Everything needs to be functioning properly in order for your high-performance engine to operate at its best. This includes the mass airflow (MAF) sensor if your engine is equipped with one. If it is, Excelerate Performance advises that this sensor keeps track of the air flowing into the engine and reports the data to the engine control module (ECM). If the MAF sensor is bad, the following can occur.
Acceleration Lag
A malfunctioning MAF sensor may report faulty air inflow data to the ECM. This may cause the ECM to think that the combustion chamber needs more air when it actually doesn’t. It will add the air to the chamber and this will cause your vehicle’s acceleration to lag because it is running on a lean fuel mixture.
Rough Engine Idle
Unfortunately, the lean fuel mixture will also make your high-performance engine idle roughly and stall frequently. This is an indication that the engine is being fuel-starved. A faulty MAF sensor can indirectly cause this fuel starvation by, again, sending incorrect air inflow data to the engine control module.
Performance Problems
Your engine performance problems will not stop at acceleration lag and rough idling. You may also find your high-performance engine hiccupping and sputtering when you are driving fast. The engine can also search if the MAF sensor has caused the ECM to think that the combustion chamber needs extra fuel.
Poor Fuel Efficiency
Unfortunately, these engine problems will reduce the high-performance engine’s fuel efficiency. You will need to fill your automobile with gasoline or diesel fuel more often. You will continue to have problems with reduced gas mileage until you replace the malfunctioning MAF sensor that is causing the problem.
Black Exhaust Smoke
If the MAF sensor has convinced the ECM that the combustion chamber needs more fuel when it doesn’t, you may end up with black exhaust flowing out of the exhaust pipes underneath your high-performance automobile. The black color of the exhaust is a sign that excess fuel is being burned.
Hard Starts/No Starts
The dirty MAF sensor can also make it difficult to get your high-performance engine started. Unfortunately, this could be because there is either too little or too much fuel in the combustion chamber that is starving or flooding the engine.
Check Engine Warning
Finally, all of the above signs of a dirty MAF sensor may also be accompanied by an illuminated check engine light. The ECM will receive error codes from various system sensors and turn on the check engine light because it can’t resolve the errors.
Call Excelerate Performance in Branford, CT, today if you suspect you have a faulty MAF sensor in your high-performance engine.