What Are the Causes of a Lean Air-Fuel Mixture in Cars?

[DelLondon]

The primary causes of a lean air-fuel mixture include insufficient fuel injection due to inaccurate detection of intake air volume by various intake sensors; excessive carbon deposits absorbing the injected fuel; and failure of the oxygen sensor's closed-loop control. Below is an introduction to automotive air-fuel mixtures: 1. The automotive air-fuel mixture refers to the gaseous mixture of atomized automotive fuel and air. When the concentration of fuel in the mixture is significantly lower than the fixed value, it is referred to as a lean air-fuel mixture. 2. When the mixture is too lean, the combustion rate of the fuel decreases, and some of the mixture may continue to burn as the piston moves toward the bottom dead center. This portion of combustion not only converts less heat into mechanical work but also dissipates more heat through the cylinder wall to the coolant or cooling fins. Consequently, an excessively lean mixture can cause engine overheating and reduced power output.