5 Symptoms of a Bad Mass Airflow Sensor
The mass airflow sensor (MAF) is a critical component that the engine control unit relies on. When airflow enters your engine’s fuel injection system, the mass airflow sensor analyzes how much air is coming in. It then forwards this information to the engine control unit.
From there, the engine control unit can control the amount of fuel that’s injected into the engine. As you may know, your engine’s combustion chamber needs the right amount of air and fuel mixed together. So if your mass airflow sensor is faulty, you will ultimately be putting your engine’s performance at risk.
Common Symptoms of a Bad Mass Airflow Sensor
A faulty mass airflow sensor is relatively easy to detect from the get-go. All you need is to recognize the symptoms when they occur and be able to correlate them with a potentially faulty mass airflow sensor.
There may be other possible causes for these symptoms, but if you notice at least some of the symptoms listed below, you should have your mass airflow sensor inspected.
1) Lean Idle
If your engine is having a lean idle problem, it’s because there is too much air and not enough gasoline mixed in the combustion chamber. The word “lean” refers to too much air and not enough fuel. At the same time, gasoline is barely combusted. This ultimately affects engine performance.
2) Hard to start (Car starting problems)
When you put the key in the ignition and turn it, the engine may be hard to start or not start at all. This is not surprising, as a defective mass airflow sensor causes poor mixing of air and gasoline in the combustion chamber. If you want your engine to start successfully, you need to fix this problem so the spark plug can ignite the correct mixture.
3) Motor Towing (Driving at High Altitudes)
As the load on your vehicle increases, it puts more strain on the engine to generate enough power to support that weight. This means more gasoline and air is needed in the combustion chamber.
However, if the mass air flow sensor is defective, it may not be able to provide enough gas to handle that load. As a result, the engine will not have enough power to meet the current requirements.
4) Engine Stalls
When you start your car and the engine starts, you might think everything is OK. But if the engine stalls shortly afterwards, it clearly isn’t.
This symptom can occur when the mass airflow sensor starts to deteriorate. At first, it can send accurate airflow information to the engine control unit, but soon stops sending it. If the engine control module can’t receive information about airflow, it doesn’t know how much fuel to inject into the combustion chamber.
5) Acceleration/Deceleration (No Power Steering)
When you step on the accelerator to accelerate, you may notice a sluggish start. This is because the engine is not getting enough gasoline to meet the need for acceleration.
Since the engine is not getting enough fuel, your acceleration will begin to stall. This can be a driving hazard on the road. You should have your vehicle inspected by a mechanic immediately to have the sensor replaced and avoid an accident. Mass Air Flow Sensor Replacement Cost
The mass air flow sensor is a relatively small part, but it’s not the cheapest part to replace. Fortunately, it’s usually located on top of the engine and is easy to replace yourself in most cases. Labor costs are usually low because it doesn’t take a lot of time for a professional mechanic to complete the replacement.
The cost to replace a mass air flow sensor can range from $80 to $390 if you have a mechanic do it for you. Parts costs can range from $50 to $320, and labor costs can range from $30 to $70. The actual cost will vary depending on the make and model of your vehicle and whether the new MAF sensor is OEM or an aftermarket item.