Get Familiar With Your Vehicle's Various Sensors
There are many different sensors on your vehicle that not only help report to you that something is wrong, but also help the vehicle run properly. Here are some auto parts that you should be familiar with so that you can understand how they work and what happens when they go bad.
Oxygen Sensor
The role of the oxygen sensor is to measure the oxygen compounds that are found in the gas that leaves the exhaust system. It's one of the sensors used to tell if a vehicle is meeting the current emissions standards, and it can give you a warning that something is wrong if your car is putting too many pollutants into the air.
Coolant Temperature Sensor
As the name implies, the coolant temperature sensor is responsible for measuring the temperature of engine coolant. Knowing the temperature is necessary so that your vehicle can make adjustments to how much fuel is injected into the engine. A hot engine requires less fuel than a cold engine, and even the timing can be different for when a hot engine needs fuel. If this sensor is not working, your vehicle could be wasting fuel by injecting too much because it can't tell what the engine coolant's true temperature actually is.
Throttle Position Sensor
The purpose of the throttle position sensor is to track the throttle valve's position. This valve needs to be tracked because it plays a role in how much fuel is injected into the engine based on the valve's position. If the sensor goes bad, you will notice that your car will not accelerate properly or that the car stalls when idling.
Oil Pressure Sensor
Your oil pressure sensor has the job of measuring the oil pressure within your vehicle's engine. The goal is to maintain a proper amount of oil pressure so that the engine experiences less wear and tear, which can happen if there is not enough oil within it. If you notice the dashboard oil light turns on and that the vehicle has plenty of oil, the light could mean that the sensor has stopped working properly.
Oil Temperature Sensor
You need an oil temperature sensor to make sure that the oil is not getting too hot. That's because the purpose of engine oil is to also cool down the engine as well as keep things lubricated. You can easily run into problems with engine overheating if the oil temperature sensor has gone bad.
Reach out to a mechanic to inspect your vehicle if you suspect you have a sensor that needs replacement.