Will the car shake if the oxygen sensor is broken?
2 Answers
If the oxygen sensor is broken, the car will not shake. Once the oxygen sensor fails, the computer of the electronic fuel injection system will not be able to obtain information about the oxygen concentration in the exhaust pipe, thus failing to perform feedback control on the air-fuel ratio. This will lead to increased engine fuel consumption and exhaust pollution, as well as engine issues such as unstable idling, misfiring, and surging. Fuel consumption will also be relatively high, so it is necessary to promptly address the fault or replace the sensor. Below are the functions of the rear oxygen sensor: 1. The exhaust gas produced after car combustion must pass through the purification of the three-way catalytic converter before being discharged. The rear oxygen sensor detects the oxygen content in the purified exhaust gas and feeds this information back to the ECU. The computer then compares the data from the front oxygen sensor. If the data from the front and rear oxygen sensors are the same (generally, the front oxygen sensor signal is greater than the rear), it can be determined that the three-way catalytic converter has failed. 2. If the rear oxygen sensor is broken, the ECU will not receive a signal, and the engine fault light on the car's dashboard will illuminate, reminding the owner to check and repair it. If only the rear oxygen sensor is damaged, the impact on fuel consumption is not significant. Its main function is to test the filtration effect of the three-way catalytic converter. The fuel consumption concern that owners worry about is usually a symptom of a faulty front oxygen sensor.
A faulty oxygen sensor can indeed cause a car to shake, and this is true. I experienced it myself once—while driving, the car started jerking up and down, especially noticeable when stopping at red lights. After consulting friends and mechanics, I learned that the oxygen sensor measures the oxygen content in the exhaust and tells the engine's computer how to adjust the fuel-air mixture. When it fails, the computer has to guess, leading to a mixture that's either too lean or too rich, causing unstable combustion and, consequently, engine shaking. However, there are many reasons for shaking, such as old ignition coils or worn spark plugs, so don't jump to conclusions. Timely inspection is key—sensors aren't expensive and are quick to replace. Delaying can lead to soaring fuel consumption and air pollution.
