23
Sep
Common pollutants like dirt and dust are the major reason behind a failing air flow sensor. The mass air flow sensor is prone to failure due to age or other factors affecting its performance.
But its not a good diagnostic approach to just replace the sensor without investigating.
Mass airflow sensor problems. The mass air flow MAF sensor part of your vehicles electronic fuel injection system is responsible for calculating the total amount of air entering the engine. A faulty MAF sensor can cause your vehicle to run too rich or run too lean. Youll notice if the tailpipes eject black smoke or when the engine runs rough or backfires.
Symptoms of a Bad or Failing Mass Airflow Sensor Common signs of problems with a mass airflow sensor include running rich at idle or lean under load decrease in fuel efficiency and rough idles. By Ed Ruelas on. Bad Mass air Flow Sensor Symptoms.
The symptoms of a bad mass air flow sensor include low engine power poor fuel economy an engine that wont start a check engine light on the dash and a gas smell from the exhaust fumes. A bad mass air flow sensor is often the likely culprit if your car isnt running as it should. This is understandable with a bad mass air flow sensor because it will cause the internal combustion chamber to have an inadequate mixture of air and gasoline.
If the engine is going to successfully turn over then you need to correct this problem so that the spark plugs can ignite the proper mixture. A faulty mass airflow sensor will cause problems similar to low compression or low vacuum and will also show symptoms similar to when your vehicle has low fuel pressure from a faulty fuel pump. Here are some of the most common symptoms of a faulty mass airflow sensor.
The engine is very hard to start or turn over. The most reliable early symptom of a failing or failed MAF is the illumination of the check engine light on the instrument panel. Many types of problems may cause this light to come on so you must have your cars computer analyzed to see if the light is related to the mass airflow sensor.
Quick test to tell if Mass Air Flow Sensor is bad or dirty which could be causing your car or truck to run bad or keep cutting off. Mass air flow sensor problems Problems with mass air flow sensors are common in many cars including BMW GM Volkswagen Mazda Toyota Nissan and other brands. The sensor element could get contaminated or damaged.
For example in some Mazda Skyactiv engines a failed mass air flow sensor could cause the engine to crank but not to start. The mass airflow sensor commonly abbreviated to MAF is one of the most important engine management sensors. A bad mass airflow sensor can leave your GMC Sierras engine running rough or even inoperable.
A MAF sensor measures the density of the air entering the intake manifold. It passes this information onto your Sierras ECU. Locate the mass airflow sensor near the engine air filter housing.
Press the red clip slightly to unlock it. Unplug the electrical connector from the mass airflow sensor. Remove the screws that hold the mass airflow sensor in place.
Engine continuously runs rich or lean Its another common symptom of bad mass airflow sensor and it happens when the wire is deformed or there is a damage to the devices electrical components. The engine runs rich or lean because the sensor frequently sends reports that are either higher or lower than the actual airflow. The mass air flow sensor is prone to failure due to age or other factors affecting its performance.
Common pollutants like dirt and dust are the major reason behind a failing air flow sensor. However seeing as it functions all the time when you run your car it is understandable that the sensor often fails sooner rather than later. Signs of a bad MAF sensor may mimic problems such as low vacuum low compression or low fuel pressure due to a bad fuel pump.
The most common symptoms of a malfunctioning MAS sensor include. The engine is hard to start or has trouble turning over. The engine stalls soon after starting.
Contaminated Mass Airflow Sensor. If there is no vacuum leaks and the air induction hose is in good shape its possible that a dirty mass airflow sensor is the problem. This can display the same problems and symptoms as a defective part.
Auto repair shops hate this video. If your check engine light is on you could have a bad mass air flow sensor. MAKE SURE YOUR MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR IS CLEAN.
You might be thinking of installing a new mass airflow MAF sensor to see if itll fix your engine driveability problems. But its not a good diagnostic approach to just replace the sensor without investigating. You can spend 100 or more on a quality airflow sensor and yet solve nothing.
The Benefits of Cleaning Your Mass Air Flow Sensor The more oil and dirt that accumulates on your MAF the worse it serves its purpose. The dirtier it gets the less accurate the reading it sends to your ECU computer. These readings can cause lower gas mileage and a small loss of power.