What does using a wideband o2 sensor with planar construction even mean?
TLDR:
✔️ Wideband lambda sensors provide precise air/fuel ratio indication over a broad range of mixtures.
✔️ The Bosch LSU 4 wideband oxygen sensor measures exhaust oxygen using planar construction and two-part sensing element.
✔️ The Bosch LSU 4 wideband oxygen sensor has fast response time and high operating temperature using internal heater.
You’re reading the description of a Prosport Wideband Air/Fuel Ratio Gauge and you get to the technical stuff and think, “What??“.
So, here’s what this means. The newest generation of oxygen sensors are called “wideband” lambda sensors or “air/fuel ratio sensors” because that’s exactly what they do.
They provide a precise indication of the exact *air/fuel ratio over the broadest range of mixtures - all the way from 10:1 to 20:1 air/fuel ratio.
The Bosch LSU 4 wideband oxygen sensor is a 5-wire sensor that reads oxygen in much the same way as a traditional oxygen sensor. But it uses the latest **planar construction with a special two-part sensing element to measure how much oxygen is in the exhaust.
The Bosch LSU 4 wideband oxygen sensor has a response time of less than 100 milliseconds to changes in the air/fuel mixture, and reaches operating temperature of 700 to 800 degree Centigrade (1,400 degree F) within 20 seconds or less using its internal heater.
This is nearly twice the operating temperature of a conventional oxygen sensor, why Prosport Gauges can be so precise with their readings and why we choose Prosport Gauges for our vehicles.
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Definitions:
*Ideal Air / Fuel Ratio
The ideal air/fuel ratio for complete fuel combustion you’re looking for is 14.7:1. That mixture is called the stoichiometric ratio and it is when enough air is being provided to burn all the fuel.
**Planar construction
Planar construction refers to the physical design of the sensing element in the Bosch LSU 4 wideband oxygen sensor. It is a flat, thin, and rectangular-shaped component that allows for more efficient measurement of the amount of oxygen in the exhaust gases. This design enables the sensor to respond more quickly and accurately to changes in the air/fuel mixture.