Do-it-yourself electronic decoy of the second lambda probe. Lambda probe decoys: why they are needed, what they are and how to choose

The solution to one well-known and painful problem is to fake a lambda probe with your own hands. (hereinafter we will call it a sensor) converts data on how much oxygen is contained in the exhaust gases into an electrical signal.

The sensor emits an electrical signal the moment it detects changes in oxygen content. The signal is transmitted to the controller, which receives the signal and compares the received data with the indicators stored in memory.

Manufacturers recommend diagnosing the sensor regularly, after approximately 30,000 km, and replacing it after 100,000 km. Typically, manufacturers limit the service life of a lambda probe to this mileage. By the way, it cannot be repaired.

A do-it-yourself lambda probe spoof will be the solution to this problem, and the Check Engine signal will stop bothering you. On cars that have 2 sensors installed, one before and the other after the catalyst.

The signals from these two sensors must be different, then the control unit adjusts the injection duration according to the received signals. But if one of the sensors fails or the car owner removes the catalyst (as an option), the signals from the two sensors will begin to coincide in their values, which will be perceived by the control unit as an emergency mode.

In older cars, there is usually only one sensor installed (before the catalyst).

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Mechanical type of blende

This problem is solved using two types of decoys. If a mechanical type of blende is selected, a so-called “spacer” is installed in place of the catalyst. This is a part made of bronze or heat-resistant steel; the size of the part must be strictly defined. A small hole is drilled in the spacer through which exhaust gases can enter the spacer.

The gases interact with ceramic chips placed inside the spacer. The crumbs are pre-coated with a catalytic layer. As a result of this interaction, CO and CH are oxidized with oxygen and the output concentration of harmful substances decreases.

The signals from both sensors will be different, the control unit will “see” the change in the signal sine wave has changed and will perceive this as the normal operation of the catalyst. This option is the most budget-friendly. The mechanical option is equally suitable for almost any car, domestic or imported, on which the sensor is screwed in.

Electronic type decoy

Electronic deception is much more complicated. We are not talking now about those “homemade” methods that advanced car enthusiasts practice. They solder the circuit themselves and make it using one capacitor or one resistor. They sell quite high-tech devices (this is an emulator) with a microprocessor.

These devices able to provide correct work control unit, and not just deceive it. The microprocessor installed in such an emulator is capable of assessing the state of the exhaust gases, analyzing the situation with processing the signal from the first sensor, and then generating a signal that corresponds to the signal from the second normally operating sensor with a working catalyst.

Flashing

In addition to the two types of deceptions The problem is also solved by flashing the control unit. The point of flashing is that the control unit, due to the flashing algorithm, stops taking into account the signal from the sensor installed after the catalyst, and focuses its work only on the signal from the first one installed in front of the catalyst.

However, we must take into account that it is almost impossible to find factory firmware, because they do not meet modern European environmental standards. All that remains is to contact a familiar specialist (a well-known specialist!), who, using changes in the program, will disable the polling of the second sensor by the control unit and you will get a high-quality do-it-yourself lambda probe spoof.

An oxygen sensor (OS) or lambda probe is an integral part of the exhaust system of a car with an environmental standard of class EURO-4 or higher. The purpose of the device is to control the oxygen content in exhaust mixtures during vehicle operation. If the machine complies with the EURO-4, EURO-5 standard, then its design includes two oxygen sensors installed before and after the catalyst. The devices control the quality of the combustible mixture and the amount of harmful emissions into the atmosphere.

What threatens a car if the oxygen sensor fails?

Incorrect operation of the lambda probe or its failure leads to malfunctions power unit vehicle. Common mistake– replacing the catalyst with a flame arrester or moving it away from the sensors. This leads to the coincidence of signal values ​​from the first and second oxygen sensors.

Result- the engine will go into emergency mode with the state calculated fuel system according to tabular data for a given car, and not based on information received from the probe. This leads to an increase in specific fuel consumption and additional monetary costs for the car owner.

There are two ways to fix the problem

1. Installation of a “fake” device on the sensor - a device that will correct the readings from the probe.

2. Making changes to the software to eliminate the option of adjusting the fuel condition coefficient based on tabular data for the car model.

Lambda probe decoy as a way to troubleshoot an oxygen sensor (OK)

A decoy installed on the oxygen sensor will solve the problem of failure or incorrect operation of the system. The mounted device will adjust the magnitude of the pulses from the probes, and the indicator signal Check Engine on dashboard will stop disturbing the driver when the vehicle is moving.

Exists two types of decoys, which can be set to adjust the status signal of the car’s exhaust system. These are mechanical and electronic converters.

Do-it-yourself mechanical snag

The mechanical blende of the lambda probe is structurally a spacer made of bronze or heat-resistant steel. The internal volume, as well as the cavities of the part, are filled with ceramic chips with catalytic spraying, which significantly speeds up the process of afterburning exhaust gases and thereby ensures a difference in the pulses of the first and second sensors.

It is quite easy to make a mechanical blende for a lambda probe. Anyone with the slightest idea about turning can do this. For production you will need a blank of the appropriate size from suitable metal. Using a machine, it is given the desired shape.

The operating principle is quite simple– the bushing has a hole with an internal diameter of 2 mm, thereby moving the oxygen sensor further from the exhaust gas flow. You can install the snag yourself in the garage by placing the car in an inspection hole. The installation sequence is the same for all cars: VAZ, GAZ or foreign car. Before dismantling the sensor, it is necessary to remove the negative terminal from battery. Next, select a convenient, suitable key and unscrew the part.

The metal spacer is screwed onto the probe and installed back into the socket. Next, you need to connect the battery and start the car engine. The situation with the appearance of an error may repeat again - you should remove the terminal again and put it back on, rebooting the system.

A solution to the problem using a mechanical lambda probe is a budget method available to every car owner. It is worth noting that mechanical decoys are compatible with exhaust systems of almost all cars. This vehicles domestic and foreign production, on which oxygen sensors are screwed into sockets.

Electronic lambda probe decoy

– the second way to regulate the state of exhaust gases on a car

Another option for fixing problems with oxygen sensors on a car is to install electronic decoys lambda probe. This option not only eliminates the problem (“hardens” the system) when the manifold is not fixed (or missing), the device takes part in adjusting the quality of the fuel, ensuring the correct operation of the power unit.

Structurally, the decoy is single-chip microprocessor, capable of analyzing the processes occurring in the catalyst: it receives the signal from the first sensor, converts it and issues an auto signal to the processor, similar to that supplied by the second DC, provided that the catalyst is operating normally.

How to make an electronic lambda probe with your own hands

This method of adjusting the operation of oxygen sensors is suitable for those car enthusiasts who love and know how to work with a soldering iron and small parts. How to make, drawings, reviews on the operation of cars with similar systems, as well as how to correctly install the equipment on various types of vehicles can be emphasized on car enthusiast forums.

To make electronic deception you will need the following set of tools and materials:

1. Soldering iron (preferably with a small tip);

2. Rosin, tin;

3. Knife;

4. Resistance (resistor) 1 MOhm;

5. The capacitor is non-polar (capacity 1 µF).

The connection diagram is quite simple and universal. You can also get acquainted with it on the portals of car enthusiasts. The product is mounted directly into the network running from the sensors to the connector, which, depending on the type of car, can be located under the hood, under the dashboard, or in the central tunnel.

The device is screwed directly to the car conductors. All connections must be properly insulated, since this part of the car is in contact with the atmosphere - the contacts may get wet. Before installing the decoy, it is also necessary disconnect the negative terminal battery

Assembly and installation of an electronic lambda probe- fairly simple operations. At the same time, the result from the operation of the device is always positive - the car operates stably, with acceptable fuel consumption. The work can be done at a service station. However, it will be a little more expensive than self-replacement. The price of a snag (mechanical or electronic) is much lower than a new probe purchased at a car dealership, which is what attracts car owners.

Strict environmental control forces automakers to do everything possible to comply with Euro standards that control the composition and structure of exhaust. The vast majority of modern models are equipped with a lambda probe (alternative names - oxygen controller, oxygen sensor, O2 sensor). Its purpose is to control the exhaust content by analyzing the oxygen content in it. Owners of cars that are not equipped with such an exhaust control system (usually outdated or very budget) are lucky in this regard. In any case, some of the problems associated with exhaust system malfunctions disappear for them.

Meanwhile, such malfunctions do happen, and not so rarely. Violation of the normal operation of the lambda probe leads to problems with the exchange of information between the oxygen sensor and the ECU, which perceives this as a serious malfunction, signaling this by the “Check Engine” indicator lighting up. You can get around this situation without replacing the oxygen controller with a working one (the cost of which is quite high) by using the so-called lambda probe decoy. This will allow the on-board controller to switch from emergency to normal mode.

What is a lambda zone decoy?

In general, a lambda probe is a really useful device that can significantly reduce exhaust emissions (in accordance with stringent Euro 4/5 standards), while simultaneously reducing fuel consumption.

Structurally, such a device consists of two oxygen sensors, between which a catalytic converter is installed. The latter is responsible for converting harmful components of exhaust gases into harmless ones. The task of O2 sensors is to monitor the level of oxygen in the exhaust and report this to the on-board computer, which, based on the data received, increases or decreases the fuel supply to the cylinders.

Two sensors are needed to compare the analysis results, and if they do not match, the ECU will perceive this as a malfunction of the lambda probe. The consequences of such a situation are not very optimistic:

• the on-board computer immediately switches the operation of the power unit to emergency mode, which involves the use of rigid presets for fuel maps, while the readings of the O2 sensors are completely ignored;
• the “Check Engine” indicator is constantly on, which significantly impairs the ability to diagnose other vehicle systems, that is, if other malfunctions occur, you simply will not notice them;
• an enriched mixture begins to be supplied to the combustion chambers, which will increase fuel consumption by a noticeable amount;
• due to the fuel-air mixture being too rich, the formation increases, engine power decreases, and engine oil is being polluted at an accelerated pace.

Preventing such a situation from occurring is what the lambda probe is needed for.

Of course, there is a standard way to solve the problem - replacing the neutralizer with a working one. It is recommended by all automakers without exception. However, the cost of the complete set (catalyst along with two sensors) is very high. Let's say, for some VAZ models it can be 50-60 thousand rubles, the situation with foreign cars is even more pessimistic. Plus, you need to add the cost of the work, and the amount may be unaffordable for many. That is why a significant part of drivers, when such a problem arises, decide to resort to an alternative option.

Let's look at how the lambda probe decoy works. The principle of operation of the emulator is to change the readings of oxygen sensors in such a way that the ECU would perceive them as normal. In this case, the power unit will continue to operate as normal, and all the consequences described above will be avoided. Of course, the neutralizer will not work in this case, which means that your car’s exhaust will probably no longer comply with Euro environmental standards. Well, for many this is a perfectly acceptable sacrifice. For the sake of what the lambda probe trick provides, if not the majority of car owners, then a fairly significant part of them decide to take such a step. Especially when you consider that the cost of this method of solving the problem is an order of magnitude less, and installing an oxygen sensor emulator is quite simple and can be done independently, without the need to use the services of external specialists.

How to make and install a lambda probe yourself

There are many reasons for malfunctions of the neutralizer-oxygen sensor connection. Manufacturers themselves recommend cleaning lambda probes every 25-30 thousand kilometers, since over time they become clogged and cease to adequately measure the amount of oxygen in the exhaust.

Don’t forget about the catalytic converter, which is a rather complex technical device. Moreover, a breakdown of any of these components in most cases leads to the need to purchase a new device, since their maintainability is very low (the manufacturers themselves probably took care of this).

Disabling one of the sensors does not solve the problem, since in this case too increased consumption fuel cannot be avoided, and the power unit will not be able to please you with its previous stable operation. Especially a lot of troubles will arise in idle mode.

So, studying information on how to install a decoy on a lambda probe is a response from car owners to the possibility of parting with a decent amount of money, which probably won’t be superfluous. Currently, there are three different ways to fool the lambda probe:

1. installation of a metal sleeve (the so-called mechanical method);
2. use of a special electronic circuit;
3. ECU flashing.

These methods have nothing in common with each other, since they use completely different mechanisms to bypass existing restrictions. They are united by low cost and the possibility of independent implementation.

Let's consider the advantages and disadvantages of each of the above methods.

Mechanical snag

Principle of operation catalytic converter simple enough. It is a familiar terminal muffler, the internal ceramic honeycomb of which is covered thin layer sputtering of precious metals (platinum, rhodium and palladium). Exhaust gases, passing through the catalyst, come into contact with the sprayer, reacting with it. In this case, the remains of unburned hydrocarbons are oxidized, turning into plain water, carbon monoxide - into less harmful carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide - into atomic nitrogen, which makes up most of the earth's atmosphere.

But since the KN is forced to work in conditions of very high temperatures, its resource is limited. And if you refuel with low-quality fuel, it will fail even faster. So from an operational point of view, the catalyst can be called a consumable material. But with finance, you won’t even dare to use such a term. Therefore, when the catalyst or oxygen sensors fail, car owners prefer to install a mechanical or electronic lambda probe emulator and replace the KN with a flame arrester.

If you simply remove the DC or CN, the on-board computer will immediately respond to such interference by lighting up the Check Engine indicator and switching the engine to emergency operation mode.

Using mechanical blende is the simplest and most affordable way do the work yourself to get the ECU to work normally.

This lambda probe decoy looks like a bushing, which on one side has a small diameter hole, and on the other side a thread for connecting a standard sensor. The principle of operation of such a device is that the gas stream, entering a small hole, only partially covers the lambda probe, so it is not able to determine the exact composition of the exhaust and transmits underestimated average values ​​to the controller.

Factory bushings can be equipped with a coating of ceramic chips, including a layer of catalytic coating. In other words, such a device is a smaller copy of a real catalyst, also helping to clean the exhaust at an appropriate level. Note that the cost of such decoys is, for obvious reasons, higher than simple ones without a catalyst layer.

The latter can be made independently, on a conventional lathe. However, the cost of the finished product is relatively low - about 400 rubles with linear dimensions of about 40-100 millimeters. Options with a catalytic layer are more expensive - from 1 thousand rubles, while the dimensions of such a lambda probe blende are even smaller (30-40 mm).

The installation algorithm for mechanical blende is simple:

• we install the car on a lift/pit/overpass;
• remove the negative terminal of the car battery;
• dismantle the controller;
• install a decoy sleeve on the lambda probe;
• we install the upgraded device in its original location;
• connect the battery;

After a pause, the “Check Engine” light will stop lighting, that is, we have achieved our goal and the power unit continues to function normally.

Despite the low cost and ease of installation, this method also has disadvantages. Firstly, its installation is not possible on all models - some cars due to design features exhaust systems do not have space to install a bushing, despite its short length.

Secondly, it will be possible to deceive the ECU only on cars equipped with engines that comply with the Euro-4 standard. On later versions, there is a high chance that the Check Engine will not go out, and the engine will operate in an unfavorable emergency mode.

Electronic snag

Although the purpose of the electronic type blende is the same - imitation of the normal operation of the catalyst, a completely different principle is used here. This is an electrical circuit assembled from components that change as needed the signal sent to the ECU supposedly from oxygen sensors. This information causes the on-board computer to continue to believe that the catalytic converter is present in its place, that is, the exhaust system is operating normally.

Most often, 4-pin lambda probes equipped with electrical heating are made at home. The presence of a heating element is a necessary condition, since the catalyst operates exclusively at high temperatures (at least 360°C). When starting a cold engine, the O2 sensor must be preheated to prevent activation.

The power supply to the electric heater is controlled by the ECU, and the polarity of connecting its contacts does not matter (most often white wires lead to the thermoelement).

When using an electronic lambda probe, the electric heater is included in the circuit without changes. Only the signal contact is subject to modernization. The most primitive lambda probe decoy circuit consists of only two components:

• 1 µF capacitor;
• resistor with a nominal value of about 1 mOhm.

The capacitor is included in the circuit in the area between the signal contact and the contact shorted to ground. The resistor is built into the gap in the control (signal) wire.

Please note that the above values ​​are indicative only. Their specific value may vary in one direction or another, which is determined by the characteristics of the engine and ECU.

Let us describe the procedure for manufacturing and installing electronic blende of the given type using the example of the Opel Zafira:

• we need a resistor/capacitor pair with the values ​​indicated above;
• We are looking for a block on the car that is responsible for connecting oxygen sensor, disconnect the plug;
• strip the ends of the wires from insulation;
• we break the circuit by cutting the signal wire in an arbitrary place;
• we build in a resistor (pre-twisting with mandatory subsequent soldering);
• In the same way we build a capacitor into the circuit. One end goes to ground, the other is soldered to the wire directly in front of the resistor (preferably as close to the plug as possible);
• We reliably isolate all soldered connections, connect the plug and check the operation of the blende with the engine running (before you need to reset the ECU errors).

Note that the electronic lambda probe simulator does not always lead to the required result. In some cases, the on-board computer works fine at first, but then the error occurs again. The problem can be solved by flashing the ECU. The main task is to find the correct version of the software, since it is not simply posted on the Internet.

The scope of use of electronic decoy is installation on cars in which the catalyst has been removed for one reason or another, as well as on cars with installed LPG. You can find more advanced and complex circuits, simulating the operation of a standard sensor more plausibly. However, such emulators can also be purchased in retail stores. Factory electronic fakes use a timer based on the NE555 chip.

The reason for installing the emulator on cars that have switched to using compressed gas is that in this case the composition of the air-fuel mixture (or rather, its physical and chemical characteristics) changes significantly. There is an increase in the content of toxic substances, which is recorded by a standard lambda probe with all the ensuing details.

The installation procedure for the electronic emulator in this case is slightly different, as is its composition.

Let's consider such a deception using the example of a factory Zond-4 device. It is equipped with an LED alarm that informs about the current state of the air-fuel mixture:

• if the green light is on, this means a lean mixture;
• The yellow LED is lit indicating that the fuel to air ratio is within normal limits;
• A red light indicates a rich mixture.

This information is needed because a modified signal that is not related to the real one is sent to the ECU.

The snag itself is usually installed in, connecting to the car electrical circuit using 4 wires:

• the blue wire goes to the positive terminal of the electric valve of gas equipment;
• the black wire is grounded to the common ground;
• after cutting the CD signal wire, we hook the yellow wire to the lambda probe outlet;
• We connect the white one to the end of the cut wire that goes to the on-board computer.

As in the previous case, we reliably solder and insulate all contacts.

Normally, when operating on gasoline, the blende indicator should not light up; when switching to gas, any of the three lights should light up, informing the driver about the quality of the fuel assembly.

Since the classic KN circuit involves the use of two oxygen sensors, to deceive the second of them, located at the output of the catalyst, a slightly modified circuit is used, in which a 1N4148 type diode is present instead of a resistor.

The emulator is installed as follows (an example is given for a Mazda 323 equipped with a two-liter gasoline power unit):

• We break the circuit of the KZh signal wire (black);
• connect the anode contact of the diode to the end of the cut wire going to the oxygen sensor;
• we connect the cathode contact to the other end going to the ECU;
• Here we also build in the output of a non-polar capacitor with a nominal value of 4.7 µF;
• the second terminal of the capacitor goes to ground;
• We solder and insulate the wires.

This trick allows you to normalize work on-board computer, but provided that the lambda probe itself is present and in working order.

To make sure the O2 sensors are working, you need to have a multimeter. In this case, the verification procedure is carried out according to the following algorithm:

• We switch the multimeter to DC voltage measurement mode, setting the upper limit at 20V;
• red probe contact measuring instrument connect to the lambda probe connector. Leading to the ECU;
• we throw the black contact to ground;
• immediately after starting the engine, we make sure that the device readings are in the range of 0.45-0.55V;
• after the power unit warms up, the multimeter readings should dynamically change from 0.1V to 0.9V, which indicates that the sensor is in good condition.

Note that such a test actually only indicates that the sensor is operational, but whether it works as required, whether its readings are true, we will not know in this way.

Flashing the ECU

This method of outwitting the first lambda probe can be called both the simplest and at the same time requiring great caution. The fact is that loading a modified control program into the device’s memory really allows you to solve the problem radically, when the signals coming from the second oxygen sensor are simply ignored. Only information coming from the lambda probe installed in front of the catalytic converter is taken into account. The data is modified in such a way as if the exhaust composition corresponds to the standard.

However, any mistake (both with the choice of firmware version and at the stage of uploading it) is fraught with the fact that it will no longer be possible to restore the settings of the on-board computer that worked before your actions began.

You can, of course, try to find the original firmware, but this is a very difficult task, and such software is very expensive. In addition, after installing it, you will receive the original factory settings that worked immediately after purchasing the machine, and not those that worked at the time of flashing.

To avoid such troubles, such work should be entrusted to a qualified specialist who has sufficient experience working with the ECU of your car model.

Consequences of installing lambda probe emulators

Let's say right away: the desire to save in most cases turns into many other things. unpleasant consequences. This statement is also true regarding the installation of lambda probe decoys, regardless of their type.

Surely those who performed this operation encountered one or a combination of the following consequences:

• since the ECU does not receive real data on the composition of the air-fuel mixture, it is not able to effectively control injection, and this will sooner or later end in a deterioration in the efficiency of the power unit and other unpleasant problems;
• any error during assembly electrical diagram a snag or its connection can result in, at best, damage to the wiring, and at worst, failure of the ECU;
• during the installation of a mechanical type decoy, you may accidentally damage the lambda probe, and the emulator itself will not allow you to detect this malfunction;
• Regardless of the type of lambda probe simulator, installation of the device can lead to malfunctions of the on-board computer.

In other words, by making the slightest inaccuracy, you risk not only not getting rid of the Check Engine problem, but also aggravating the situation, that is, leading to even greater financial expenses than if you solved the problem in a legal way by replacing the faulty exhaust system element with a new one.

It is clear that, in response to the amount of oxygen in the exhaust gases, it produces a voltage of 0.1 - 0.2 V (lean mixture) or 0.8-0.9 V (rich mixture). The engine's Electronic Control Unit (ECU) constantly changes the amount of fuel injected - it enriches the lean mixture, and leans the rich mixture. In this way, the optimum is maintained, and the signal on the Lambda probe looks (can be viewed with an oscilloscope) as a series of pulses of equal duration, almost rectangular (important!) in shape, with a swing from 0.1 - 0.2V to 0.8-0.9V .
This is how everything works as long as the auto-regulation circuit is closed, which includes the engine with body kit, ECU and Lambda Probe. The chain begins to work poorly if you are concerned about savings and the environment and install gas equipment (LPG).
For an engine with single injection, a simple ejector system is quite sufficient. Only this one is yellow Check light The engine starts to burn constantly, and when driving on gasoline, a significant overconsumption appears.

There is an opinion that the gas is to blame. Allegedly, the Lambda Probe is “accustomed” to gasoline, but “on gas it goes crazy.”
In fact, everything is much simpler. The Lambda Probe does not care what kind of fuel is burned. It continues to respond just as regularly to the amount of oxygen in the exhaust. But its reaction does not affect the operation of the engine in any way - after all, the auto-regulation circuit is broken. If earlier, in response to a signal about a rich mixture, the ECU reduced the supply of gasoline (turning on the injector for a shorter time), and in response to a signal about a lean mixture, it enriched it, maintaining a stoichiometric mixture, then when working with gas, the ECU cannot in any way affect the ejector system of the LPG system.
Seeing that there is no reaction, the ECU lights up the Check Engine light and switches to “emergency” operation mode. When driving on gas, this does not affect its consumption in any way, since it is determined by the LPG setting. But when switching to gasoline, consumption will increase sharply because the “emergency mode” remains in the ECU memory.
For normal operation of the engine on gas, a Lambda Probe Emulator is precisely what is needed. Its task is to deceive the ECU, when operating on gas, to show that everything is in order. It does this very simply: it produces a signal similar to the reaction of a real Lambda probe when normal operation.
The emulator will output 0.1V, the ECU will begin to enrich the mixture, the emulator will output 0.9V. The ECU will begin to lean the mixture, as it happens when running on gasoline. Thus, the Check Engine light does not light up, and the ECU does not go into emergency mode.
You can buy a ready-made emulator, or you can make it yourself using a simple scheme, the main thing is to connect it correctly.

A simple diagram of a Lambda Probe Emulator

The lambda probe emulator is built on the most popular chip. Resistor R1 sets the pulse frequency (1-2 per second), the LED indicates the operation of the device. During normal operation, the voltage on it does not exceed 1.8V. Resistor R6 will have exactly half, i.e. 0.9V or 0V.

The circuit receives power from the HBO switch, the relay is activated and connects the output of the device (K2) to the input of the ECU (K3).
When the HBO is turned off, the relay releases and the ECU input is connected to the lambda probe (K1), that is, the device is connected to the break in the wire from the Lambda probe to the ECU.
There are many options available for sale. Some manufacturers are introducing an additional two or three LEDs that indicate the quality of the mixture.
This is not difficult to do, because the Lambda probe continues to perform its functions in terms of issuing a signal. This means that if you connect two threshold devices to the Lambda probe - one at 0.1V, the other at 0.9V, then they will light up the corresponding LEDs at the appropriate moments.
In this way, it is possible to determine, to a first approximation, the quality of the mixture when running on gas.
So, if you decide to install an ejector HBO on an engine with “mono-injection”, you cannot do without a Lambda Probe Emulator.
In all other cases (replacement faulty L-Z or something similar) it is absolutely useless.

Environmental standards for new cars are becoming stricter every year. This forces automakers to invent more and more sophisticated ways to combat the purity of exhaust gases. Nowadays, not a single new production car can do without a catalytic converter or particulate filter, USR or ADBLUE and a complex mixture control system.

Classification of main exhaust gas purification systems

There are several common devices for exhaust gas cleaning.

The implementation of all these devices is not cheap. And in the case of the SCR system, it also increases the weight of the car to 300 kg. Repairing a fault can cost, in some cases, up to a third of the cost of the car. In the civilized world, the government is interested in ensuring that as little toxic pollutants as possible are emitted into the air. environment substances. In many countries for vehicles with expensive systems cleaning, certain benefits are provided to compensate for the waste of the car owner and encourage him to maintain the environmental cleanliness of his car.

There are no such programs in Russia. And environmental standards are noticeably lower. In view of this, many car owners, in the event of a problem with the catalyst, choose to remove it and replace it with a flame arrester, stronger or a simple insert.

After this procedure, it is necessary to solve the problem with the ECU error about the ineffective operation of the catalyst. There are three generally accepted ways:

• installation of mechanical blende;
• installation of electrical blende;
• ECU firmware.

Installing a lambda probe decoy

Each method of bypassing the ECU control function has its own area of ​​application and its own characteristics.

The installation of mechanical blende is effective in relation to the EURO-3 environmental class. For EURO-4 class, malfunctions are possible. And a snag with a calibrated hole will most likely refuse to work at all. On EURO-5, mechanical devices, both with a catalytic element and with a calibrated hole, are almost always useless.

The principle of operation of the lambda probe blende

To understand how it works
electronic snag, you need to understand the principle of operation of the lambda probe. Without delving into physical and chemical processes, its work can be characterized as follows:

The oxygen sensor is an EMF generator that creates voltages (approximately 1V V maximum value) on their contacts under the influence high temperature.

Between the contacts there is a layer of zirconium alloy, which changes its conductivity depending on the presence of oxygen in the exhaust gases. If there is no oxygen in the exhaust, then the zirconium layer has minimal resistance and completely passes the EMF generated under the influence of high temperature. When oxygen appears in the gases passing through the sensor, the resistance increases and the voltage in the circuit drops.

In systems above EURO-2 there are two oxygen sensors: before and after the catalyst. The first sensor is used to scan the presence of oxygen in the exhaust and transmit data to the ECU to adjust the fuel-air mixture. The second sensor is the control one. It also checks for the presence of oxygen after passing through the catalyst. If the readings of two sensors are the same or close, this means that no changes have occurred in the gases. That is, the catalyst does not work. And the “CheckEngine” error lights up on the dashboard.

The electronic decoy is designed to change the readings from the second sensor and make them so that they are as similar as possible to the readings of an oxygen sensor with a normally operating catalyst.

There are two fundamentally different devices for adjusting the lambda probe signal.

1. A device based on one resistor and one capacitor. The simplest device. Works effectively on cars with environmental class up to EURO-4 inclusive. There may be problems with EURO-5, since the algorithm for processing data from the lambda probe is more advanced. It consists of a resistor and capacitor, which are selected according to technical parameters for a specific ECU and are integrated into the control lambda probe circuit.
2. A fake with a microcircuit. A complex device is usually industrial production. Designed to change the output signal from the lambda probe on cars of EURO-5 and EURO-6 class. The pulse from the sensor is converted by software and sent to the electronic control unit in a form that corresponds to a perfectly functioning catalytic converter.

Installing an electronic lambda probe

After removing the catalytic converter, the second lambda probe is not removed from the system. It is installed either in the housing where the catalyst was installed, or in the provided hole in the replacement.

After completing all the work, our car service issues a guarantee for the work performed and the quality of the electronic decoys used. If any complications arise during operation, please contact us immediately. Within the warranty period, we will correct any comments free of charge.