How Oxygen Sensor Works?

How Oxygen Sensor Works?

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Cars have become a necessity for our survival. Most people cant even think of commuting without their cars for more than a day. But it is quite surprising that even though we all have been driving or at least riding cars for almost our entire life, how less do we know about its parts. Though many drivers claim that they know everything about cars, most of them only have a superficial idea of how its parts work.

Take for example, the Oxygen sensor of the car. Now, this part has been a part of every car made after 1980, most people are still not aware of its existence. But, it is one of the most important parts of the cars emission control system. The purpose of this sensor is to provide data to the engines management computer, so that engine works more efficiently. This part plays an important role in reducing the emissions from the vehicle.

An internal combustion engine works by burning gas when it meets oxygen. The engine needs fuel and oxygen in a particular ration to work efficiently. The ration is generally 14:7:1 for gasoline, but can change for other kinds of fuel, depending on percentage of carbon and hydrogen in the fuel. Now, the closer this ratio to perfection this ratio is, the better will be your cars performance. In other words, if you want to get good mileage from your car, you need to maintain the ratio.

If the amount of oxygen in the engine is less than this ratio, your car wont burn the fuel efficiently. There will be fuel left in the engine known as rich mixture, which is not only bad for your car, but for the environment too. On the other hand, if there is too much oxygen in your engine, then it will create a lean mixture. This mixture can damage the engine and cause your car to perform poorly. It also produces large amounts of nitrogen oxide which is a dangerous pollutant.

An air/fuel ratio sensor is fitted on the exhaust pipe of the car and detects the presence of lean or rich mixture in the emissions. The sensor creates a chemical reaction which produces a voltage. This voltage goes to cars engine computer which determines the presence of lean and rich mixtures. After detecting any imbalance in the fuel and oxygen ration, the cars computer adjusts the ratio of fuel in the engine to rectify the balance.

Engine needs oxygen sensors to regulate the amount of fuel and oxygen in the engine. The quantity of oxygen pulled in by an engine depends on a number of things like the environment, weather, altitude, load on the car etc. Thus, the only way to maintain the perfect balance in the car is through these sensors.

Thus, make sure that the O2 sensor of your car is always in perfect condition because if it fails to detect the right oxygen and fuel ratio, your car may be seriously damaged.

About the Author:
Writer of this article owns a website called O2SensorsDirect.Com which is a great place to buy oxygen sensor. If you are looking for o2 sensor that lets you give quality products and provides you superb satisfaction, then this is the place for you. Also Visit our air fuel ratio sensor to know more about air fuel ratio sensor.



Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com


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