Q & A #48 With The Auto Specialist
Q & A #48 With The Auto Specialist
Thanks for joining me for today’s segment of the Auto Specialist. This past weekend, I was speaking with a friend of mine who works in the service bay of a large dealership. He told me that he is constantly surprised by how little people seem to know about their vehicles. He has explained compression tests, problems with spark plugs, and routine maintenance items only to receive a blank stare from many of his customers.
If you have been reading this regular column, you know that I stress learning about your car and the parts that keep it operating properly. The more you know, the better prepared you’ll be when parts need to be repaired or replaced.
With that said, let’s jump into today’s installment. Last time, we answered a question from Allen about his car’s misfire. We also explained an engine leakdown test for Marla. Today, we’ll help Brad with his vehicle’s oxygen sensor and Jason with his car’s brake pads and rotors.
Question: I have a 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer and it has 82,000 miles on it. I was having some work done on my car’s engine a few days ago (routine stuff like changing the spark plugs). The mechanic on duty mentioned that one of my oxygen sensors seems to be on the fritz. He offered to fix it, but I’m a little low on cash at the moment. Am I able to drive with a bad oxygen sensor? Will my Lancer suddenly die on me if I do?
Answer: Thanks for the question, Brad. It’s very unlikely that your engine will die on you as the result of not having the oxygen sensor fixed. That said, it’s important to understand what the sensor does. It measures the mix of air and fuel that enters each cylinder’s combustion chamber. The sensors then relay that data back to your vehicle’s computer. The computer makes adjustments to the amount of fuel in the mix based on several factors, including driving conditions.
If you don’t have the failing oxygen sensor replaced, your engine may start to experience problems. For example, you may notice a rough idle or hesitation if the air-fuel mixture leans out. Eventually, the bad air-fuel mix can even cause damage to your car’s catalytic converter. I recommend that you have the sensor replaced as soon as you’re able.
Question: I’m driving a 2002 Oldsmobile Aurora with almost 80,000 miles. A few weeks back, I took my car in for a brake job. Even though the brake shop I took it to was having a special, I ended paying more because they said they needed to thin the rotors. Ever since, I’ve been hearing a persistent “tweeting” sound when I drive. Plus, when I drive slowly, I can hear some sort of rubbing sound in my brakes. Were my brake pads installed poorly? Is that why I’m hearing the tweet and rubbing sound?
Answer: Thanks for writing, Jason. First, if I had to guess (and this is only a guess), I’d say the brake pads that were installed are not OEM pads. That may be contributing to the “tweeting” and rubbing sounds. I also suspect that the mechanic machined your rotors too thin. It’s impossible for me to say for certain, but I would definitely have the repair shop take another look at your rotors.
That’s it for today’s installment. Thanks again to Brad and Jason for sharing their car problems with us. Next time, we’ll have a new batch of automotive questions to address. Until then, drive safely.
