need to tow your vehicle in case you cannot solve the ongoing problem on your own.
Temporary Solution for a Bad O2 Sensor
Before you try this method, please remember that this is just a temporary solution and it doesn’t guarantee an optimal engine performance. You will need to see a car mechanic as soon as possible to get it repaired. Please carefully look at the below instructions:
- First of all, lift your car using a car jack and make sure it is lifted at least 2 feet up. You may need to use two car jacks in order to lift it from the front side in the right way. (For those not having a car jack, can place bricks in the front wheels while gradually trying to drive over them, lifting the car equally on both bricks. Now align 2 more bricks next to the existing ones to lift it a bit more. Repeat the process if require more height.)
- Once your car is optimally lifted from the front side, just get down beneath your car’s engine and unscrew the O2 sensor.
- If you are having trouble locating the O2 sensor in your car, just look for the exhaust manifold and unscrew all nuts from the manifold section. Inside the manifold, you will be able to locate your car’s oxygen sensor.
- Now unscrew the oxygen sensor and take it out.
- Using a clean petrol fuel, clean it very carefully with a hard metal brush. Make sure to rub it nicely in order to clean all the grime and dirt from it.
- Once it is cleaned, make sure to fit it again in the exhaust manifold.
- Now try starting your car and check if the engine runs smoothly without any jerks.
- If you notice that the engine warning light is gone and it is working properly, you can take a deep breath as you have successfully diagnosed and fixed your vehicle’s malfunctioned O2 sensor.
Signs of a Bad Oxygen Sensor
Since this device plays a major role in a car’s engine, it will give a few signs if it is experiencing any technical faults. Here are the most common indications that people face when their O2 sensor malfunctions:
- A significant drop in the vehicle’s Mileage: As this device oversees air-fuel mixture, it might cause an increased fuel flow in your car’s combustion chamber, resulting in poor mileage which is apparently noticeable if you are good at tracking your vehicle’s mileage regularly.
- Check Engine Light: If you notice that your car is showing the check engine light, it may be due to the corrupt o2 measurement device.
- Dark Smoke from Exhaust: If the oxygen sensor is not working properly, it will cause imbalance in the fuel-air mixture, leaving some fuel unburnt during combustion. This unburnt fuel will produce intense black smoke from the exhaust.
- Engine lags and vibrates a lot during Idol or during low RPS: It could be one of the biggest signs of a faulty sensor device as it is not may not create enough and optimal level of air-fuel mixture causing the engine to misfire and vibrate a lot while in the standby mode.
- Loss in engine’s power: If you notice a noticeable power drop in your vehicle, it could be an indication that your car is not getting enough oxygen from the oxygen sensor causing a drop in the power.
Causes of a Malfunctioned Oxygen Sensor
It is located in the exhaust and catalyst converter of a car, making it prone to contamination and dirt. Also, if any engine oil or coolant gets in the oxygen sensor, it might become faulty. Sometimes the head gasket of the engine may get broken and it may allow some coolant to React with the oxygen sensor of a car, causing malfunctioning malfunctioning. O2 sensor is a component that is located in a very sensitive region of a car engine and it Has to face a lot of heat from the combustion process, so no doubt that it can actually get faulty if it becomes weak due to the engine’s extreme heat and temperature.
Hemant Kumar is a professional content creator. He is a dedicated writer who loves to deliver quality and original content to their readers. He also worked with many reputated firms on the post of Senior Content Writer and gained knowledge. Now, he is the main character of Awarefast.com.