The air passing through the air filter is read by the MAF sensor which helps the ECU calculate the exact amount of fuel that needs to be sent in and you get a quick and proper acceleration.Ĭonversely, though, if the MAF sensor does not recognize the volume of fuel accurately when the pedal is depressed, your engine wouldn’t know how much air is being pulled through the intake to match the fuel right, creating hiccups in acceleration.
Normally, when the accelerator is depressed, more air flows into the engine which tells the ECU of the change that needs to be made in the fuel ratios. When the mass airflow sensor is malfunctioning it may register an insufficient amount of airflow on startup which will, in turn, make the engine computer lower the fuel for the vehicle, hence lower the power. This happens because the ECU lowers the fuel injections in the system due to the bad readings from the sensor. Your vehicle will surprisingly be out of power to actually turn over, It may just crank or crank several times to start over. One of the first things you’re going to notice with a mass airflow sensor that is going out is a starting issue.
It is connected to the ECU through a wiring harness and sends the necessary information to the ECU which uses the data along with readings from the O2 sensor to precisely determine the fuel mixture. The mass airflow sensor uses a hot wire element to measure the airflow volumes by reading the voltage changes caused when the air fluctuates. It is generally attached to the intake tubing where the air would pass through, informing the sensor of the airflow changes. A Mass airflow sensor is used to measure the volumes and density of the air flowing into the system so the engine computer can calculate the appropriate fuel for the fuel injectors to fire.