An oxygen sensor detects the amount of oxygen in a vehicle’s exhaust system and sends a signal to the engine control unit or ECU, which adjusts the amount of fuel delivered to the combustion chamber.
If there’s too much oxygen in the exhaust or too little fuel being fed to the engine, that indicates a lean mixture, which can cause performance problems. If there’s too little oxygen or too much fuel in the exhaust, that indicates a rich mixture, which results in lower fuel economy and excess emissions. Either condition can shorten the life of the catalytic converter, which removes harmful pollutants from the exhaust.
This video is sponsored by The Pronto Network.