Posted on 9/26/2025
Your car’s oxygen sensor helps control how much fuel the engine burns. It measures the amount of oxygen in the exhaust and tells the engine’s computer whether to add more fuel or cut it back. If this sensor stops working, the engine can’t adjust properly. That often leads to poor fuel economy, higher emissions, and sluggish performance. Oxygen sensor failure is one of the most common reasons a check engine light turns on, and ignoring it can lead to much bigger issues. How the Oxygen Sensor Works Your engine needs a balanced air-fuel mixture to run efficiently. If there is too much fuel or not enough air, combustion becomes inefficient. The oxygen sensor helps regulate this balance by analyzing how much oxygen is present in the exhaust gas. There are usually one or more oxygen sensors located in or near the exhaust manifold and another downstream of the catalytic converter. Together, they help the engine adjust fuel delivery and monitor emissions ... read more