Every engine needs proper air and fuel ratio to run and function smoothly. Just like we humans need energy and food. The Mass Air Flow (MAF) sensor plays a critical role within the fuel management system to ensure the ratio is correct. It monitors the temperature and amount of air entering your engine.
A bad MAF will cause great inconvenience to the driver and affect the function of your vehicle. Thus, tricking around is a method of fixing when this element goes bad. This article shows you how to trick a mass air flow sensor properly. Furthermore, there is related information about this problem that would help improve your driving experience.
Table of Contents
What Is The MAF Sensor In Your Car?
Before discussing how to trick a mass air flow sensor we’ll first discuss what is the MAF sensor? The MAF sensor is a device located between the airflow sensor and the throttle body of a vehicle. It is a part of the electronic fuel injection system of your vehicle’s mass airflow (MAF) sensor that is responsible for calculating the total amount of air entering the engine. Because a precise mixture is crucial to the efficiency and clean combustion.
The MAF sensor accounts for differences in air density, which varies with temperature and altitude. A failed MAF sensor is one of many events that will trigger a check engine light. It may also result in rough running, stalling, or a drop in gas mileage.
How Does The MAF Sensor Work?
Most vehicles have a hot wire MAF sensor. It has one heated wire and one ambient temperature wire. The microprocessor inside the MAF sensor measures the air entering the engine. By maintaining the temperature of the hot wire 200°F above the ambient incoming air. The energy required to maintain the sensor at the same temperature is calculated and sent to the powertrain control module (PCM). The PCM then controls the injectors to deliver the specific amount of fuel that is proportional to the airflow, creating an air-fuel mixture that, ideally, is perfect for your engine.
What Are The Symptoms Of Bad MAF Sensor In Car?
A contaminated or failed mass air flow sensor cannot measure the amount of airflow correctly. It causes the engine computer to miscalculate the amount of injected fuel, causing additional damage to your engine.
1. Your Car Jerks While Driving:-
A bad MAF sensor can cause your vehicle to experience poor drivability issues such as engine stalling, jerking, or hesitation during acceleration. This could happen while speeding up on the highway or cruising down a city street. These issues can create dangerous situations causing accidents and injury. If you experience any of these symptoms you should examine your vehicle as soon as possible.
2. Your Car’s Air Fuel Ration Becomes Too Lean:-
Running lean means your vehicle has too little fuel and too much air. Similar to running rich, the MAF sensor is sending inaccurate information to the PCM. Running lean for too long can seriously damage your vehicle. You may experience:
- Engine hesitation and/or surging
- Hard engine seizures
- Hard starting
- Check Engine Light
As with other MAF sensor problems, the solution for this is to clean the mass air flow sensor and the wires. However, it’s also a good idea to have a mechanic check your vehicle for damage.
3. Check Engine Light On:-
A bad MAF sensor can lead to illuminating the check engine light on a car dashboard. This could be due to circuit diagnostic trouble codes. However, misfire codes and fuel trim may also lead to mass air flow sensor damage.
3. Poor Fuel Efficiency:-
A faulty ECM may result in the addition of excess fuel than required, which will lead to greater fuel consumption. This makes a decrease in fuel efficiency and is considered one of the symptoms of a bad MAF sensor.
5. Dark Exhaust Smoke:-
Sometimes a bad ECM can cause black smoke to come out of the vehicle’s exhaust system. A symptom of a bad MAF sensor may overload the catalytic converter as well.
Can You Drive With A Bad Mass Air Flow Sensor?
Although you can keep driving under some circumstances when this element goes bad, it is advised to address the problem right after the sign. Or else the surrounding or linking components in your car, like the catalytic converter, will be damaged.
There are some cars that stop right after the MAF is in trouble as the engine performs poorly, causing difficulties for the vehicle to run.
How To Trick A Mass Air Flow Sensor?
If the sensor is out of order, it will affect the balanced function of the engine. Particularly, there may be too much fuel compared to the flow of air in the combustion chambers; then, the explosions within the cylinder are uncontrolled. As a result, this imbalance damages the pistons and valves of your vehicle. Here are some easy steps to trick your MAF sensor easily:
Step 1:- Place The Tube In The Front Of The Ignition Source
A tube with a special design has the same size and shape as your MAF sensor. Place the tube in the front of the ignition source to heat up and provide your MAF sensor a similar temperature to the fuel-air mixture coming out from the vehicle’s tailpipe.
Step 2:- Use Whatever Type Of Gas You’ve In Your Hand
Use whatever type of gas, except the bad gasoline for cars. As the MAF sensor is sensitive to heat, the different types of gas offer almost the same outcomes of how hot it gets and how much mixture of fuel and air it produces.
Step 3:- Pay Attention Towards The Heat
You need to pay attention to the heat released from an open flame as it would trick the mass air flow sensor into a higher reading than the required level. Remember this phenomenon will pose some risks to your car’s engine.
How To Diagnose A Bad MAF Sensor?
Besides knowing how to trick a mass air flow sensor, you should equip yourself with basic techniques to diagnose your vehicle’s engine.
Step 1:- Use OBD-II Scanner
When the check light is on, analyze the DTCs through a code reader or a scan tool. Then you can figure out if there is any issue relating to the MAF sensor or the circuit through a DTC stored in the memory of the PCM.
Step 2:- Check The Wires And Connections
You need to look at the wires or connections in the located area inside the car. Particularly, ensure that there is no dirt buildup on the electrical connector.
Step 3:- Test The MAF
Test the mass airflow sensor. The outcome of the hot wire type is an analog voltage signal. Meanwhile, the hot film type frequently provides the digital pattern of a square wave.
Conclusion:-
We hope the above-mentioned information about how to trick a mass airflow sensor will be helpful to all the readers. If anybody’s doubts persist feel free to comment in the comment section below. We’ll try to solve your doubts as soon as possible.
