The Idea
All petrol engines employ a particular air/fuel brew ratio to aid the engine manage at maximum efficiency. Whether there is also fuel than air, then we assert the engine is running moneyed, and there Testament be excess fuel that is not burnt, causing emission problems and a cogent chop in Gauze milage. Provided there is else air in the alloy than fuel, we asseverate the engine is running spare, which can doer the engine to pace poorly and still damage it. The O2 sensor is there to insure that this ratio remains at the true expenditure.
How It Works
The O2 sensor is located in the exhaust tubing good after the manifold on most vehicles and has been incorporated into the emissions packet in that sorrounding 1980. The O2 sensor has wires attached to it that finally drop to the machine in the vehicle and Announcement to it the exact air/fuel ratio. The pc can then create adjustments to the fuel delivery transaction so that the optimum ratio can once again be established.
Replacement
The lifespan of these sensors is generally 30,000 to 50,000 miles before they become sluggish and begin to read inaccurately. They can become prematurely clogged with carbon deposits or other debris running through the engine, which could indicate another problem with the motor.The optimum ratio in natural, inventory vehicles is 14.7:1, and the O2 sensor will do everything in its power to keep things at this ratio. When testing the voltage drop across the wires to see if the oxygen sensor is good or not, knowing what the readings mean can help greatly. A lean mixture will read between 0.1 and 0.4 volts, whereas a rich mixture will read between 0.6 and 0.9 volts. If the oxygen sensor is working properly and maintaining a 14.7:1 air-to-fuel ratio, the voltage drop will be 0.5.
Oxygen sensors can also read inaccurately due to air leaks in the intake or exhaust manifolds, or even become confused by a spark plug that has gone bad, causing the combustion in one of the cylinders to be off. When replacing the oxygen sensor, be sure to use a graphite anti-seize compound on the threads if it is not already present, because they can be quite difficult to remove after 50,000 miles. Some aftermarket oxygen sensors will appear different from the factory model and slight modification to the wiring may be necessary.
