The preparation of the fuel mixture of a conventional internal combustion engine is currently controlled exclusively electronically. In order for the electrical management of an internal combustion engine to function properly, it is necessary that all its electronic components work flawlessly and fulfill their role. Failure of these electronic components can cause incorrect fuel mixture preparation and also affect driving safety. Due to the effect of individual failures, it has a negative impact on road safety and also negatively affects other participants. The task of the research is to investigate the effect of the failure of electronic engine components on the selected operating characteristics of a vehicle. The purpose of this article is to specify the extent to which a failure of an electronic engine component may affect the operation of a road vehicle. Eight failures of electronic systems (sensors and actuators) were simulated on a specific vehicle, with a petrol internal combustion engine. Measurements were performed in laboratory conditions, the purpose of which was to quantify the change in the operating characteristics of the vehicle between the faulty and fault-free state. The vehicle performance parameters and the production of selected exhaust emission components were determined for selected vehicle operating characteristics. The results show that in the normal operation of vehicles, there are situations where a failure in the electronic system of the engine has a significant impact on its operating characteristics and, at the same time, some of these failures are not identifiable by the vehicle operator. The findings of the publication can be used in the drafting of legislation, in the field of production and operation of road vehicles, and also in the mathematical modeling of the production of gaseous emissions by road transport.
Keywords: air pollution; electrical management; emission inspection; emissions; engine power; fault codes; vehicle safety.