Rover Holic

Rover 820 Lucas Multipoint Injection: Hotwire Air Flow Sensor
(applies to Lucas EFI equiped cars only)

Description:
Hotwire  type sensor, the actual  "hotwires" taking the form of film type semiconductor resistors.

Location:
Located in inlet duct between the throttlebody and air filter, a 3 pin connecting plug to wiring loom is located below inlet duct.

Operation:
Essentially the sensor consists of two semiconductor film resistor elements connected together in "half bridge" configuration so that the same current passes through both. The circuit is supplied with a constant voltage. One of the elements is exposed to the intake airflow the other is shielded from the flow. The purpose of the second element is   to provide temperature compensation. The current passing through both resistors heats them both reducing the resistance however the cooling effect of the airflow on the exposed element has the opposite effect. As a result the voltage at the point in the circuit between the resistors will  increases with increasing airflow. Click Here to see graph of actual output

Potential Problems:
Because the two elements are exposed to different conditions, ageing has an unequal effect on the resistance of each element this can cause the signal output to  creep upwards, causing over richness. The electrical connecting plug  for the sensor sits below the intake trunking and is exposed to dirt and corrosion. The unit grounds through the ECU pin 12.

Connections

Testing: Use a Digital Multi-Meter (DMM) or Oscilloscope fitted with "wire piercing tips" to   tap into the output signal and earth wires to measure the output and ground voltages.Earth ground  return should show a voltage of 0.25 volts or less when cranking. 

Sensor Output Voltage

Notes:  Made  by  Hitachi  for  Lucas is an expnsive unit (£300) it is fitted to a number of Austin, Rover and MG cars.   It can be a cause of high ful consumption if th ouput voltage is too high.