A water in fuel sensor, or WiF sensor, is an electronic
sensor
A sensor is often defined as a device that receives and responds to a signal or stimulus. The stimulus is the quantity, property, or condition that is sensed and converted into electrical signal.
In the broadest definition, a sensor is a devi ...
used to indicate the presence of
water
Water is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula . It is a transparent, tasteless, odorless, and Color of water, nearly colorless chemical substance. It is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known liv ...
in
fuel
A fuel is any material that can be made to react with other substances so that it releases energy as thermal energy or to be used for work (physics), work. The concept was originally applied solely to those materials capable of releasing chem ...
. It is installed in a
fuel filter
A fuel filter is a filter used to screen out foreign particles or liquids from the fuel. Most internal combustion engine
An internal combustion engine (ICE or IC engine) is a heat engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an o ...
. When the water level in the water separator reaches the warning level, the WiF sends an electrical signal to the
ECU or to dashboard (lamp). The WiF is often used in
common rail engines to avoid
fuel injector
Fuel injection is the introduction of fuel in an internal combustion engine, most commonly automotive engines, by the means of a fuel injector. This article focuses on fuel injection in reciprocating piston and Wankel rotary engines.
All co ...
damage.
The WiF sensor uses the difference of
electric conductivity of water compared to diesel and gasoline to determine the presence of water. The WiF sensor can consist of two electrodes that reads the level of resistance in the fluid or between the ground and the electrode.
First generation WiF sensors use a potting resin to isolate the electronic circuit, while the latest generation of WiF sensors (the WS3 sensor in
surface-mount technology
Surface-mount technology (SMT), originally called planar mounting, is a method in which the electrical components are mounted directly onto the surface of a printed circuit board (PCB). An electrical component mounted in this manner is referred ...
) are made totally without leakage using an innovative co-molding process.
The latest generation of WiF sensors have a high resistance to vibrations and to thermal excursion cycles.
The main automotive WiF designer and producer is SMP Poland.
References
Auto parts
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