Can You Still Drive with a Faulty Upstream Oxygen Sensor?
2 Answers
You should not continue driving with a faulty upstream oxygen sensor. The oxygen sensor in a car is a critical sensing component in the electronic fuel injection engine control system. It plays a key role in controlling vehicle exhaust emissions, reducing environmental pollution, and improving the fuel combustion quality of the car engine. Once the oxygen sensor fails, the electronic fuel injection system's computer cannot obtain information about the oxygen concentration in the exhaust pipe, thus preventing feedback control of the air-fuel ratio. Here is some relevant information about the car oxygen sensor: 1. Introduction: The car oxygen sensor is a crucial feedback sensor in the electronic fuel injection engine control system. It is essential for controlling vehicle exhaust emissions, reducing environmental pollution, and improving the fuel combustion quality of the car engine. Oxygen sensors are installed on the engine's exhaust pipe. 2. Working Principle: Under certain conditions (high temperature and platinum catalysis), it utilizes the oxygen concentration difference between the inside and outside of the zirconia element to generate a potential difference. The greater the concentration difference, the larger the potential difference.
The old car I drove a few years ago had a faulty upstream oxygen sensor. At the time, I could still barely drive it, but it was really quite risky. As soon as the engine warning light came on, I noticed the car couldn't accelerate properly and drove shakily, as if it was about to stall at any moment. It was okay for short trips to the supermarket, but definitely not for highways or long distances because the oxygen sensor controls the fuel mixture. If it's broken, it can easily cause the engine to overheat, increase fuel consumption by more than 20%, and in severe cases, damage the catalytic converter, which would be expensive to repair. I delayed fixing it for a few days and ended up spending several hundred dollars on parts. Looking back, it would have been better to deal with it sooner. Now, I regularly check the sensors to avoid faults affecting driving safety.
