Truck Not Running Right? Maybe Your Oxygen Sensor Is To Blame

23 November 2015
 Categories: Automotive, Blog

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Your truck depends on a number of different components to keep it running smoothly. When one of those components goes bad, it can cause a number of problems for your vehicle. From stalling to poor gas mileage, the different issues that arise are directly related to the component that needs to be replaced. Every vehicle has at least one oxygen sensor. Your oxygen sensor controls a number of different things in your vehicle. To help you determine if your oxygen sensor might be to blame for your recent issues, here are a couple things to look out for.

Poor gas mileage.

If you were used to getting 15 miles per gallon in your heavy duty vehicle and you are now getting 5-7, that often means something isn't right and you need to look into it. Your gas mileage shouldn't drop dramatically for no apparent reason. It should stay within a close range. A mile or two difference is normal, but when it ends up being half of what it was, something isn't right.

Not being able to pass a smog test.

If you take your vehicle in for a smog test and it doesn't pass, it might be related to a bad oxygen sensor. Defective sensors cause your emissions to either be too high or too low. The whole point of an oxygen sensor is to regulate your emissions and make sure the gas to air ratio is properly distributed to prevent putting too much pollution into the air.

Poor performance.

If your vehicle starts stalling, idling rough or hesitating when you push the gas pedal down, it might be that your oxygen sensor is bad. When your vehicle isn't getting the proper amount of gas to air, it causes your engine to malfunction and hesitate or stall. The main way to eliminate this problem is by replacing your oxygen sensor with a new one. Make sure to check other things like spark plug wires and spark plugs as well to make sure those aren't bad as well.

If any of the above sound like something you are dealing with, you need to have your oxygen sensor checked to see whether it is the culprit or not. It doesn't take long to replace the sensor and the cost is actually quite affordable, making this a simple problem to correct. A mechanic, such as those at King George Truck & Tire Center, will be able to do a couple tests to ensure the oxygen sensor is to blame.