One of the most common signs of a bad mass airflow sensor is a check engine light warning. The light will come on because the engine has either too much or too little air in it. LP & Sons Auto Care can check your mass airflow sensor, or MAF, to see if it is bad or dirty. Here are signs the part that measures the air flowing into your engine is having some problems.
Acceleration Problems
If there is too much air in the engine due to an MAF malfunction, your vehicle will hesitate when you press down on the accelerator. It might lag before it responds or fail to respond altogether. If the engine control module thinks there’s too little air because the MAF sent a bad reading, it will increase the air and reduce the fuel in the combustion mixture, and this will affect your ability to pick up speed.
Idling Problems
Alongside acceleration problems, too much air and too little fuel in the engine will make the engine idle roughly. You will hear and might even feel the engine cutting in and out, and this is because it is struggling to prevent itself from stalling. If the mixture is off severely, your engine might stall. Too much fuel can also affect the idling as the engine ends up being flooded by gas or diesel fuel.
Gas Mileage Problems
A failing MAF can also affect your gas mileage. No matter the problem with the air and fuel mixture, your vehicle will burn more gas to run, and you’ll feel the pinch in your pocketbook. If you track your gas mileage at each fill-up, it will be easier to detect the decrease in fuel economy. If you don’t, this problem might sneak up on you slowly and subtly.
Exhaust Smoke Problems
A failing MAF can report too much air even though there isn’t too much air in the combustion chamber. To compensate, the engine control module will push more gasoline through and you’ll end up with a rich fuel mixture. This mixture is fuel-heavy, and the engine will burn off the excess gasoline. This creates excess black exhaust smoke that will flow out of your tailpipe.
Engine Performance Problems
Finally, depending on how the mass airflow sensor readings affect the air and fuel mixture in your automobile, your engine might lag while in motion or surge suddenly. You may also find that it is getting harder and harder to start your car, truck, or utility vehicle. These are all signs of a fuel mixture problem that might be attributed to a failing or dirty mass airflow sensor.
Call LP & Sons Auto Care in DeLand, FL, today to schedule an appointment if your vehicle is suffering from any of the symptoms listed above.