IOWA CITYAUTOMOTIVE OXYGEN SENSOR REPLACEMENT – IN STORE

Automotive Oxygen Sensor Replacement-In store at Mobile Auto Truck Repair Iowa City

Automotive Oxygen Sensor Replacement – In Store Service near Iowa City IA: The oxygen sensor (also commonly referred to as the O2 sensor) is one of the earliest innovations for emission controls. First developed in the ’80s, O2 sensors are mounted in the exhaust stream and monitor the content of the exhaust gases as they make their way through the system. The O2 sensor sends a signal back to the engine computer, informing it of the oxygen content in the exhaust stream, and the computer then uses this information to determine fuel metering and ensuring the catalytic converters are functioning properly.

On many vehicles, the O2 sensor can last the entire life cycle of the car, but on many others the sensor can fail before 100,000 or so miles. A failed O2 sensor will result in:

• Excessive fuel consumption
• Poor power and acceleration
• Rough idle
• Rich fuel mixture and black smoke
• Trouble code and an illuminated Check Engine Light

Older vehicles had a single O2 sensor in the engine compartment, closer to the exhaust manifold. Most newer vehicles have more than one (and as many as four), with the second sensor farther down the exhaust pipe, closer to the catalytic converter. There are a few O2 sensor codes, ranging numerically from P0030 to P0064 and P0130 to P0167. The code that’s registered should tell you the specific sensor that has gone down.

If you’ve determined that the O2 sensor has failed on your engine, it’s not that hard to change this part.

What You Need To Know About the Oxygen Sensor

No vehicle owner wants to see the check engine come on. That warning sign is designed to tell you that your car needs service or repairs. Generally, when the check engine light comes on, it means that your vehicle’s emissions system is not working properly. One key reason the light goes on is due to an oxygen sensor malfunction. Learn more about this device to understand how important it is and when to get repairs.

What Is the Oxygen Sensor and What Does It Do?

The oxygen sensor is part of the emissions system in your vehicle. It measures the proportion of oxygen in your engine. The internal combustion in the vehicle works by burning gasoline. To properly burn gasoline, most cars need a ratio of 14 grams of oxygen for every gram of gas. The oxygen sensor helps keep that balance in check.

The sensor is typically located on the passenger side of the car, mounted directly onto the exhaust pipe near the catalytic converter. When the sensor goes bad, your car may lose up to 40 percent of its fuel efficiency, because your car will use too much gas.

When a car has too much air, the engine is said to be running lean. When the engine doesn’t get enough air, it’s said to be running rich. A lean engine causes jerking or a hesitation in acceleration. A rich engine mixture causes the vehicle to run hot and creates pollution. Both conditions can cause possible engine damage and poor fuel mileage. The O2 sensor keeps your emissions in check.

Your vehicle may have one, two, three or four sensors, depending on the engine type, make and model.

Signs Your Oxygen Sensor Is Faulty

You can tell your oxygen sensor is faulty by the following signs:

• Failure to pass the emissions test
• A decrease in fuel mileage
• Check engine light going on
• Poor performance, rough idling, stalling, etc.
• Code checker identifying O2 sensor failure

Our mechanics have the specialized equipment to test the oxygen sensor in your vehicle. Using the check engine light codes, we can quickly identify why your light is on and suggest solutions.

Guidelines for Replacing the Oxygen Sensor

Automotive Oxygen Sensor Replacement – In Store Service near Iowa City IA: How often the oxygen sensor needs to be replaced will be determined by the age of your vehicle and the type of sensor you have. Newer vehicles, those less than 20 years old, will probably need to have the sensor replaced about every 100,000 miles. Vehicles older than the mid-1990s will require replacement at 50,000 to 70,000 miles. Check the manufacturer’s recommended service for the best guidelines.

Oxygen sensors are fairly easy to diagnose and replace. Typically, you cannot repair a faulty O2 sensor. It must be replaced because of the technology and materials in its housing. There are some DIY places that will tell you how to clean the sensor to get a few more miles out of it, but you’re only delaying the inevitable. There’s no guarantee that cleaning the sensor will fix the problem. You may also damage the sensitive technology.

Once you know that you have a bad sensor, it’s much like changing a spark plug. Some people do choose to replace the sensor themselves, but you do need a special socket to do so. It’s important not to get any oil or grease on the sensor. A mechanic can handle the job and make sure it’s installed correctly.

When Should You Replace Your O2 Sensor?

Oxygen sensors are not among the maintenance items that need to be replaced regularly, such as oil and air filters, so they typically are replaced only when they fail.

Oxygen sensors are a critical component of the fuel and emissions systems because they monitor the amount of oxygen in the exhaust and transmit that information to the engine computer, which adjusts the air-to-fuel ratio accordingly. If an oxygen sensor fails, the engine computer won’t be able to correctly set the air-fuel ratio, which could result in lower fuel economy, higher emissions and damage to other components, such as an overheated catalytic converter.

No vehicle that we’re aware of has a warning light that signals when an oxygen sensor has failed, so you have to rely on other vital signs to alert you when you have a bad oxygen sensor that you will need to replace, such as the check-engine light on the dashboard illuminating and increased fuel usage.

How to Change an Oxygen Sensor

Automotive Oxygen Sensor Replacement – In Store Service near Iowa City IA:

• Disconnect the negative battery cable.
• After you’ve read the codes and determined which O2 sensor is in question, jack up the vehicle and securely raise it on jack stands. Use the creeper to get under the vehicle and locate the sensor—it’s the thing that looks like a large spark plug, with wires leading out of it.
• locating the oxygen sensor
• The sensor can be difficult to remove due to the thousands of heat/cool cycles that practically weld this part to its mounting threads. Spray the base and threads liberally with a heavy-duty penetrating lubricant, such as PB Blaster. Wait for 10 minutes or so and see if the sensor will budge—it usually requires a 7/8″ wrench. If it’s still stubborn, heat up the base and threads with a heat gun (preferable to a torch, since there’s no open flame). This is better than heating up the entire exhaust system and engine by running the engine for 10 or so minutes.4
• Disconnect the sensor’s wiring connector (be careful of its plastic tabs) and try to remove it, either with an open-end wrench or an O2 sensor socket. This specialized tool is a deep-well socket, not unlike a spark plug socket, with a cutout along one side to accommodate the sensor’s wiring pigtail. If you don’t think you’ll benefit from buying one outright, we’ve got you covered with a loaner kit.
• Disconnect the sensor’s wiring connector (be careful of its plastic tabs) and try to remove it, either with an open-end wrench or an O2 sensor socket. This specialized tool is a deep-well socket, not unlike a spark plug socket, with a cutout along one side to accommodate the sensor’s wiring pigtail. If you don’t think you’ll benefit from buying one outright, we’ve got you covered with a loaner kit.
• Turn the sensor a few degrees counterclockwise and see if it will turn readily. If not, stop—this is where it can get dicey. If you force an O2 sensor that’s not turning easily, you can damage the threads and end up with a much more costly and difficult repair. Hit the threads with penetrating oil again, wait, heat up the exhaust pipe and give it another shot. You may find yourself needing to cut the pigtail for the sensor and use a 1/2″ drive deep-well socket with a breaker bar to get it to move.
• Once the sensor is removed, clean the threads carefully using penetrating oil and a rag. Compare the old sensor to the new one, making sure that you have a precise match. Do not touch the tip of the new sensor. Skin oils, penetrating oil, or any other contaminants can shorten its life.
• Put a dab of anti-seize compound on the threads and carefully start the new sensor by hand, being careful not to cross-thread it. Tighten the new sensor to your manufacturer’s torque specs.
• Reconnect the electrical connector.
• Reconnect the negative battery cable and turn the ignition key to the “on” position, but don’t start the engine. Use your code reader/scanner tool to clear any trouble codes from the engine computer.