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You already know that your car’s engine is responsible for creating the energy that turns your wheels and propels your vehicle down the road. It generates this energy through its combustion process. Air and fuel enter each cylinder’s combustion chamber where the mixture is compressed and ignited. A lot of drivers fail to realize that the mixture within each cylinder’s chamber must be carefully measured. The oxygen sensor (OS) plays an important role in ensuring an optimum ratio between the air and fuel.

Below, we’ll explore this component, and the job it performs, in greater detail. You’ll learn how the OS is part of your engine’s feedback loop. I’ll also describe how it works and what can happen if it fails.

Maintaining The Perfect Ratio

The optimum ratio between the oxygen and fuel that enters your engine’s combustion chambers is 14.7 to 1. Too little air causes a rich mixture. In such cases, the combustion process results in unburned fuel that flows out of the chamber and into the exhaust system. That generates pollution and will cause your vehicle to fail an emissions test.

When there is too much air in the combustion chamber, a lean mixture results. That produces excess nitrogen oxides, a dangerous pollutant. Not only does that make your car’s catalytic converter work harder, but it can also lead to engine damage.

Maintaining the optimum ratio between the air and fuel mixture requires constant monitoring. That is the job of your oxygen sensor.

Understanding The Control Loop

The OS sits within your vehicle’s exhaust pipe and measures whether the air-fuel mixture is too lean or too rich. It accomplishes this task by identifying the amount of oxygen present in the exhaust leaving each cylinder’s combustion chamber. It sends a continuous stream of data to your car’s computer.

The computer receives the data sent from the O2 sensor and uses it to modify the ratio of air and fuel used during combustion. If the oxygen sensor notes a too-lean or too-rich mixture in the exhaust, the computer (i.e. the engine control unit, or ECU) will adjust the fuel intake system in order to compensate.

Any modifications made by your car’s ECU will produce changes in the oxygen level present in the exhaust. These changes are identified by the OS, which continues sending a stream of corresponding data to the ECU. This is a closed feedback loop.

How The Oxygen Sensor Performs Its Job

Your vehicle’s O2 sensor generates a small electrical current when the component becomes heated. This voltage is produced by a chemical reaction. The portion of the sensor that is screwed into the exhaust manifold is equipped with a small bulb. The bulb is coated with chemicals that produce a reaction when they are exposed to the gases contained in the exhaust leaving your car’s combustion chambers.

The voltage created by this chemical reaction communicates the level of oxygen to the engine control unit. A high voltage means the mixture is too rich. A low voltage means the mixture is too lean.

When The Component Fails

Oxygen sensors can last up to 80,000 miles, but can fail earlier depending on your driving habits. If it fails, your car’s computer will be unable to make changes to the ratio of the air-fuel mixture used in your engine’s combustion chambers. In effect, the closed feedback loop that normally ensures the mixture is optimized, opens. Your emissions will rise, potentially causing your vehicle to fail an emissions test. Your gas mileage will fall as your engine becomes less efficient. You might also notice a reduction in performance as the air-fuel mixture runs rich or lean.

If your car’s O2 sensor fails, have an OEM-certified replacement installed as soon as possible. Otherwise, your engine may begin experiencing problems that worsen with time.

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Canada Day Desktop 1024 x 768 Wallpapers (Fête du Canada)

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Canada Day Wallpaper

Canada Day Wallpapers

Link to tjis post: http://canadianflag.bloglife.ca/1024-x-768-canadian-flag-wallpaper/canada-day-wallpapers/

from the Canadian Flag Pictures website

Did you ever think that traffic lights could actually increase the likelihood of auto accidents?

You probably don?t think much about traffic lights at all ? except to get irritated when you?re stuck at a red light with no other cars in sight. In two instances, however, cities trying to save the environment ? or make a few extra dollars ? can inadvertently put drivers at risk and increase the odds of a car accident, personal injury, or even wrongful death, just by toying with the basics of their traffic lights.

? Case #1 ? Low Energy Use, High Winter Risk

In recent years, many traffic lights have been converted from conventional halogen incandescent bulbs to arrays of LED (light emitting diodes) bulbs. The LED bulbs have several obvious advantages ? since they use much less energy they?re both ?green? friendly, and they also lower energy costs dramatically ? in a major intersection, that savings could reach $600 per year for a city. In fact, Wisconsin?s state Transportation Department saves an incredible $750,000 a year thanks to the new technology. LEDs also have a much longer life than the older bulbs.

So what?s not to like?

Well, the LED lights? greatest advantage is also its greatest weakness. When a winter storm hits, the hi-tech bulbs don?t burn enough energy to melt away snow and ice. Which means the traffic light can easily get crusted over and not visible to a driver. Dozens of auto accidents and one wrongful death that occurred in April of 2009 in Illinois have been attributed to this problem.

There is an easy lo-tech fix, however ? a $20 Snow Scoop Visor can be attached to the traffic lights in question to prevent snow and ice build-up. Also, to be fair, it should be noted that the LEDs shine about four times more brightly than incandescents, rendering them far more visible after dark and in foggy conditions, meaning they have probably saved a great many lives by preventing some car accidents.

? Case #2 ? Abandoning Caution with the Caution Light

To many, many drivers, when a green light turns yellow, that?s their signal to speed up to get through the intersection and beat the red light.

Many cities, though, when they install cameras at intersections to catch drivers running red lights, exacerbate the problem by actually decreasing the amount of time the yellow light flashes ? so they can ticket more drivers and collect more revenue. The problem is that shortening the yellow light duration increases the chances of auto accidents ? because drivers on either side of the light don?t have enough time to react.

There have been many reports of increased car accidents, wrongful deaths, and personal injury cases as a result of these attempts to ?cash in? with the cameras.

As a personal injury lawyer practicing in Seattle, Washington, I was gratified to see a bill recently introduced in the Washington state legislature designed to lock in a longer yellow light length ? and to reduce the fines from the red light cameras, so no cities in Washington would be tempted to make money by raising the risk of intersection car accidents occurring.

Every action causes a reaction. That?s why even the smallest of adjustments to traffic light usage should be studied before they?re enacted.

Canadian Flag 1280 x 1024 Wallpaper (click to download wallpaper):

Canadian Flag Wallpaper

"Up in the gym just working on my fitness, Pandalicious." For those of you who are wondering yes I went there and I am not afraid to go there again, for those of you who don’t get the reference, be glad. I am sitting at the table in the common room one last time, Luke and I will be shipping out back to Shiyan today at 5. For those who are wondering we paid a little extra to get the 11 hour train ride instead of the 17 hour train ride we took here. Luke also woke up nauseous this morning and is still upstairs sleeping, I am waiting on my breakfast of French toast, scrambled eggs, and bacon, aren’t I a good friend. I am feeling awesome myself and am kind of excited to get back home to sleep in my own bed, but not excited by the fact that McDonald’s is my best choice for Western food. Gotta go my Breakfast is here I will finish this later…

…Wow that was great! I am still not sure why they serve gra pe tomatoes with the breakfast, and the freshly squeezed Orange Juice is so awesome. I digress you probably want to hear about our last couple of days. Well after my last last blog Luke and I saddled up to go to Peter’s Tex-Mex which is a famous Chinese Mexican food restaurant. We got chips with chili con queso, chimichangas, and peanut butter milkshakes, be sure to look at the picture. We also noticed a new restaurant in the ciity right down the street from Pete’s but I will cover that in a minute. The next day we went to probably the most beautiful place I have been to in China, Dufu’s Cottage. Dufu was a famous poet from the 7th Century, and at one point in his life he fled to Chengdu to escape revolutionaries. So there is an enourmous park surrounding what is considered to be the site of his home for the our years he stayed in Chengdu. You can see from the pictures that start with the bronze statue of Dufu, that it is an amzing park near the heart of downtown Chengdu, it is almost impossible to tell you are in China. We went to the art city but you won’t see nay pictures it is basically a street bazaar selling all kinds of stuff and then there are the legitamite stores selling overpriced stuff. So I didn’t feel like taking any pictures. We enjoyed some pizza hut for lunch and then headed to Culture Park and the Temple of the Green Ram, where if you will permit me Iwill begin to rant a bit. So it is a beautiful temple which is the most important Daoist temple in South Western China. For those of you who don’t know Daoism is a religion that is more complicated than particle physics. They have like 8 immortals who are immortal cause they eat magical peaches, but then the immortals can make other gods if a person has done something special. The names they give these gods is ridiculous for example, the Supreme Sovereign of judgment and fair trail commanding the northern stars of the heavens and the merciful and just protector of the daoist canon. That is one dude’s name and they got like a million of these guys. You then have to bring offerings and prayers to each guy who oversees a certain part of life, so if you want to pray to the god of babies cause you are preggers you have to go find the right temple and bring him an orange and then burn some incense to him. Of course if you live in Chengdu and the god of preggers is in Shanghai it is only a 47 hour train trip to get there. However the Daoist are cool cause they think they can master their chi and then make Kameamea waves (Dragonball Z reference). So in the pictures you will see me rubbing a bronze goat’s flanks, because if you do it will cure you of all pain and sickness. Obviously Luke didn’t rub the goat’s butt in the right spot cause he is still sick and I am better now, sucker. All right rant finished.

So after that we went to one of the happiest places on earth, the Chengdu Hooters. Now for my parents and family I did not actually go in the Hooters I just took some pictures outside and then walked away. Do you hear that I think some one is knocking on the door you better go get that. Ok quick while they are gone I did go into Hooters and their food was glorious. I know that sounds funny but this is the first time I can honestly say I went to Hooters for the food. They had real bacon cheeseburgers, chili cheese fries, onion rings, and buffalo strips. I could barely walk when i got done eating there. When you look at the pictures you will see my burger and curly fries with cheeses sauce. It might be the best meal I have eaten in China. Oh what was that nobody at the door oh I am sorry I must be hearing things in my old age. Oh kno we haven’t talked about anything since you left, we have just sat here quietly and patiently awaited your return.?

Panda bears!! We had to roll out of bed at 6 a.m. the next morning to take the car from the Hostel to the Panda Research Institute. As you can see from the pictures we saw tons of pandas. The little red cat looking ones are red pandas (yes I know good naming skills in China) and of course the black and white ones are the famous Giant Pandas. They are of course both endangered species on the verge of extinction. Begin Rant: So there are like 5 million signs in the park that say non-smoking park cause we got endangered animals here, you know the national treasure of China and the freakin driver manages to smoke like half a pack while showing us around the park. What’s worse is a couple foreigner tourists decided well since the Chinese are doing it I guess it is ok for me to light up too. Are you kidding me seriously do you not understand endangered species, I mean the scientists and handlers won’t even touch a panda without plastic gloves on. So they have built this semi fake enclosure for the pandas to live in with like jungle gyms in case the pandas want to work on their fitness. So we this right after they tell us oh Pandas eat for 16-20 hours a day and then sleep and poop for the rest of it. So then why have you wasted all this money building a panda gym that will never get used. Then they show us a map of all the Pandas left in the world. Of course in China and then some in zoos in Germany, the U.S.A., France, and MEXICO!!!! Are you kidding me this is an endangered species and we are trusting them to the expertise of the Mexican government. Don’t get me wrong I am sure their intentions are noble but the sanitary conditions of their country do not end themselves to the care and maintainance of their own inhabitants much less an endagered Giant Panda. I mean seriously when you think of Mexico you think of over proced beach resorts for college kid’s spring break, kidnappings, and tacoes. Maybe that is a little generalized but come on if you made a list of countries to entrust an endangered species to would Mexico make the top 10 or 20, my guess is no. So I made a list: U.S.A., Canada, England, Germany, France, Italy, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, China, Japan, Austria, the Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland, Sweeden, Norway, Finland, then like Mexico, Russia and Brazil make the list. So not very high. End Rant.

So I have to go know so we can check out and then we are going to have some tea and subway. I will write again when I get home and tell you about the Sichuan Opera, sounds weird but it isn’t.

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