Therefore the most common signs of a bad mass air flow sensor usually appear in the form of an engine that is performing badly. It must be able to accurately measure the air flow and send this information to the ECU in real time. This is why the mass air flow sensor is important. The amount of fuel must be kept in line with the amount of air coming in. In order to increase speed, more fuel and air is needed. If you push down on the accelerator, the engine will need more fuel to increase the rate at which the pistons are moved. The amount of air entering the engine through the air filter is going to fluctuate depending on how fast the engine is running. The mass air flow sensor (MAF) data is vital for fuel delivery control. Of course, there are many other reasons why your car might not be running properly, so today I’m going to explain how to diagnose a bad or failing air flow meter and see what’s involved in fixing it. If the mass air flow sensor isn’t working properly then you will be faced with one or more symptoms such as lack of power and bad fuel economy. The job of the mass air flow sensor is to keep track of the amount of air coming in through the air filter, so that the ECU can adjust the amount of fuel getting into the engine. The symptoms of a bad mass air flow sensor include low engine power, poor fuel economy, an engine that won’t start, a check engine light on the dash and a gas smell from the exhaust fumes.Ī bad mass air flow sensor is often the likely culprit if your car isn’t running as it should.

E46 mass air flow sensor problems