Oxygen sensor

An oxygen sensor (O2 sensor) measures the amount of oxygen in the exhaust gases, sending the signal to the engine computer. A front oxygen sensor is installed in the exhaust manifold or in the front exhaust pipe before the catalytic converter. As you know, a catalytic converter is a major part of the vehicle's emission control system. 

Heated oxygen sensor.

A rear oxygen sensor is mounted in the exhaust after the catalytic converter.

Cars with a 4-cylinder engine have at least two oxygen sensors; V6 and V8 vehicles have at least four O2 sensors. 
The engine computer (Powertrain Control Module, or PCM) uses the signal from the front oxygen sensor to adjust the air/fuel ratio by adding or subtracting fuel. The rear oxygen sensor signal is used to monitor the performance of the catalytic converter. In modern cars, an air fuel ratio sensor is used instead of front oxygen sensor. It works similarly but is more precise. 

How Oxygen Sensor works

There are a few types of oxygen sensors, but to keep it simple, in this article, we will only consider conventional voltage-generating oxygen sensors. As the name implies, a voltage-generating oxygen sensor generates a small voltage proportional to the difference in the amount of oxygen inside and outside of the exhaust. 

When the air-fuel mixture entering the engine is lean (less fuel and more air), there is more oxygen in the exhaust and the oxygen sensor will generate a very small voltage (0.1 - 0.2V). 

If the air-fuel mixture becomes rich (more fuel and less air), there is less oxygen in the exhaust, so the oxygen sensor will generate more voltage (around 0.9V). 
To work properly, an oxygen sensor must be heated to a certain temperature. A typical modern sensor has an internal electric heating element that is powered by the PCM.

Air/fuel Ratio Adjustment

A front O2 sensor is responsible for keeping the air/fuel ratio of the mixture entering the engine at the optimal level, which is approximately 14.7:1 or 14.7 parts of air to 1 part of fuel.

The engine computer adjusts air/fuel ratio based on the feedback from the front O2 sensor

When the front O2 sensor senses high level of oxygen, the PCM assumes that the engine is running lean (not enough fuel), so the PCM adds fuel. When the level of oxygen in the exhaust becomes low, the PCM assumes that the engine is running rich (too much fuel) and reduces fuel supply.

This process is continuous. The engine computer constantly cycles between slightly lean and slightly rich conditions to keep the air/fuel ratio at the optimum level. This process is called closed loopoperation. If you look at the front oxygen sensor voltage signal (see the scope signal above), it will be cycling somewhere between 0.2 Volts (Lean) and 0.9 Volts (Rich). See the photo.

Front oxygen sensor voltage signal

When the car is started cold, the front oxygen sensor is not fully warmed up, and the PCM does not use the front O2 sensor signal for fuel trim adjustment. This mode is called an open loop. Only when the oxygen sensor is fully warmed up, the fuel injection system goes into the closed loop mode. 

Modern cars have a broadband air/fuel ratio sensor installed instead of a regular oxygen sensor. An air/fuel ratio sensor works differently, but serves the same purpose - to detect whether the air/fuel mixture entering the engine is rich or lean. An air-fuel ratio sensor is more precise and can measure wider range of air/fuel ratio. Read about rear oxygen sensor, sensor identification and replacement on the next page.

Fuel System Work in a Modern Car

Cars have evolved a staggering amount over the last decade, and the biggest issue that manufacturers addressed with those advancements involves the amount of fuel used by the engine. Consequently, the fuel systems found in modern cars can get pretty complex. Luckily, the most complex ways vehicles save fuel involve programming in the ECU. Physically, there are only a handful of fuel system layouts to be found under the hoods of modern cars.

It starts at the pump

A car’s gas tank is responsible for holding the vast majority of the gas in the fuel system. This tank can be filled from the outside via a small hole that is sealed with a gas cap when not in use. The gas then goes through a few steps before it reaches the engine:

• The gas first enters the fuel pump. The fuel pump is what physically pumps fuel out of the gas tank. Some vehicles have multiple fuel pumps (or even multiple gas tanks), but the system still works the same. The advantage to having multiple pumps is that fuel cannot slosh from one end of the tank to another when cornering or traveling on an incline and leave the fuel pumps dry. At least one pump will have fuel going to it at any given time.
• The pump pushes gasoline into the fuel lines. There are hard metal fuel lines in most vehicles that run the fuel from the tank towards the engine. They are run along parts of the vehicle where they will not be too exposed to the elements and will not get too hot from the exhaust or other components.
• Before it can get to the engine, the gas has to pass through the fuel filter. The fuel filter removes any impurities or debris from the gasoline before it gets into the engine. This is a very important step and a clean fuel filter is key to a long-lasting and clean-running engine.
• Finally, the gas reaches the engine. But how does it get into the combustion chamber?

The wonders of fuel injection

For the majority of the 20th century, carburetors were responsible for taking gasoline and mixing it with the appropriate amount of air for ignition in the combustion chamber. A carburetor relies on the suction pressure created by the engine itself to draw in air. This air carries with it fuel that is also present in the carburetor. This relatively simple design works pretty well, but suffers when the demands of the engine differ at different RPMs. Because the throttle decides how much of the air/fuel mixture the carburetor lets into the engine, the fuel is introduced in a linear way, with more throttle equalling more fuel. If the engine needs 30% more fuel at 5,000 RPM than it does at 4,000 RPM, for instance, a carburetor would struggle to make it run smoothly.

Fuel injection systems

To solve this problem, fuel injection was created. Rather than letting the engine draw in gas via its own pressure alone, electronic fuel injection uses a fuel pressure regulator to keep a steady vacuum of pressure drawing fuel to fuel injectors that spray a mist of gas into the combustion chambers. There are single-point fuel injection systems that introduce gasoline into a throttle body mixed with air. This air/fuel mixture then enters all of the combustion chambers as needed. Direct fuel injection systems (also called port fuel injection) have injectors delivering fuel right into the individual combustion chambers and have at least one injector per cylinder.

Mechanical fuel injection

Just like with wrist watches, fuel injection can work electronically or mechanically. Mechanical fuel injection is not very popular nowadays, as it is higher-maintenance and takes longer to tune to a specific application. Mechanical fuel injection works by mechanically metering the amount of air going into the engine and the amount of fuel going into the injectors. This makes it more difficult to calibrate.

Electronic fuel injection

Electronic fuel injection can be programmed to work best for a certain use such as towing or drag racing, and this electronic tuning takes less time than mechanical fuel injection and doesn’t need to be re-tuned as much as a carbureted system.

Ultimately, the fuel system on modern cars is controlled by the ECU, like so many others. This is not a bad thing, though, because engine issues and other problems can be solved with a software update in some cases. On top of that, the electronic controls allow mechanics to pull up data from the engine simply and consistently. Electronic fuel injection provides consumers with better fuel mileage and more consistent performance all around.

How to Maintain Your New Car

One of the reassuring qualities of contemporary cars is that they need much less-frequent service to keep them running well. Changing the spark plugs, breaker points, and condenser used to be a seasonal exercise, and body rust was accepted as a normal if unfortunate hazard of aging. Now many spark plugs can go 100,000 KMs between changes. Electronic ignition has done away with the points and condenser. Chassis, suspensions, and even some transmissions are lubed for life. And factory rust-through warranties typically run six years or longer. What’s more, reliability has improved significantly. The result is that most late-model cars should be able to go 15000 km with regular upkeep.Here are a few simple, periodic checks and procedures you can do that will help you get there.

Check Engine oil every 3 months or after every highway trip specially for diesel fuel cars which requires 15000km or higher interval for oil change or once a year service program.

Do check pollen or a/c filter in every 6 month and change it if required 

clean interior cabin of the car with suitable cleaner and always clean and condition leather once in 2 months. 

do not use detergent or hair shampoo for cleaning the car it effect adversely in long term.

do perform wheel alignment and rotation in every 7000kms and check for balancing required.

These are the few thing you should taken in account for up keeping your new car.
since its new so no major maintenance required.Also keep check you periodical maintenance chart in manual 

LEATHER CAR SEAT REPAIR: HOW TO FIX AND PREVENT TEARS AND CRACKS

Many drivers choose vehicles with leather seats for their luxurious look and feel. Taking care of the seats is important for keeping the vehicle’s interior looking nice. This is especially important for drivers who plan to trade in or sell their car later on. If the seats are cared for properly, they will not crack or tear easily.

HOW TO PREVENT TEARS AND CRACKS IN LEATHER SEATS

Can leather cracks be prevented? Can leather tears be prevented? Both types of damages are mostly preventable. It is much less expensive to maintain the seats than it is to fix the leather damage. These tips cover both cosmetic maintenance and helpful advice for what to avoid.

1. Avoid the sun. Use a sun shield on the windshield if the vehicle must sit in the sun. If the side windows and back windshield are not tinted to minimize the sun’s intensity, use window screens or shields after parking the vehicle on sunny days. If the leather car interior is exposed to direct sunlight for extended periods of time, it can crack and the color will fade.

2. Avoid bulky and sharp objects. The easiest way to prevent tears is to be mindful of what goes on the seats. Do not put tools, pet carriers or sharp objects directly on the seats. That also includes sharp or pointed objects in your pockets such as keys. Always put bulky objects in the trunk if possible. When putting any other objects on the seats, place a padded protective blanket over the seat first.

3. Condition and clean seats regularly. It is important to maintain clean seats and condition the leather regularly. Be sure to vacuum the seats first. Always clean seats with a gentle cleaner that is designed for leather interior. Finish the job with a conditioner that is made for leather. The conditioner will help the clean seats keep their pliability and will prevent cracks and signs of wear.

HOW TO FIX TEARS AND CRACKS IN LEATHER SEATS

Can leather cracks be fixed? Can leather tears be repaired? The answer is yes. Guests, pets or children may tear the seats at some point. When a tear or crack happens, it is important to repair it quickly to protect the inner part of the seat. Use these tips for proper leather car seat repair.

Car Leather Repair – What You Will Need:

• Warm water
• Mild dish soap
• Cleaning cloth
• Microfiber cloth
• Denatured alcohol
• Mild sandpaper
• Auto leather repair kit

If the leather is cracked, it can be fixed with a car leather repair or leather patch kit. This type of kit is inexpensive. Make sure it includes a leather dye that matches the color of the leather car interior. Start by cleaning the seat with warm water that is mixed with mild dish soap. Rinse out the cleaning cloth as necessary. After rinsing the rag well, use it to rub denatured alcohol on the cracked areas. Wipe the areas dry with a microfiber cloth.

When the leather is dry, gently sand the cracked areas away with the sandpaper. Use the microfiber cloth to wipe the seats dry again. Next, open the auto leather repair kit. Read the instructions carefully to understand how to use the contents of the package. Open the liquid leather sealant product. Use it to smooth out the cracks according to the instructions. Apply the leather dye carefully to the affected areas until it matches the rest of the seat. Let the seats dry completely before using them again. Unless the vehicle is in a clean and closed garage, it is best to keep the windows rolled up while the seats are drying to avoid debris entering the car.

FIXING LEATHER CAR INTERIOR TEARS

What You Will Need

• Matching leather thread
• Leather needle
• Thimble
• Sharp scissors
• A strip of matching leather
• Leather putty
• Matching leather dye

Aside from replacing the seats, there is no way to repair gashes or tears in the leather that make it look flawless. However, there are two ways to repair tears that will protect the part of the seat beneath the leather and minimize the unattractiveness of a large tear. The torn edges can be stitched together or a piece of leather can be placed over or below them and attached to the torn edges.

To repair the tear by stitching the torn edges together, start by cutting away any threads that are loose with scissors. Thread the needle and put it on the underside of one torn leather edge. Loop it over the other side and pull the needle back through the thread loop to create a strong knot. Push the needle with a thimble. Carefully stitch the leather in even and small stitches to minimize the appearance of the thread. After finishing, tie the knot off on the underside of the leather.

For the leather strip insert option, cut away any loose threads on the torn edges first. Place the leather strip under or over the tear. It is best to place it under the seat’s leather. Use the stitching method above to create and finish knots. Stitch carefully using small stitches for an even look. It is also possible to use liquid leather adhesive instead of a needle and thread. If there are gaps after finishing, fill them in with leather putty. Paint the leather with dye if necessary to make it match the seats.

To use adhesive as an alternative, place the leather pieces underneath the tears and position them properly. Brush the liquid adhesive around the edges of the tears and press them into the leather strip. Smooth out any rough surfaces with sandpaper, wipe the residue away with a wet cloth and dry the seat with a microfiber cloth. If there are gaps, fill them in with leather putty. Apply leather dye to the affected areas if necessary.

FIXING LEATHER CAR INTERIOR HOLES

Another important topic of leather car seat repair is fixing holes in the leather. These can happen from punctures or cigarette burns. This type of leather car seat repair is much simpler than fixing cracks or tears. Use either a small piece of leather as a patch for bigger holes or liquid leather for very small holes. For the patch method of leather car seat repair, find a piece of leather that matches the seat. Cut a small piece to fit over the hole. Use leather adhesive to attach it. Let it dry for several hours before sitting on it or placing any items on the seat.

For the liquid auto leather repair method, buy a liquid leather product. Look for matching leather dye to use afterward. Follow the instructions to apply the product. Wait for it to dry before applying the auto leather dye. Clean seats thoroughly and apply conditioner when finished.

Can leather damage be fixed? It absolutely is possible to fix leather but there are some limitations. When the tears and damages are too severe for DIY methods, it is time to look for professional leather car seat repair or for a replacement seat.

Automatic Transmission

Automatic Transmission Types Explained: CVT, DSG, Tiptronic, Dual-Clutch, Automated-Manual Transmission

A transmission (or gearbox) is a bridge between the engine and the drive wheels of a vehicle. It transforms torque and horsepower to various speed limits. To simply put, it sends power from the first part to the second part to help the car to move forward and backward. The automatic version of the gearbox can change gears with the movement of the vehicles, the driver does not need to do anything except for selecting the modes. Modern vehicles feature a few versions of automatic transmission types.

Automatic Transmission Types Explained

A Canadian inventor named Alfred Horner Munro first patented the concept of the auto gearbox and he utilized compressed air for the change of gears. American inventor Oscar H. Banker developed the concept and invented the first practical auto transmission. The automobile giant General Motors introduced the first modern and mass-produced self-shifting gear called Hydramatic in 1940.

The automatic transmission types is available in several versions depending on the make and model of a vehicle.

Traditional Automatic Transmission

Mostly known as torque converter automatic, this is the standard type of automatic transmission to be found in most of the cars these days. Unlike a manual gearbox, it does not use a clutch to change gears. Instead, a hydraulic fluid coupling or a torque converter does this job. It connects to the Electronic Control Unit of the engine and allows for precise control of the vehicle.

utomatic cars perform smoothly, but the shifting of the gears is not quick all the time, earning them the name ‘slushbox’. The impression has been changing though, thanks to some brilliant transmission models such as the ZF 8-speed, which you will find in many performance cars ranging from Jaguars to BMWs.

>> Some of the popular models are Porsche Panamera, BMW X1, Kia Sportage, and more.

Automated-Manual Transmission

Also known as semi-automatic transmission (SAT) and several other names, this automatic transmission type utilizes a regular clutch and gear setup but automates the action by the use of sensors, actuators, processors, and pneumatics.

The cars featuring this transmission provide better performance on highways. They are not recommended for city driving because the engines feel jerky under hard acceleration.

>> Some of the popular models are Ford Kuga, Volvo V40, Audi A5, and more.

Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)

These gearboxes use either belts of pulleys, instead of steel gears found in traditional auto transmission, for changing the gears. It allows seamless gear shifting with numerous range of ratios and facilitates the engine to spin at the maximum RPM (speed).

Two more types of CVT are there. The Hydrostatic CVT uses hydrostatic motors and variable-displacement pumps for transferring power to the engine. On the other hand, the Toroidal CVTs use discs and power rollers for this purpose.

The transmission allows the engine to operate at the maximum efficiency with seamless acceleration. It is good for fuel economy, and the repair and maintenance are not expensive. However, the engine creates much noise under acceleration and load. Plenty of models use this gearbox, and some of the crowd favorites are Chevrolet Spark, Ford C-Max, Nissan Sentra, and more.

Dual-Clutch Transmission (DCT)

It is a hybrid of automatic and manual transmission. There is no torque converter in DCT. You will use two separate shafts for gear changing, one for odd-numbered and another for even-numbered gears. Both the shafts have their own clutch.

You can shift to a higher or lower gear in a fraction of second and the transformation from automatic to manual is also seamless. However, the DCT gearboxes can’t escape the complaints of noisy clutches, scratching sound, and rough shifts.

>> Examples of such cars are Ford Fiesta, Chrysler Dodge Dart, and more.

DSG (Direct Shift Gearbox)

It is almost similar to the DCT but without its annoying problems. It uses two clutches instead of a torque converter, and its mechanism works by simple disengaging of one clutch and engaging the other second one for changing the gears. This transmission offers faster gear shifting and smoother pulling away than the traditional models.

Modern DSG units provide better fuel efficiency than even the manual gearboxes. The DCT is a dry transmission that does not need the driver to change the gearbox fluid ever. It leaves the clutches dry and wears out their frictional quality eventually. The results are abrupt shifts, slow responses to gear shifting, and jerky transmission. On the other hand, DGS is a wet transmission that keeps the clutches lubricated. The result is decade-long service with lighting gear-changing performance. However, you have to change the fluid on a regular basis (every 40k miles), which could be costly.

Many automobile manufacturers such as Skoda, VW, Porsche, and Audi use this model in their cars but under different names. For example, Porsche calls it PDK gearboxes while the name changes to DSG S-Tronic units for Audi models.

Tiptronic Transmission

It is one of automatic transmission types that functions just like a manual gearbox. However, it’s different from manual operation in the sense that it uses a torque converter in the place of a clutch pedal, does have the option for auto shifting, and does not let the driver have full control over the gears.

What unique about this unit is it has the option to override the automatic mode. It means that you can drive your car as an automatic along with being able to switch into the manual mode when required such as getting up a hill or going downward in a steep road

he cars using this unit has an inbuilt safety feature so that any driver error does not result in the damage of the gearbox. A number of manufacturers use this type of automatic transmission but it was first seen in Porsche 911 (in 1990) and then adopted by BMW and Chrysler.

Conclusion

Which automatic transmission types should you choose? Well, it depends on the make, model, and the type of performance you are looking for. Besides, the budget is an issue too. Some transmissions are more expensive than the others. Hopefully, this guide will help you fix your choice.