Symptoms of a Bad Mass Air Flow Sensor (MAF Sensor)
The Mass Air Flow (MAF) sensor is an important component that the engine control unit relies on. When the airflow enters the engine’s fuel injection system,
the mass air flow sensor will analyze the amount of air flowing through it. It will then transmit this information to the engine control unit.
From there, the engine control unit can control the amount of fuel injected into the engine. As you may know, there must be just the right amount of air and fuel mixed in the internal combustion chamber of an engine.
Therefore, if the mass air flow sensor deteriorates, it will ultimately compromise the engine’s performance.
Common Symptoms of a Bad Mass Air Flow Sensor
A bad MAF sensor is quite easy to detect from the start. You just need to be able to recognize the symptoms as they occur in order to associate them with a potentially faulty mass air flow sensor.
Sometimes these symptoms can be due to other reasons, but you should always have your mass air flow sensor inspected if you experience at least a few of the symptoms listed below.
1) Lean Idle
When you have a lean idle issue with your engine, it is due to too much air and not enough gasoline mixing in the internal combustion chamber. The word “lean” refers to the abundance of air.
Meanwhile, there is very little gasoline being burned in the process. This will ultimately hinder the engine’s performance.
2) Hard to Start
When you put your key in the ignition and turn it, you may find that the engine is hard to turn over or start completely.
This is understandable with a bad mass air flow sensor because it will cause an inadequate mixture of air and gasoline in the internal combustion chamber.
If the engine is to successfully start, you need to fix this issue so the spark plugs can ignite the proper mixture.
3) Engine Drags
Whenever you increase the load on your vehicle, it will increase the engine’s demand to generate enough power to support this weight. This means more gasoline and air will be needed in the internal combustion chamber.
But if you have a bad mass air flow sensor, you likely won’t get enough gasoline to support this load. This will cause the engine to idle roughly or drag significantly.
4) Engine Stalling
When you start your vehicle and the engine is running, you might think everything is fine. But if the engine starts to stall after a few minutes, that’s obviously not the case.
This symptom can occur if your mass air flow sensor is just starting to go bad. It may initially send accurate airflow information to the engine control unit, but it will stop doing so shortly after.
If the engine control unit cannot receive airflow information, it won’t know how much fuel to inject into the internal combustion chamber.
5) Acceleration Hesitation
When you press the accelerator pedal to speed up the vehicle, you might experience hesitation as you move forward. This is the result of the engine not receiving a steady flow of gasoline to meet your acceleration demands.
Thus, the acceleration will start to hesitate because the engine is lacking that gasoline. This could become a driving hazard while you’re on the road.
You should immediately have your vehicle checked by a mechanic so you can replace your sensor and avoid any accidents.