i have a 2002 toyota corolla and the check engine light appeared so i brought to autozone and they told me the oxygen sensor was the problem the light was showing.is this part a must repair because its like 185 bucks and if i can get away with holding off on it i would like to any advice out there?
2007-08-18 04:33:29 · 6 answers · asked by eddy k 2 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Car Makes ➔ Toyota
worst case scenario: you'll burn up your catalytic converter which costs a few hundred dollars.
best case scenario: you lose gas mileage
2007-08-18 04:41:51 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
The oxygen sensor input to the computer tells the computer how well the gas is being burned. If the reading is off the computer will change the settings to try to bring things back into spec. When it can no longer correct the readings the check engine light comes to let you know something is wrong. With a bad sensor your car could be running rich, which means your gas usage will increse costing you more bucks at the pump. Or, depending on which way the sensor goes, the car could be running lean which could, over time, cause damage to the engine. If you're in a state or area where emission tests are required on an annual basis, it will NOT pass inspection, and you won't be allowed to drive without repairing it. At any rate the repair, in the long run,will save you money.
2007-08-18 04:48:02 · answer #2 · answered by mustanger 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
that is not a simple answer. first the o2 sensor goes hand in hand with the cat conv. also the egr valve and anything else that has to do with emissions. depending on what state you are in jthe demand for emission control is important.
not to mention that the car is computer controlled. which very simply put, if you screw up on part of the sensor line up it will send a incorrect reading to the pcm (computer) the pcm will make the necesswary adjustments which make cause another sensor or relay or something read wrong so the next part in the loop could go bad just because you should have fixed the first problem to avoid the next . it is called an open loop or a closed loop. yes you should fix the initial problem because it could get dramatically worse as time goes on. but what do I know I am just a dumb girl!
2007-08-20 14:38:06 · answer #3 · answered by jack 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As long as the car is running fine, I wouldn't worry too much, but ideally you should replace it to avoid future problems.
2007-08-18 04:45:01 · answer #4 · answered by Cruiser 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Replace it your save money on the fuel not lost.
2007-08-18 04:39:26 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
ALL check engine light are program to come a x miles ,to see if that what it is ,unhook the negative terminal on batt,that should reset your computer 'if light come back on r,away again then there is something wrong,hope this help you .
2007-08-18 04:57:30 · answer #6 · answered by Ben L 2 · 0⤊ 4⤋