If your mass airflow (MAF) sensor is caked with dirt, it can malfunction and create all kinds of problems with your automobile. You may find it difficult to get your vehicle started alongside the symptoms of a faulty MAF sensor listed below. Don’t panic. Midwest Auto Care can clean your mass airflow sensor to restore its functionality. If this doesn’t solve the problem, we will replace it.
Acceleration Trouble
One of the things that can happen with the dirty mass airflow sensor is you can end up with too much air in your vehicle’s combustion chamber. When this happens, you will have problems getting your automobile to accelerate. You will notice a lag in the response when you press down harder on the accelerator.
Black Exhaust Smoke
You may also end up with black exhaust smoke pouring out of the tailpipe if the dirty MAF sensor has caused an imbalance of fuel in the combustion chamber. Unfortunately, black exhaust smoke is a sign that your engine is burning excess fuel, and this can make driving your automobile dangerous.
Check Engine Warning
Chances are, you will end up with the check engine warning on the dashboard if your mass airflow sensor is malfunctioning. This is because system sensors throughout the engine are experiencing problems caused by the dirty MAF sensor and reporting them to the engine control module.
Engine Hesitation
Engine hesitation can be a sign of a dirty mass airflow sensor, a faulty oxygen sensor, a fuel delivery problem, a vacuum leak, or an issue with your spark plugs. If you have a faulty fuel pump, your engine will hesitate when you are driving at high speeds and when it is under stress.
Engine Surging
Engine surging can also be a sign of the dirty MAF sensor. You will be driving along and your engine will pick up speed and then drop it just as quickly. This can be a sign that fuel is being pushed into the combustion chamber when the chamber doesn’t need it.
Poor Fuel Efficiency
Unfortunately, this will directly affect how well your vehicle’s fuel efficiency performs. Anytime the engine is plagued with too much air or too much fuel, it cannot run inefficiently. As a consequence, the dirty mass airflow sensor is causing your vehicle to lose gas mileage.
Call Midwest Auto Care in Lake Station, IN, today if you suspect you have a problem with your automobile’s mass airflow sensor. We’d be happy to check the sensor and clean it if necessary.