It may not seem like it, but an automobile’s engine is actually quite sensitive. There are thousands of parts, sensors, and components that work together to start and run your car, truck, or utility vehicle. Premier Auto Repair advises that one of those sensors is the mass airflow (MAF) sensor. This sensor measures the airflow into the engine so the main computer chip can make adjustments to the air mixture in the combustion chamber if necessary. Here are signs that your MAF sensor has gone bad.
Acceleration Drag
What is mixed in your combustion chamber is air and diesel fuel or gasoline. The levels of each must be just right in order for your engine to run inefficiently. If there is too much air in the combustion chamber, your acceleration will drag. Your vehicle may jerk and sputter as you try to pick up speed. Too much air in the chamber can be caused by faulty MAF sensor readings.
Rough Idling
Too much air in the chamber will also affect how your engine idles. A lean mixture, one with too much air, will cause your engine to struggle during the idle. If the fuel mixture is rich, which means it has too much fuel, the engine may struggle to run because it is flooded. With either fuel mixture, your engine idling will be rough and unpredictable.
Starting Trouble
A malfunctioning mass airflow sensor can also make it difficult to start your automobile. This can be due to the air and fuel in balance in the combustion chamber or because the main computer chip has received an error code from the sensor and does not want to start your car. The former is more likely the problem behind starting difficulties.
Stalling After Starting
If your engine stalls quickly after you started, this, too, can point to a combustion chamber imbalance that is leaving your engine fuel-starved. Again, if a malfunctioning MAF sensor sends incorrect data to the engine control module, you will end up with an incorrect air and fuel mixture in the combustion chamber.
Stress Dragging
If the mixture is having an error, your vehicle will not perform well when it is under stress. Things that stress out automobiles include driving up steep hills and towing loads.
Stuttering Engine
Finally, the bad MAF sensor will make your engine stutter and sputter. It will do this not only when it’s idling as discussed above but also while you are driving.
Premier Auto Repair in Tyler, TX, would be happy to test your mass airflow sensor to make sure it’s still working. Call us today.
