What are the effects of a faulty car mass air flow sensor?
3 Answers
It can cause unstable idle speed, increased fuel consumption, and poor acceleration. Below is the relevant introduction: Mass Air Flow Sensor: The mass air flow sensor, also known as the air flow meter, is one of the important sensors in an electronic fuel injection engine. It converts the inhaled air flow into an electrical signal and sends it to the Engine Control Unit (ECU), serving as one of the fundamental signals for fuel injection. It is the sensor that measures the air flow entering the engine. Impact on the car: Although a malfunctioning mass air flow sensor may not prevent the engine from starting, it will certainly affect the engine's performance, such as unstable idle speed, poor acceleration, "backfiring" in the intake pipe, and black smoke from the exhaust pipe, while also causing excessive exhaust emissions.
The car I was driving had a mass airflow sensor failure, which felt particularly frustrating. The engine would shake violently at idle, as if it was about to fall apart, acceleration was very sluggish, and fuel consumption suddenly increased, burning significantly more fuel than usual. A technician friend mentioned that the sensor is responsible for monitoring the amount of incoming air, and when it fails, the control unit cannot accurately calculate the fuel mixture ratio, leading to an imbalance in the air-fuel ratio. In severe cases, it may even cause black smoke from the exhaust or trigger the check engine light. Driving such a car for a long time can worsen engine carbon buildup and even damage spark plugs and oxygen sensors. For safety and cost-effectiveness, I immediately took it to a repair shop to clean or replace the sensor when I noticed the issue. It's also important to regularly replace the air filter to prevent dust from clogging the sensor.
As a car enthusiast, I often tinker with my own vehicle and have experienced multiple failures of the mass airflow sensor. The impact is significant: difficulty starting the engine, sometimes failing to ignite; insufficient power during acceleration, struggling on uphill climbs; a sharp increase in fuel consumption, heightened emissions, and environmental pollution. During inspection, I used a simple scan tool to identify fault codes in the P0100 series and attempted cleaning it myself, as dirt is a common culprit. Prolonged neglect worsens the problem: ECU control malfunctions may damage the oxygen sensor, doubling repair costs. For daily driving, pay attention to cleaning the intake tract and avoid using low-quality air filters.
