Rapid testing, simple fitting: BERU oxygen sensors in OEM quality
The BERU AG Corporation, based in Ludwigsburg, Germany, offers the vehicle parts trade and garages oxygen sensors for practically all marketable vehicle models. A new test device supports rapid and efficient error diagnosis.
(Ludwigsburg, 14 April 2005) Garage professionals know the typical causes of defects in oxygen sensors inside out: Overheating due to combustion faults, imprecise ignition point or wrong control times; chemical ageing due to frequent short-haul journeys; dirt on the sensor body from unburnt oil are the most common causes. Customers, who seek garage inspection, complain often about an increase in fuel consumption of up to 15 per cent, black smoke and bucking when accelerating. They are usually unaware about the respective causes and impacts. Not acting immediately may result in damage to the catalytic converter. However, only a check with an error diagnosis tester can provide ultimate clarity.
Prompt testing: new oxygen sensor test device
For such everyday garage situations BERU now has a practical ready-to-use solution: the new OST 02 oxygen sensor test device for zirconium sensors. With the small, handy rapid test device in its impact-resistant housing you can get a quick and reliable report on the condition of the oxygen sensor. Simply earth the alligator clip, contact the signal line of the sensor with the red instant plug-in tip, and that´s it. If - depending on whether it´s a heated or an unheated model - it has reached its light-off temperature of approximately 250 to 300 degrees Celsius within two to three minutes, it should ensure that the control circuit is working.
The new oxygen sensor test device from BERU indicates this by the
oscillation of the pointer between the green fields of its large, easily readable analogue display. If the pointer remains in the red area of the scale, the garage professional and the customer can be sure: this oxygen sensor must make way for a new one. The BERU test device has instrument leads made of temperature-resistant silicone, is protected against excess voltage and faulty connection, needs no battery and is available from your vehicle parts wholesaler.
Professional range: BERU oxygen sensors for practically all vehicles subject to wear and tear
There are currently 151 different types of BERU oxygen sensors with original plugs in OEM quality for around 2,700 vehicles. Because of this they´re suitable for practically all vehicle models subject to wear and tear in the entire European vehicle stock. Further im-portant advantages of BERU oxygen sensors:
- they´re easy, quick and safe to fit, as BERU oxygen sensors have original plugs specific to each vehicle. There´s no need for adapter plugs and expensive extra work involved in fitting,
- they correspond with the original sensors of the vehicle manufacturer,
- they´re checked by the German TÜV (Technical Supervisory Association) using stringent test procedures,
- they have a universal operating licence from the German Department of Transportation,
- they´re usually available immediately off-the-shelf from the wholesaler.
However, so-called universal oxygen sensors, likewise available on the market, can only be fitted at considerably greater expense and with much greater difficulty. They also have further serious drawbacks: when being fitted, up to five pieces of shrink-down plastic tubing are necessary, all of which have to be machined individually to insulate the contact points. In addition, there is a risk of mixing up cables, because different cable colours can occur even within a vehicle model. Further potential sources of error: insufficient electrical contact insulation, vibration fractures on the butt connectors, misinterpretation of the oxygen signal due to cold soldering joints or transition resistances. Additionally, a distortion of the sensor signal to the control unit can occur as a result of the oxidation of the old connection plug.
Advisable routine: check oxygen sensors regularly
Oxygen sensors continually determine the residual oxygen content in the exhaust gas and pass on their information via a voltage signal to the control unit. This in turn influences the thickening or thinning of the mixture. For this reason oxygen sensors are located directly in the exhaust flow and there are subjected, among other things, through gas exchange and temperature peaks, to extreme stresses.
The logical consequence: wear and tear. Oxygen sensors are therefore checked in the exhaust gas test which takes place on a strict rota basis. BERU recommends that the sensitive probes are generally checked for functional efficiency every 30,000 kilometres in the garage and that they are replaced immediately in the event of wear or fault. Oxygen sensors should be routinely replaced at the latest after a service life of 50,000 kilometres in the case of unheated models, and 100,000 kilometres in the case of heated models.
However, oxygen sensors do not only fall victim to perfectly normal wear and tear. Sometimes defective fitting is also the cause of a failure. For example, if the ceramics of the sensor are destroyed due to an excessively large starting torque, or if secondary air induction occurs on account of incorrect installation. In order to avoid such problems from the outset and to permit rapid, secure fitting, BERU has prepared a poster for the garage. The DIN A2 poster illustrates the most important «tricks« for the proper testing and recognition of the causes of failures.
Free catalogues: information material for professionals
Technical information booklet no. 03 "All you need to know about oxygen sensors" contains further important information for garages and the vehicle parts trade. Featuring a large number of photos and illustrations, the 16-page BERU brochure clearly demonstrates the structure, function and testing of oxygen sensors, shows typical faults and also gives the reader the opportunity to put his technical knowledge to the test on a self-critical basis in a "self-test".
The suitable sensor for around 2,700 types of vehicle can be found at a glance in the BERU sensors catalogue, sorted alphabetically by vehicle makes. In addition, the 192-page sensor compendium, translated into ten languages, contains up-to-date usage lists, a recoding table, fitting instructions and a large number of other helpful tips for successful garage operation.
The BERU oxygen sensor poster, the BERU sensors catalogue and technical information booklet no. 03 are available in printed form or as a CD free-of-charge on request from Thomas Wasserbäch, (telephone: 07141/132-990, fax: -385, e-mail: thomas.wasserbaech@beru.de) or from your vehicle parts wholesaler. And, on the Internet, the BERU product finder at www.beru.com/produktfinder will tell you after a few clicks which BERU oxygen sensor is the correct one for which vehicle.
