Volkswagen lambda sensor replacement, made easy
Hassle-free MOT, Service and Car Repair
How much does a lambda sensor replacement cost for Volkswagen cars?
Car model | Fixter price range |
---|---|
Lambda sensor replacement for Volkswagen Polo | £156 - £245 |
Lambda sensor replacement for Volkswagen Golf VII | £206 - £323 |
Lambda sensor replacement for Volkswagen Golf | £170 - £268 |
Lambda sensor replacement for Volkswagen Tiguan | £170 - £268 |
Lambda sensor replacement for Volkswagen Golf VI | £177 - £279 |
Lambda sensor replacement for Volkswagen Up! | £156 - £245 |
Lambda sensor replacement for Volkswagen Golf V | £177 - £279 |
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Our expert insights into lambda sensor replacement
What does a lambda sensor do?
In simple terms, a lambda sensor measures the amount of oxygen in your exhaust fumes, to ensure your engine is burning fuel correctly. They are fitted in both petrol and diesel vehicles.
What are the symptoms of a malfunctioning lambda sensor?
Below are the top three symptoms that could indicate you need to replace your lambda sensor:
Your engine performance will suffer—often misfiring, cutting out or not starting at all
When your engine is idling, or just ticking over, it will feel rough and lumpy compared to normal
Fuel consumption is higher than normal
What happens when we do a lambda sensor replacement on your car?
Our certified mechanics will:
Read the ECU for possible fault codes related to the lambda sensor.
They will inspect the sensor and ancillaries (like the electrical connectors).
If necessary, the mechanic will replace the lambda sensor.
The mechanic will advise if other components need to be replaced as well.
They will check the sensors again.
The mechanic will test drive the car, and make any final adjustments.
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Our in-house experts will keep you updated, and your card is only charged once all work has been satisfactorily completed and approved by our team. Your driver will then drop the car back when it’s convenient for you.
Want to learn more about Volkswagen lambda sensor replacement?
What does a lambda sensor do?
Lambda sensors measure the amount of oxygen in the exhaust fumes emitted from your vehicle, to ensure your engine is burning fuel correctly. Fitted in both petrol and diesel vehicles, they help to reduce the number of harmful emissions, primarily gases such as carbon monoxide, and pollutants, produced by your car.
The sensors are designed to work within government exhaust gas legislation. Due to the role they play in the operation of your car, they are also widely known as oxygen sensors or O2 sensors.
Your lambda sensor converts the amount of oxygen present in your exhaust into an electric signal and sends the signal to the computer that controls your engine operation. The ECU (engine control unit) processes the readings and sends the information back to the engine. The engine then makes compensations of how to mix fuel and air to get the ratio back to where it needs to be.
Volkswagen
Volkswagen (often shortened to VW) is a German automobile manufacturer founded in 1937 by the German Labour Front, a Nazi labour union.
Volkswagen is the flagship marque of the Volkswagen Group, who in turn is majority owned by Porsche. They own and operate a vast number of cars under other brand names—at the time of writing, they have 342 subsidiary companies.
How popular is Volkswagen in the United Kingdom?
Possibly its most well-known model of the current generation, the VW Golf, was the 2nd best selling car of 2018, behind the Ford Fiesta, which consistently takes the top spot year after year.
The Golf’s 64k registrations in 2018 added to the vast tally of 3.4million Volkswagen cars on the road today.
High quality, highly rated, appropriately priced cars
VW cars achieve consistently strong reviews and are highly respected by critics and drivers alike. They are renowned for investing more money into research and development than almost any other marque and distributing their wealth of motoring knowledge across the many partner brands under the VW Group umbrella.
The Volkswagen Beetle: The ‘people’s car’
A classic of its time, originally named the Volkswagen Type 1, it soon became nicknamed the Beetle due to its unique shape, and subsequently the bug. The unique looking car was designed by Ferdinand Porsche for Adolf Hitler, who wanted a cheap and simple mass-produced car to travel around his country’s new road network.
The new model Beetle, originally launched to celebrate the original classic in 1997, and with an updated successor in 2011, was designed around the VW Jetta platform sharing much of its build with the Jetta and Golf. VW announced in 2018 that the Beetle would finally be removed from production in July 2019.
How often should a lambda sensor need replacing?
Several things can affect your sensor's lifespan, but typically you should replace your lambda sensor every 50k-100k miles. Your sensor should be checked periodically, to ensure its correct operation.
Due to the nature of their operation and their position in an extremely hot and dirty environment, the lambda sensor will wear out over time. In addition, vibrations or damage to connectors and/or wires can also cause failure. Another common cause of premature failure is contamination, which will most likely require a replacement sensor to be fitted.
The law, vehicle regulations and your MOT
A faulty lambda sensor is often flagged up during an MOT test. The current MOT test includes an emissions check, so any unusual emission results will be reported, and an advisory will be given on what work needs to be done.
Remember, it is advisable to check the sensor regularly, to ensure it functions well. It could save your car from failing an MOT, and improve your car’s fuel consumption, saving you money down the line.
What causes a lambda sensor to break?
Due to the nature of their operation and their position in an extremely hot and dirty environment, your lambda sensor will wear out over time. Damage to the heater element of the sensor is the most frequent fault associated with lambda sensors. In addition, vibrations or damage to connectors and/or wires can also cause failure. Another common cause of premature failure is contamination from debris, dust and carbon.
When should a lambda sensor be replaced?
Several things can affect your sensor's lifespan, but typically, it should last anywhere between 50k and 100k miles.
In the past sensors didn’t have a heating element, so required the exhaust temperature to reach a specific heat to operate. Nowadays modern sensors are fitted with a heating element, taking a lot of the pressure off the sensor. These newer sensors have a much longer lifespan.
Your sensor should be checked periodically, to ensure its correct operation.
What are the signs of a bad lambda sensor?
Usually, there a few signs you can look for:
Your engine performance will suffer—often misfiring, cutting out or not starting at all
When your engine is idling, or just ticking over, it will feel rough and lumpy compared to normal
Fuel consumption is higher than normal
Your car has failed an emission test
The engine warning light will illuminate on your dashboard
What happens during a lambda sensor replacement?
During the repair our certified mechanics will:
Read the ECU for possible fault codes related to the lambda sensor.
They will inspect the sensor and ancillaries (like the electrical connectors).
If necessary, the mechanic will replace the lambda sensor.
The mechanic will advise if other components need to be replaced as well.
They will check the sensors again.
The mechanic will test drive the car, and make any final adjustments.
What is the average life of a lambda sensor?
Several things can affect the lifespan of your lambda sensor, but typically, it should last anywhere between 50k and 100k miles. The sensor may have to be replaced sooner if it becomes damaged or corroded.
Can you drive with a broken lambda sensor?
Technically you can drive with a faulty lambda sensor, however we don’t recommend it. You'll want to change it as soon as possible, because otherwise, you'll be spending more money on fuel and you risk having to splash out on a new catalytic converter as well.
What happens if you don't change the lambda sensor?
A broken or faulty lambda sensor will lead to the ECU not being able to regulate the fuel / air mixture correctly which can result in the engine running lean or rich. In turn the car will likely have poor fuel consumption, it might also cause the car to fail an emissions test.
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