Can I Clean An Oxygen Sensor That Is Showing A Fail Light?

An oxygen sensor is an important part of your vehicle's emission control system. Simply put, an oxygen sensor measures the corporeality of emissions released from your vehicle and sends that information to your car's management computer located within the engine. Your car has at least ii sensors, and when i of them goes bad, y'all need to exercise something about information technology. Can yous make clean an oxygen sensor? No, despite what you might have heard or read, such sensors should exist replaced when they become faulty.

Locating Your Oxygen Sensors

Likely, you won't know something is wrong with an oxygen sensor until an emergency code appears on the dashboard. Otherwise, your auto may run poorly with a noticeable drop in fuel efficiency.

The number of oxygen sensors nowadays vary according to engine type. Typically, you'll observe two sensors on transverse 4-cylinder engines — ane is located upstream, the other downstream. Inline iv-cylinder engines, inline-half-dozen and V6s, and V8 engines have three sensors apiece, with i located on each engine bank and a third found downstream. Transverse-mounted V6 and V8 engines have four sensors, including ane on each bank, i downstream and the quaternary plant at the rear of the engine.

All you lot need is for one faulty oxygen sensor to cause problems for your vehicle. Thus, yous must identify which sensor is defective.

Supersede, Don't Clean

Yous may take constitute data online on how to clean an oxygen sensor. Usually, these instructions are quite detailed, explaining how to advisedly remove the sensor, apply a cleaning agent and return the unit to its previous location.

However, this information is misleading as oxygen sensors are designed for replacement, not cleaning. No automobile manufacturer supports cleaning sensors. In fact, you always adventure voiding a warranty if you endeavour to make clean a sensor and something goes wrong later. If you find that your auto has a faulty oxygen sensor, hither'due south how you tin can supplant information technology.

Test Your Oxygen Sensor

Oxygen sensors may be tested for effectiveness. The style this works is that a digital voltmeter and back probe are used. Once the surrounding wires are inspected and ruled out equally a possible problem, then start the car and let it to run until the engine exhaust temperature hits at least 600 degrees Fahrenheit.

The voltmeter and back probe are then used to measure a set number of points under specific conditions. Equally you might imagine, experienced mechanics are ofttimes called upon for oxygen sensor testing. This will too ensure that the correct faulty oxygen sensor is identified and replaced, saving you money.

Can you clean an oxygen sensor? Yes, technically you can. But it's not recommended as the component is meant to be replaced when an effect arises. Cleaning an oxygen sensor takes more work than replacing the component, and after locating the function and checking if information technology's working effectively, going downward the route of replacing information technology adds peace of mind for the time to come.

Bank check out all the relays, sensors and switches bachelor on NAPA Online or trust one of our 17,000 NAPA AutoCare locations for routine maintenance and repairs. For more information on how to supercede your machine'south oxygen sensors, conversation with a knowledgeable expert at your local NAPA AUTO PARTS store.

Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Matthew C. Keegan View All

Matt Keegan has maintained his love for cars ever since his male parent taught him kick tires can exist one way to uncover a trouble with a vehicle'south break system. He since moved on to learn a few things about coefficient of drag, Thousand-forces, toe-heel shifting, and how to piece of work the crazy infotainment organisation in some random weekly driver. Matt is a fellow member of the Washington Automotive Press Association and is a contributor to various print and online media sources.