Cars today are smarter than ever. They can detect obstacles on the road. They can optimize fuel efficiency. They can effectively park your car for you. Modern vehicles are amazing, aren’t they?

They’re packed with sensors that keep everything running smoothly. But like anything else in your car, sensors need regular maintenance to stay functional. Dirt, grime, and even environmental factors can interfere with their accuracy, leading to poor performance, warning lights on your dashboard, or even safety risks.

So, how do you keep your car’s sensors clean and working as they should? Let’s dive in.

Why Are Car Sensors Important?

If your car has sensors, it might be hard to think about driving without them. Think of it as your car’s nervous system. They gather real-time data and communicate with the engine control unit (ECU), which then makes adjustments to optimize performance, efficiency, and safety. Yes, you can drive without them, but why? They make the process so much easier. 

Luckily, manufacturers today take the most critical components of driving and add sensors to make the process easier. Some of the most critical sensors in your vehicle include:

• Oxygen Sensors (O2 Sensors): Measure oxygen levels in the exhaust to adjust the air-fuel mixture for better combustion.
• Mass Airflow Sensor (MAF): Regulates the amount of air entering the engine for proper fuel delivery.
• Wheel Speed Sensors: Help control anti-lock braking (ABS) and traction control.
• Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) Sensors: Alert you when your tire pressure is too low.
• Parking and Blind Spot Sensors: Detect nearby objects to assist in parking and lane changes.
• Rain Sensors: Automatically adjust windshield wipers based on moisture levels.
• Cameras and Radar Sensors: Power advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) like lane-keeping assist and adaptive cruise control.

If any of these sensors become dirty or damaged, they can’t relay accurate information. That means your car won’t perform as it should—sometimes in ways you won’t even notice right away.

Signs That Your Sensors Might Be Dirty or Failing

Most people don’t think about sensors until something goes wrong. Luckily, manufacturers have thought about this. So they’ve created ways to alert you to potential problems. If a sensor is dirty or malfunctioning, you might notice it by:

• Check Engine Light is On: Many engine sensors, like the oxygen sensor or MAF sensor, will trigger the check engine light when they aren’t working correctly.
• Erratic Engine Performance: If your car hesitates, surges, stalls, or loses power unexpectedly, a sensor could be giving faulty readings.
• Poor Fuel Economy: Dirty or malfunctioning sensors can cause your engine to run inefficiently, using more fuel than necessary.
• Warning Lights for Safety Features: If your ABS, traction control, or lane departure warning light comes on, wheel speed or radar sensors may be obstructed.
• Unresponsive Parking Sensors or Cameras: If your backup camera looks foggy or your parking sensors stop detecting objects, dirt buildup is likely the culprit.
• Inconsistent Automatic Features: If your automatic windshield wipers, adaptive cruise control, or automatic headlights aren’t working reliably, the sensors may be blocked.

How to Keep Your Car’s Sensors Clean

Remember when washing your car was a simple job you did with a garden hose? That still works, but you will need a little more time to ensure the sensors are clean. And to be honest, keeping sensors clean doesn’t require much effort, but it does require consistency. Here’s how to maintain them properly:

Clean External Sensors Regularly

External sensors, like parking sensors, blind spot sensors, and radar sensors, are exposed to road grime, dirt, and weather conditions. To keep them functioning properly:

• Use a Microfiber Cloth: Gently wipe down parking sensors, cameras, and radar sensors with a damp microfiber cloth to remove dirt and debris.
• Avoid Harsh Chemicals: Many car sensors have delicate coatings or lenses. Stick to mild soap and water instead of strong cleaners.
• Clear Snow and Ice in Winter: If you live in a snowy area, regularly check for ice buildup that can obstruct sensor function.

Maintain Your Oxygen and MAF Sensors

Your engine’s oxygen and mass airflow sensors play a big role in fuel efficiency and performance. They can get clogged with dirt, oil residue, or carbon buildup over time.

• Use MAF Sensor Cleaner: If your mass airflow sensor gets dirty, spray it with a specialized MAF sensor cleaner (never use brake or carburetor cleaner).
• Replace Air Filters on Schedule: A dirty air filter allows more contaminants to enter your engine, leading to faster sensor buildup. Change your air filter every 12,000–15,000 miles.
• Consider a Fuel System Cleaner: Adding a fuel system cleaner to your gas tank periodically can help keep O2 sensors free of excess carbon buildup.

Keep Wheel Speed Sensors Clean

Wheel speed sensors play a key role in your ABS and traction control system. If they get coated in dirt or road debris, they can send faulty signals.

• Inspect Sensors During Brake Maintenance: The best time to clean wheel speed sensors is when servicing your brakes. If they appear covered in grime, gently clean them with a soft brush or compressed air.
• Avoid Excessive Mud Buildup: If you drive off-road or in heavy snow, be sure to wash underneath your car frequently to prevent buildup near your wheels.

Protect Your Tire Pressure Sensors

Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) sensors alert you when your tire pressure is low, but they can malfunction if not maintained.

• Check Tire Pressure Regularly: Keeping your tires properly inflated reduces stress on the TPMS sensors.
• Avoid Overinflation: Adding too much air can cause false readings or damage internal TPMS sensors.
• Replace Sensor Batteries If Needed: Some TPMS sensors have small batteries that wear out over time. If your TPMS light won’t turn off, it may be time to replace them.

Keep Camera and Radar Sensors Free of Obstructions

Cameras and radar sensors are critical for driver-assistance features like adaptive cruise control and emergency braking. If they get covered in dirt, snow, or even bumper stickers, they won’t function correctly.

• Check for Debris Regularly: A quick wipe with a clean microfiber cloth can prevent false readings.
• Remove Any Stickers or Objects in Front of Sensors: Avoid placing decorations or license plate covers near ADAS sensors.
• Keep Your Windshield Clean: Some advanced safety features use cameras mounted near the rearview mirror. A dirty windshield can impact visibility for these systems.

When to Have Your Sensors Professionally Inspected

All of those tasks seem easy enough, and they are. However, just like other components on your vehicle, sometimes they need more than cleaning. Yes, regular cleaning and maintenance go a long way, but some issues require a professional touch. If you experience persistent warning lights, erratic vehicle behavior, or declining performance despite cleaning your sensors, it’s time for an inspection.

A trained mechanic can use diagnostic tools to check sensor accuracy and recalibrate if needed. They will inspect for wiring or connector issues that might be causing faulty readings. They will also replace sensors that are damaged or too worn to function properly. 

Keep Your Car Running at Its Best

Your car’s sensors are small but powerful. They help optimize performance, fuel efficiency, and safety—so keeping them clean is essential.

By making sensor maintenance part of your regular car care routine, you can ensure your vehicle stays responsive, efficient, and reliable.

Not sure if your sensors are working correctly? Schedule an inspection with us today. Our expert mechanics can diagnose sensor issues and keep your car running at peak performance.

Because a well-maintained car is a car you can trust.

In the early 1900s, thousands of different automobile companies existed across America, producing over 3,000 makes for consumers to choose from. Cars were simple by design, and had very few systems and parts when compared to today’s standards.

As driving became a mainstay, as roads weaved through every major city across the world and we began relying on vehicles like never before, safety became an issue.

So we modernized. Every system improved. Designs became sleek and sophisticated.

Technology entered the scene, and we found ways to improve a vehicle through a centralized computer system. The more parts a vehicle has, the more complex the systems became, the more of a need there was to help determine when something goes wrong.

That’s where car sensors come into the scene, helping owners understand when something goes wrong with their vehicle.

Understanding an internal combustion engine

An internal combustion engine needs three things to operate:

• Air
• Fuel
• Spark

Going back in time, vehicles produced these three items with mechanical or electromechanical systems.

The carburetor was installed and used to control the mixing process, and meter how effective it was.

A mechanical distributor created and distributed spark delivery. A mechanical fuel pump would release fuel from the fuel tank and push it to the carburetor.

This process was fairly straightforward, but very hands-on for maintenance. A vehicle would need a thorough tuneup every 30,000 miles or so to keep the engine running well.

As vehicles increased and became the norm in households all across the world, rules changed, and new operational mechanisms were developed. The 1970s brought on electronic spark delivery rather than relying on mechanical means. The 1980s changed the emissions system and what was acceptable for the environment.

As the systems grew in complexity, sensors were added to deliver information to an analog management system. The problem with analog systems is they had to be programmed and managed. They had their limits. They wouldn’t respond to things as they happened, and could still allow problems to escalate quickly.

That all changed as technology became more sophisticated. As carburetors were replaced with fuel injection, engines needed more information to work properly. And that’s where sensors became a bigger part of the way our current vehicles operate today.

Understanding car sensors

Cars in the 1980s and 1990s increased in functionality. Every aspect of the engine and drivetrain is now controlled by a central processor and a series of sensors. Currently, a vehicle has anywhere from 60 to 100 sensors built into the vehicle. However, that number will rise as cars continue to get smarter.

In general, car sensors can be broken down into separate categories, including:

• Motion sensors
• Pressure sensors
• Position sensors
• Temperature sensors

Each of these is considered to be sensory organs that send critical information back to the engine, and control how well your vehicle works. These sensors can detect even the smallest of changes, compensating for differences to ensure your vehicle stays operating well at all times.

How do car sensors work?

The purpose of a car sensor is pretty straightforward. They detect changes in the environment around them. If something changes, a trigger turns them on and sends the info to the appropriate place.

For example, a pressure sensor is designed to register pressure. When it goes beyond the designated limits, it sends the info to the central processor, which in turn triggers either an alarm or a light on the dashboard.

This notification is designed to give you advance warning of a potential problem. It’s intended to provide you with ample time to pull safely off the road, get to a service station to have the issue evaluated, and get the problem fixed before you drive your car once again.

Car sensors and what they do for your vehicle

The average car on the road today will have between 60 to 100 sensors. The best way to learn more about what your car offers is to spend some time with your owner’s manual.

Here are a few of the more critical sensors and what they do for your car.

Intake Air Temperature (IAT) Sensor

The intake air temperature sensor is an important part of keeping your engine in good working condition. It helps regulate the temperature of the air flow entering the engine. These temperature measurements are used as the engine balances the air-fuel mixture to properly operate the engine.

Cold air is denser than warm air, which means more fuel is needed to keep a proper balance for peak performance. The IAT sensor is mounted on the intake manifold in order to detect the temperature as the air flows in.

Oxygen Sensors

Oxygen sensors are one of the most common sensors on the vehicle today, having been on modern day cars for close to five decades. The oxygen sensor helps to keep the emissions in check by regulating the emission of the gases. While cars today have at least one oxygen sensor, many have up to four to help keep the car as efficient as possible.

Voltage Sensor

This is another common sensor that helps manage speed. It helps to ensure the car increases or decreases as required. It also helps control idling speed.

Tire Pressure Sensor

Tire pressure not only ensures you have a comfortable ride, but it also ensures you safely travel on the road without risk of an accident. Tire pressure sensors are located near the wheel and tire where it measures a tire’s air pressure. If it moves beyond the preset ratios, it alerts you to a potential problem.

Brake Fluid Sensor

The brake fluid sensor is located within a car’s braking system and helps detect brake fluid levels. Brake fluid operates under pressure, and any deviation to this pressure can impact brake performance. If fluid pressure ever drops, it alerts you through a dashboard light, giving you a chance to pull safely off the road and fix the problem quickly.

Car sensors – pay attention and stay safe

Like everything in our lives today, car sensors are designed to keep you well informed about how your vehicle is operating. Car sensors are an important part of the internal workings of your vehicle.

When any one of them is displayed, there is a reason for it. Don’t ignore them. Stop by and let us evaluate what’s wrong. The quicker you take action, the safer you’ll stay. And you’ll be able to fix the problem before it turns into something bigger.