What are the symptoms of a faulty car oxygen sensor?

[AnnieDella]

When the rear oxygen sensor of a car engine fails, it can cause the malfunction indicator light to illuminate, engine shaking, popping sounds from the exhaust, pungent odors, increased fuel consumption, and occasional lack of power when climbing hills. Below is relevant information about oxygen sensors: The oxygen sensor utilizes the Nernst principle, with its core component being a porous ZrO2 ceramic tube, which is a solid-state electrolyte. Porous platinum (Pt) electrodes are sintered on both sides. At certain temperatures, due to the difference in oxygen concentration on both sides, oxygen molecules on the high-concentration side (inner side of the ceramic tube) are adsorbed on the platinum electrode and combine with electrons (4e) to form oxygen ions O2-, making this electrode positively charged. The O2- ions migrate through oxygen ion vacancies in the electrolyte to the low oxygen concentration side (exhaust side), making that electrode negatively charged, thus creating a potential difference.