Bad o2 Sensor Causing low RPM misfire - safe to beat on?
#1
Intermediate
Thread Starter
Bad o2 Sensor Causing low RPM misfire - safe to beat on?
Probably a stupid question. I just had an o2 sensor fail and it's causing a somewhat mild low rpm misfire. It's fine cruising and at wide open throttle on motor from doing a few pulls. There's no o2 available here locally so I'm stuck waiting until Saturday at the earliest and we're planning to go to a final track day Saturday, before anything would get here. Should there be any issue running the car down the track a few times? It's just a cam only with 100 shot of nitrous. I just don't want to hurt it if the o2 sensor is impacting it but if it's similar to my DSM's I assume a dead o2 won't impact WOT, am I correct?
#2
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Probably a stupid question. I just had an o2 sensor fail and it's causing a somewhat mild low rpm misfire. It's fine cruising and at wide open throttle on motor from doing a few pulls. There's no o2 available here locally so I'm stuck waiting until Saturday at the earliest and we're planning to go to a final track day Saturday, before anything would get here. Should there be any issue running the car down the track a few times? It's just a cam only with 100 shot of nitrous. I just don't want to hurt it if the o2 sensor is impacting it but if it's similar to my DSM's I assume a dead o2 won't impact WOT, am I correct?
#4
Le Mans Master
If you have cats you may risk damaging them, fouling spark plugs and crappy times at the track.
Rich Conditions
Another Possible Issue
If the oxygen sensor goes bad and tells the computer that the engine needs more fuel when it in fact does not, the vehicle will run rich. Telltale signs of a rich-running engine are a noticeable odor of gasoline coming from the tailpipe, erratic idle, fouled spark plugs and the aforementioned loss of power. Although the computer actually does all the air and fuel adjustments, it is the oxygen sensor's job to tell it which way to go. Since a rich condition robs a vehicle of power, a bad oxygen sensor can cause poor acceleration. If your vehicle is running rich, replace the oxygen sensor to see if that solves the problem.
Another Possible Issue
While the oxygen sensor can indeed cause an engine to run poorly, slow acceleration could also be a clogged catalytic converter, or CAT. The CAT is located further down the exhaust pipe from the oxygen sensor. Its job is to superheat the exhaust fumes before they reach the tailpipe, so that the result is cleaner emissions. Over time they clog up and cease to work properly, which can result in poor acceleration, an erratic idle and failed emissions tests. In a new, clean-burning engine, the CAT will perform effortlessly and do its job. However, if the oxygen sensor goes bad, which may result in more emissions, the CAT can fail prematurely, so the two problems can actually run hand in hand.
Last edited by Got uid0; 10-27-2018 at 01:18 AM.
#5
Burning Brakes
#6
Intermediate
Thread Starter
Thanks for responses sorry for not reporting back. Full exhaust NO cats.
Ran it with no issues, actually ran it's new best time 10.7@129mph so obviously not hurting it! thanks!
Ran it with no issues, actually ran it's new best time 10.7@129mph so obviously not hurting it! thanks!