Circuit/System Description

Alcohol content and fuel temperature information is supplied to the ECM from the fuel composition sensor. The fuel composition sensor has a battery positive circuit, a signal circuit, and a ground circuit. The fuel composition sensor uses a microprocessor inside the sensor to measure the ethanol percentage and fuel temperature, and changes output signals accordingly. The signal circuit carries both the ethanol percentage, and the fuel temperature within the same signal. The signal is both variable frequency and variable pulse width. The frequency signal indicates the ethanol percentage, and the pulse width indicates fuel temperature. The ECM provides an internal pull up to 5 V on the signal circuit, and the fuel composition sensor pulls the 5 V to ground in pulses. The normal range of operating frequency is between 50-150 Hz. The normal pulse width ranges between 1-5 milliseconds. The microprocessor inside the sensor is capable of a certain amount of self-diagnosis. An output frequency of 180 Hz indicates that the fuel is contaminated or an internal sensor fault has been detected.