NGK warns of car maintenance as winter approaches

Drivers must redouble care in the face of thermal inversion,
weather phenomenon that aggravates respiratory diseases

Sao Paulo, June 2022 – With the arrival of winter, large cities register thermal inversion, a climatic phenomenon that increases the concentration of pollutants and, consequently, worsens respiratory diseases. This season, NGK, a Japanese multinational specialist in parts for ignition systems, alerts the driver to the importance of keeping up to date with the vehicle's inspection.

According to Hiromori Mori, Technical Assistance consultant at NGK, the driver must pay more attention to the car in addition to fuel consumption, which is among the main reasons for evaluations in the workshop. “The driver needs to be concerned about controlling emission levels, which is also associated with fuel consumption, in order to protect the environment and health,” he says.

In this task, a fundamental component is the lambda probe, also known as the oxygen sensor, whose function is to maintain the air-fuel mixture in the correct proportion to ensure the efficiency of the catalyst, contributing to the reduction of pollutant emission levels. “It is a part that works in very difficult conditions inside the exhaust pipe, being exposed to high temperatures and gases from the combustion of the engine”, explains Mori.

According to the NGK Technical Assistance consultant, the lambda probe has a long service life – depending on the working conditions, it can exceed 90,000 kilometers, but the use of low quality fuel can damage the component. “Therefore, it is recommended that the driver take the car to a reliable workshop to check the functioning of the oxygen sensor once a year or every 30 thousand kilometers”, he guides.