This problem did not start until i turned on the heater last night coming home from work. The check engine light came on this afternoon on my way to work and i noticed tonight on my way home that there is a strong, rich fuel smell coming into my car when i am stopped and idling (ie: stop lights etc.) i am a 1st time audi owner and i still have my warranty (i've only put 4k on the car since i've owned it, 69000 total). i was wondering if anyone could help me out with this until i can get in to see a mechanic and deal with the hassle that is bound to come about with my warranty.
Hi Shawn,
It sounds like it might be the oxygen sensor failing on your car. If it *is* the O2 sensor, it's not that expensive, from $50 to $200 and may be something you can replace yourself. But it's very unusual to have an O2 sensor fail so early. They typically last 60,000 miles or more.
At any rate, you really should get it checked soon. Running with a very rich fuel mixture will cause the catalytic converter of your exhaust system to overheat and cost many hundreds of dollars in additional repairs. It can also cause a grass fire if you park over dry grass with your overheated catalytic converter.
The first thing a mechanic will do is hook up a code scan tool to a connector in the car. This tool will show the error code that your engine's computer is complaining about. That code will probably point to the O2 sensor or something like that.
I hope that helps.
-Vince
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