The Most Common Car Sensors And Their Function Explained

Cars are complicated machines. From mechanical components to consumables, a vehicle is made up of crucial components that work in unison to efficiently perform. Few such crucial components are car sensors that intelligently work in order to keep your vehicle running well. Here are 5 major car sensors and everything you need to know about them.

1. Oxygen Sensor
   

   

   The efficient functioning of your engine depends on oxygen intake. But too much or too little of it can cause problems with your engine. This is where the Oxygen Sensor comes in. Generally located near the exhaust manifold, the O2 or oxygen sensor measures the oxygen level in your exhaust and compares it to the oxygen in the air around your car. This information is then used to determine whether your engine is running a rich fuel ratio or a lean one. The engine computer then uses this information to elicit emission controls and fuel metering strategy. If your O2 sensor goes off, your vehicle can create excess pollution or performance issues.

2. Mass Air Flow Sensor
   

   

   The Mass airflow sensor or MAF is one of the most crucial sensors used in automobiles. The MAF sensor is located near the air filter and monitors how much air is flowing into the engine. If by a fault the working of this sensor fails, then you will notice that your vehicle will idle/stall or completely stop. Moreover, the use of petrol would be higher than usual. Moreover, when your MAF sensor fails, the check engine light will surely pop up.

   

3. Engine Speed Sensor
   

   

   Another important sensor in your vehicle, the engine speed sensor is connected to the crankshaft. The primary function of the engine speed sensor is to monitor the rotating speed of the crankshaft so that the engine timing and fuel injection can be duly controlled. If your engine speed sensor goes bad, you may have problems with the cruise control or a speedometer.

4. Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) Sensor

   

   Dubbed as the MAP sensor, the primary function of this sensor is to monitor the instantaneous manifold pressure information. This information is then used by the engine’s computer to optimize fuel ratios for best performance, making it one of the most crucial car sensors.

5. Coolant Temperature Sensor
   

   

    

   Probably one of the most significant sensors of your vehicle the Coolant Temperature Sensor (CTS) monitors the temperature of your engine’s coolant. The information is then used to regulate the systems employed in keeping your engine cool. These include components like the cooling fan etc. If this sensor malfunctions, your engine will overheat, which can cause severe long term damage.

   So these were the 5 most important sensors onboard your vehicle. If you feel any of your major sensors is malfunctioning, make sure to replace faulty sensors from the GoMechanic Spares website, where you can be assured of genuine spares every time.

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