3 Signs Your Ford’s Emissions System Needs Repair

Combustion produces numerous dangerous, toxic chemicals, and the emissions system converts them into less harmful chemicals and water. System components will wear out or become damaged as time passes, leading to problems. As your Ford dealership, we’d like you to know a few signs that you need to visit us for an emissions system repair.

3 Signs You Need an Emissions System Repair at Your Ford Dealership

Blocked Catalytic Converter

The catalytic converter is connected to the exhaust system and receives the gases dumped out of the engine cylinders after combustion. The converter uses immense pressure, intense heat, and chemical reactions to change them before expulsion through the exhaust pipe. Conversion produces carbon as a byproduct, and this substance can build up and block the converter.

If the converter is blocked, engine gases are forced back into the engine. These gases increase the pressure inside the engine, potentially causing it to shut down. The check engine light will illuminate to signal that something is wrong. Our technicians will clear any blockages, and the converter will work effectively again.

Blocked Air Filter

Efficient combustion requires a precise mixture of air and fuel. Air enters your Ford through the radiator grille, passing into the engine air filter. The filter captures dirt, leaf particles, and other debris before allowing the now-clean air to enter the engine. As time passes, the filter’s concertina-like folds will become clogged with dirt, drastically reducing the amount of air fed into the engine.

If the engine doesn’t receive enough air, it turns fuel-rich. A fuel-rich engine produces less power and uses more fuel. The spark plugs and ignition coils suffer increased wear and tear as they can’t work effectively, and much of the fuel used won’t burn. Large quantities of unburnt fuel can’t be sufficiently processed, which increases exhaust emissions. You’ll also smell fuel in the exhaust fumes. Once we replace the filter, these problems will disappear.

Damaged Oxygen Sensors

Oxygen sensors monitor the amount of air in the engine and continuously report this to your computer. The computer uses this information to adjust the air-fuel ratio to maintain a 14:1 air-to-fuel ratio for perfect combustion. These sensors can fail due to age or damage, leading to engine problems.

If your computer doesn’t receive accurate reports on air in the engine, it’s forced to guess. This can cause a fuel-rich engine, as we saw above, or a fuel-lean engine, where your engine doesn’t receive enough fuel. Both situations increase wear and tear on the emissions system and increase harmful emissions. We’ll replace any damaged sensors to fix this issue.

If something is wrong with your emissions system, we can fix it for you. Contact us today at Ewald’s Hartford Ford in Hartford, WI.

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