In our last blog post, we talked about the signs of a failing oxygen sensor. Now, let’s talk about the signs of a failing mass airflow sensor. The mass airflow or MAF sensor is responsible for measuring how much air flows into the engine from the outside. It sends this information to the engine control module so it can make adjustments to the air and fuel mixture. If the MAF sensor is going bad, Kauai Auto Repair advises that you will notice one or more of the following signs below.
Acceleration Troubles
When the mass airflow sensor sends incorrect information to the engine control module, the ECM, as it is also called, will make unnecessary adjustments to the air and gas mixture in your vehicle’s combustion chamber. If it increases the air unnecessarily, the fuel mixture will become lean, and your vehicle’s accelerator will not respond or be slow to respond when you press down on it.
Black Exhaust Smoke
If the ECM makes adjustments to add too much fuel to the air and fuel mixture, your automobile’s engine will burn off the excess fuel and this will cause black exhaust smoke to come out of your tailpipe. You should never see your car, truck, utility vehicle, or van’s exhaust. If you do, there’s a problem in the engine and it could be the MAF sensor.
Check Engine Warning
If the ECM receives an error code from the mass airflow sensor, it will turn on the check engine warning light to let you know you have a problem in your automobile’s engine. It’s important to have any check engine warning investigated right away to determine the source of the problem.
Engine Hesitation/Surging
We talked about both lean and rich fuel mixtures above, and aside from the acceleration and exhaust problems, your engine will also hesitate or surge depending on whether you have a lean or rich fuel mixture, respectively. If there is so much air in the engine that it is fuel-starved, your engine may stall.
Hard Starting
You may also find it difficult to start your automobile if the air and fuel mixture is not balanced correctly. It’s possible that you won’t be able to start your automobile at all, or you may have to crank it several times to get it going.
Poor Gas Mileage
A rich fuel mixture will make your vehicle burn excess gas as discussed above and you will notice a difference in your gas mileage. Sometimes, a lean fuel mixture can cause the same problem because the engine is working too hard.
Rough Idle
Finally, it’s common to notice that your engine is idling roughly if there is an imbalance in the air and fuel mixture. In many cases, the imbalance can be caused by a failing mass airflow sensor.
Kauai Auto Repair in Lihue, HI, would be happy to test your mass airflow sensor to make sure that it is working properly.
