Why Does My Honda CR-V Need An Oxygen Sensor?

Your Honda CR-V, and most of the cars on the market today, run on what is known as an internal combustion engine. (Fully electric or solar powered cars are the only vehicles that use internal combustion engine technology to create motion- even the new hybrid cars are powered by a combination of batteries and an internal combustion engine). As the name implies, internal combustion engines creation motion by converting the energy from a controlled explosion into motion. The gasoline that you pump into your Honda CR-V is used to fuel these controlled explosions, and because gasoline requires oxygen to burn, your engine is equipped with a special Honda CR-V oxygen sensor that helps it mix just the right amount of oxygen and gasoline before compressing and igniting the mixture to create the maximum amount of usable energy. To create and maintain motion, your engine creates hundreds of these tiny explosions per minute. In order for your Honda CR-V to function properly, the ratio between the oxygen and gasoline in the mixture that fuels your internal combustion engine- called an air-fuel mixture- must be exactly right. If the gasoline content is too high, then you get what is known as a rich air-fuel mixture. Although this sounds like it would be good, it actually means that each explosion leaves unburned gasoline behind. Too much oxygen results in a lean air-fuel mixture, leaves extra oxygen behind, as there is too little gasoline to use it all up. In both cases, the internal combustion process results in excessive and toxic pollution, which is why a malfunctioning oxygen sensor in your Honda CR-V will often result in a failed emissions test. Decades of experience in car and engine design have taught us that there is a very narrow margin for error when it comes to the ratio between oxygen and gasoline in your air-fuel mixture. In fact, to maintain optimal engine performance and minimize air pollution, the ratio of oxygen to gasoline needs to be exactly 14.7 to 1. This is why a properly functioning oxygen sensor is vital to your Honda CR-V’s engine performance. How Your Honda CR-V’s Oxygen Sensor Works Your Honda CR-V’s oxygen sensor is part of your exhaust system. Located in the exhaust pipe, this tiny mechanism tests your vehicle’s exhaust emission for factors indicating improper air-fuel mixture ratios. By signaling your car’s computer when the air-fuel mixture becomes too lean or too rich, the oxygen sensor tells your Honda CR-V how it needs to adjust the air-fuel mixture to maintain the perfect performance ratio. When this sensor malfunctions, your car has to guess at the proper mixture, and over time this results in an imbalanced air-fuel ratio. One of the most common signs of a failed oxygen sensor is a sudden decrease in your car’s mileage per gallon rate. Because sensor malfunction often results in a too rich air-fuel mixture, gasoline is being wasted and fuel economy drops. Likewise, a lean mixture can lead to rough idling or stalling, as your engine tries to run on too little gasoline. Oxygen sensors typically need replacement every 60 to 100 thousand miles, depending on the age of your car.