Does My Car Have a Mass Airflow Sensor?
Chances are your car does have a mass airflow sensor, but you’ll likely never need to worry about it. Also known as the MAF sensor, this sensor usually lasts the life of your automobile. Total Auto Care advises that the mass airflow sensor can get dirty, however, and this can cause problems with your car, truck, or utility vehicle. Let’s discuss these problems below.
Black Engine Exhaust
If your automobile has suddenly started releasing black exhaust out of the tailpipe, the MAF sensor might be going bad. This sensor tracks the incoming air into the engine and reports the air levels to the engine control unit. If it reports incorrect air intake, the unit may increase the fuel in the combustion chamber unnecessarily. This will cause black exhaust smoke to flow out of the tailpipe.
Hard Starts or No Starts
The opposite of too much fuel can be too much air in the combustion chamber. This, too, can be caused by a dirty MAF sensor sending incorrect data. When this happens, it will be difficult to get your automobile started. In severe cases, you may end up with a dead engine that cannot be started.
Performance Problems
The faulty MAF sensor can also affect how well your engine performs based on the air and fuel levels discussed above. For example, if there is too much fuel in the chamber, your engine will pick up speed sporadically. If there is too much air in the chamber, the engine will sputter and hiccup and might even stall. These engine performance problems will be resolved once the MAF sensor is cleaned or replaced.
Reduced Gas Mileage
The engine problems will affect your vehicle’s gas mileage, however. When the engine is not running efficiently, it burns through more gasoline or diesel fuel. Consequently, you will notice a reduction in your vehicle’s fuel economy that will continue until the MAF sensor problem is addressed.
Check Engine Warning
Finally, a dirty MAF sensor causing the problems listed above can actually turn on the check engine light. This is because system sensors report problems to the engine control unit. The unit normally resolves errors when it can, but in this case, it can’t. The mass airflow sensor must be cleaned or replaced in order to correct the data it sends to the unit. Consequently, you’ll have a check engine warning.Call Total Auto Care in North Branch, MN, today if you suspect that your vehicle’s mass airflow sensor is dirty or malfunctioning. We can solve the problem.