A sensor for detecting electrically conductive and/or polarizable particles, in particular for detecting soot particles, includes a substrate and at least two electrode layers, a first electrode layer and at least one second electrode layer, which is arranged between the substrate and the first electrode layer. At least one insulation layer is formed between the first electrode layer and the at least one second electrode layer and at least one opening is formed in both the first electrode layer and the at least one insulation layer. At least some sections of the opening in the first electrode layer and of the opening in the insulation layer are arranged one above the other, such that at least one passage is formed to the second electrode layer.

A control device of an exhaust sensor comprises a heater control part configured to set a target temperature of an electrochemical cell and control a heater so that a temperature of the electrochemical cell becomes the target temperature, and a judging part configured to judge whether a water repellency of a protective layer is falling when the heater control part sets the target temperature to a temperature of a lowest temperature at which a Leidenfrost phenomenon occurs at an outer surface of the protective layer or more. The heater control part is configured to rise the target temperature when the judging part judges that the water repellency of the protective layer is falling.

Methods and systems include determining a cylinder air-fuel ratio imbalance in a multi-cylinder engine. In one example, the method may include sequentially firing an engine cylinder to provide an expected air-fuel deviation and learning cylinder air-fuel ratio imbalance based on an error between an actual air-fuel ratio deviation from a maximum lean air-fuel ratio relative to an expected air-fuel deviation during a deceleration fuel shut-off event.

Examples of the present disclosure describe systems and methods for determining an estimated ambient air temperature in an environment in which a vehicle is operating. The estimated ambient air temperature may be compared to an ambient temperature sensor value. The comparison may be used to determine whether an ambient air temperature sensor of the vehicle is functioning properly or if an error notification or fault code should be triggered.

A control device for an internal combustion engine is provided that can detect the adherence of deposits to a cylinder pressure sensor without subjecting the internal combustion engine to an impact or the like. A control device for an internal combustion engine equipped with a cylinder pressure sensor detects changes in the sensitivity of the cylinder pressure sensor. If the control device detects a decrease in the sensitivity of the cylinder pressure sensor after detecting an increase in the sensitivity of the cylinder pressure sensor, the control device determines that deposits are adhered to the cylinder pressure sensor.

A method for checking the association of structure-borne noise sensors of an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders, which internal combustion engine can be operated in diesel operation or with individualized gas injection and in the case of which internal combustion engine a structure-borne noise sensor is arranged in the region of each cylinder, wherein the output signals of the structure-borne noise sensors reflect a knock index and are captured by a computing unit, wherein the internal combustion engine is operated in order to perform the method. The output signals of all structure-borne noise sensors are determined during at least one working cycle, which is formed by two revolutions of a crankshaft, in the respective positions of the crankshaft. The output signal of a cylinder is compared with the average value or the median value of the output signals of other cylinders.

An abnormality diagnosis system of an air-fuel ratio sensor acquires a blowby gas flow ratio showing a ratio of the flow of blowby gas to the flow of gas to a combustion chamber and an output current of an air-fuel ratio sensor during fuel cut control in which an internal combustion engine stops the feed of fuel to the combustion chamber and at a plurality of points of time of different flows of blowby gas passing through a blowby gas passage and flowing to the downstream side of a throttle valve in the intake passage, calculate an output current of the air-fuel ratio sensor corresponding to a blowby gas flow ratio smaller than the blowby gas flow ratios acquired at the plurality of points of time, based on the acquired blowby gas flow ratio and output current, and judge the air-fuel ratio sensor for abnormality based on the calculated output current.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having a NOx sensor purification instructions for a NOx sensor causes: an on-vehicle electronic computer mounted in the vehicle, when it comes to a predetermined purification time, to execute a start procedure to send a start command to perform a purification control to the control unit; and control unit, in response to the start command, to execute a purification procedure to perform the purification control which causes the current flowing in the reference pump cell from the reference pump current to be a purification pump current, which is set to a current value larger than the reference pump current.

In a particulate detection system (10), a control board (911), a high voltage generation board (913) and an isolation transformer (720) are respectively disposed in a first space (921d) and a second space (921e) separated from each other by an inner case (923). When electromagnetic noise is generated in the high voltage generation board (913) and the isolation transformer (720); specifically, at the primary winding of the isolation transformer 720, at the time of switching the primary current supply, the electromagnetic noise is blocked by the inner case (923). This configuration reduces the influence of electromagnetic noise generated in the primary winding on the control board (911).

A method is disclosed for detecting a malfunction of an oxygen sensor in the exhaust gas system of an internal combustion engine having several cylinders. The cylinders are operated at the same air-fuel ratio and the resultant first output signal of the oxygen sensor is monitored. The cylinders are operated at varying air-fuel ratios and the resultant second output signal of the oxygen sensor is monitored. The first and second output signals are compared to determine whether the oxygen sensor has malfunctioned.