Mass Airflow Sensor Replacement
What is a mass airflow sensor?
Mass airflow (MAF) sensors constantly measure the volume of air going into an engine, and send that information to the vehicle's computer.
How does the mass airflow sensor work?
The engine's computer has to receive input from many sensors, and ensure they are in agreement. An extremely important sensor that is used in reference to nearly all engine operations is the mass airflow (MAF) sensor. The MAF sensor records the volume of air that enters the engine's intake tube, and reports that information to the computer. This allows the computer to calculate, or confirm, the amount of air moving into the engine, amount of exhaust gas to expect, the amount of fuel to send into the engine, and many other important factors. Lastly, this sensor works very closely with the manifold absolute pressure (MAP) sensor to allow extremely accurate response to changing conditions.
A failing mass airflow sensor can cause the Check Engine Light to come on and engine starting/running problems.
If the mass airflow sensor (MAF) is not functioning correctly, the vehicle may lack power when accelerating or going up hills.
What are the symptoms related to a bad mass airflow sensor?
If the MAF sensor sends an erroneous signal, a few things happen. The engine's computer will trigger the check engine light, and the on-board diagnostic (OBD) trouble codes will reflect the airflow discrepancy noted by the MAF sensor. Depending on the reported volume of air, the engine may try to compensate for these conditions, causing the engine to burn excessive amounts of fuel and emit black smoke from the exhaust. In this case, the OBD trouble codes would also reference faults recognized by the exhaust oxygen sensors. The engine may also have issues with idling roughly, failing to start, stalling, hesitation, power loss, misfires, and fuel consumption.
»MORE: Signs of a failing mass airflow sensor
Can I drive with a mass airflow sensor problem?
When the MAF sensor fails driving can be dangerous. As engine power will surge on and off, the vehicle may lurch forward. Overall engine performance may become unpredictable and difficult to control. It is preferred to tow the vehicle if any of the mentioned symptoms are present. If the vehicle operates normally, or near normally, driving the vehicle should not cause any issues.
How often do mass airflow sensors need to be replaced?
MAF sensors do tend to fail sometime in most vehicles. Failure rates are highest between 100,000 and 125,000 miles. The sensor can also be damaged during air filter changes, and anytime the engine intake is serviced. Lastly, a collision may cause a physical or electrical fault in the MAF sensor.
How are mass airflow sensor issues diagnosed?
When the check engine light is on, and OBD trouble codes refer to the MAF sensor, the servicing technician will begin by inspecting the vehicle for any indications of physical damage before moving on with testing. A computerized scanner will be connected to the vehicle, and current conditions will be compared to current readings from the various sensors in the vehicle. When these conditions are compared and analyzed, the technician relies on their classroom training to understand which component to test. Once one or more components are suspected of failure, the servicing technician will begin testing with the most likely component, until the issue has been verified through testing.
Mass airflow sensors (MAF) are often replaced when the only problem is a bad connector or the sensor wiring harness. The shop should check these items before replacing the sensor.
High-performance style wet foam air filters are not recommended because they will damage the mass airflow sensor and actually cause poor performance.