Why Does A Car Need An Oxygen Sensor? - 17 November 2010 - Blog

Oxygen Sensor is an electronic device. Oxygen Sensors are used to quantify the ratio of oxygen in either gas or liquid. Oxygen Sensors have been used as an essential part of all passenger cars and light trucks since 1980 or 1981. Generally these Oxygen Sensors are located in the exhaust manifold. The reason of treating it as an essential part is that the level of oxygen that engine can extract is dependent on different types of things such as the temperature and pressure of the air and engine, weight on the engine, atmosphere and so on. In the beginning of 1970’s, an automobile manufacturing company came out with the Oxygen Sensors technology. This was the Swedish manufacturing company named Volvo.

Some of the old cars and almost all the new cars have an Electronic Fuel injection system so the computer modulates the right amount of fuel to the different parts of the engine. This computer communicates through the sensors to determine the level and the frequency of fuel needed in different parts of the system, so an Oxygen Sensor is an important element for the car’s emission system. Oxygen Sensor is fixed in the exhaust pipe and is able to determine the quantity of rich and lean mixture. This procedure includes a chemical reaction that creates a Voltage and through this voltage, the engine’s computer not only sets if the mixture is rich and lean but also adjusts the correct amount fuel moving into the engine.

Oxygen Sensors sometimes do not work properly and due to the breakdown of Oxygen Sensor, an important feedback about the system could be lost which can force the computer to run out of idea that how much and how frequently the fuel is supposed to be delivered to the engine.

The performance of these sensors can be evaluated by checking the voltage output of the sensor to assure that it represents an accurate air or fuel mixture (high when it shows rich and low when it shows lean). These sensors are considered on high priority by the engine and it enhances the power and the efficiency of your car. Although these sensors might harm your vehicle but there are some way through which these sensors can be checked and you can keep yourself update by any necessary changing in sensor. By preferring to install and keep yourself update about the sensor will give you a less pain of making check and balance possible and it will cost you very less than showing less attention towards the performance of the Oxygen Sensor. The life of you vehicle could be increased with more affected and comfortable journey. It will be in your hands completely that how will you treat you vehicle after getting knowledge about the sensors.

Tags: Oxygen Sensor, O2 sensor, oxygen sensors, emission control system, lean mixture, nitrogen oxide, rich mixture