Shop Discount Oxygen Sensors

In order for a modern automobile engine to be properly managed, it must be able to detect the details of the environment that surrounds it, as well as acquire information regarding its own processes. These tasks are performed by a variety of sensors, and one of the most important sensors to an engine is the oxygen sensor. The oxygen sensor is mounted in the exhaust stream, and simply put, it measures the percentage of oxygen found in the exhaust gases which are leaving the engine. Why is this important? For the vehicle’s computer, the composition of the exhaust gases gives clues as to how well fuel is combusting inside of the motor. If the ratio of fuel to oxygen in the exhaust gases is high, then the computer knows that it needs to scale back fuel delivery. If there is more oxygen in the exhaust gas than unburned fuel, then the computer will make the opposite adjustment and add more fuel to the mix. This form of control allows an engine to be much more efficient, and also control the amount of greenhouse gases exiting the motor. How does the oxygen sensor work? A probe inside of the sensor containing platinum-coated electrodes generates a voltage in the presence of oxygen. Some models also work by changing the resistance of the electrodes, which have a current being fed through them, in response to the air / fuel mixture in the exhaust gases. The computer samples this voltage a specific number of times per minute in order to get an accurate picture of the composition of the exhaust gases.

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