Oxygen Sensor?

With the complexity of today's increasingly computerized automobile engines, it has become hard for us to tune-up our own vehicle's engine. And along with the computerization come new parts that are crucial, both for best engine performance and also to stay within the bounds of environmental laws regarding engine emissions. The oxygen sensor is one of those crucial components. They are almost the size of clothes pins and many people don't even know they exist.

However, they play a very important role in monitoring engine exhaust, one of the most common causes of air pollution. What are oxygen sensors and how do they perform their task? The oxygen sensor is a measuring probe for determining the amount of oxygen in the exhaust; actually they are mounted inside of your exhaust pipe. Oxygen sensors does their job by continually monitoring exhaust gases and signals the engine computer to adjust the air/fuel ratio to make sure that gasoline combustion is as complete as possible, thus reducing harmful emissions while also improving engine performance and fuel efficiency.

To be more precise, if the mixture is too rich or too lean, the oxygen sensor adjusts the amount of fuel that enters your engine accordingly. The wrong mix of gasoline and oxygen can increase pollutants that exit your vehicle – thereby harming the environment. And not only that, it is also one of the causes of faulty catalytic converter and engine damage. Therefore, a properly working oxygen sensor is a must for every car. But like any other car parts, oxygen sensors don't last forever. The normal aging process will eventually cause the oxygen sensor to stop working.

As it ages, contaminants from normal combustion and oil ash accumulate on the sensing element reducing the sensor's ability to respond quickly to changes in the air/fuel mixture. Aside from that, the sensor's output voltage might not be as high as it before, giving the false impression that the air/fuel mixture is leaner than it actually is. The result can be a richer-than-normal air-fuel mixture in different operating conditions, resulting in much higher fuel consumption and emissions.

How can you tell if you need a new oxygen sensor? You can diagnose the problem yourself if you have access to the right tools like digital voltmeter, oxygen sensor socket and propane enrichment device. These tools should be all that you need to determine if the oxygen sensor is no longer working. If is has failed, then it's time to order your replacement oxygen sensors.