The mass airflow (MAF) sensor may never give you an ounce of trouble. There are occasions, however, when the MAF sensor can get too dirty and this will cause it to malfunction. It may also malfunction due to age, although this sensor is designed to last the life of your car, truck, or utility vehicle. CAR FIX in Maryville can clean or replace your vehicle’s MAF sensor if it is causing any of the following problems.
Acceleration Lag
Your vehicle’s acceleration may start to lag if the MAF sensor is malfunctioning. This sensor tracks the incoming air into the engine. If the data that it sends to the engine control unit (ECU) is incorrect because it is dirty or faulty, the ECU may make adjustments to the air levels in the combustion chamber that aren’t necessary. When this happens, too much air will cause sluggish acceleration.
Black Exhaust Smoke
The opposite can also occur; the ECU may put too much fuel in the combustion chamber. Again, the reason for this mistake is the malfunctioning MAF sensor. When there is too much fuel in the combustion chamber, you may see black smoke flowing out of your tailpipe. This exhaust is a sign that the engine has too much fuel in it and it is burning away the excess.
Hard Starts/No Starts
Unfortunately, when the faulty MAF sensor tricks the ECU into making adjustments in the combustion chamber, these adjustments may make it difficult to start your car, truck, or utility vehicle. You may be able to get it started eventually or not at all. It depends on the conditions inside the combustion chamber.
Performance Issues
If you do get your vehicle started, you may have engine performance problems that make driving the automobile frustrating. The engine may sputter and struggle to run or it may surge and pick up speed. The former suggests there is too much air in the combustion chamber; the latter, too much fuel.
Poor Fuel Economy
Whether too much air or fuel, your vehicle’s fuel economy will suffer when the MAF sensor is bad. The reduction in fuel economy is caused by the engine performance issues discussed above. The engine will burn more gasoline anytime it isn’t running efficiently.
Rough Engine Idle
Inefficiency can also cause your engine to idle roughly. This is easy to notice because you are sitting at a stop when the engine is idling. If it is sputtering, hiccupping, or vibrating your automobile, you may have too much air in the combustion chamber.
CAR FIX is the best auto service shop in Maryville, TN, and we would be happy to inspect your mass airflow sensor to see if it is causing the problems listed above. Call us today for an appointment.
