In our last blog post, we talked about problems with the oxygen sensor. Now, let’s talk about problems with the mass airflow (MAF) sensor. This sensor is found behind the air filter in your diesel work truck’s engine. It determines how much air comes into the engine from the outside. It reports the air quantity to the engine control module so it can make adjustments in the combustion chamber. Tri Valley Auto Repair & Diesel advises that because of its location, the mass airflow sensor can get dirty. When this happens, you may notice the following problems.
Acceleration Lag
Your acceleration will begin to lag because the dirty MAF sensor will report incorrect air quantities to the engine control module. Consequently, the module may think that the engine needs more air than it actually does. This starves your diesel engine of fuel and causes lagging acceleration.
Engine Performance Issues
It also causes engine performance issues the faster you drive. Your engine will sputter and threatened to stall. If the opposite is going on in the combustion chamber and the engine control module has put too much fuel in there, your diesel truck will buck like a wild bronco.
Black Exhaust
When there is too much fuel in the combustion chamber, you will notice an increase in the black exhaust smoke that comes out of your diesel work truck’s tailpipes. Unfortunately, until such time as the MAF sensor is cleaned, you will continue to have excess black exhaust smoke pouring out of the pipes.
Hard/No Starting
You may also find it more difficult to get your diesel work truck started. If the mass airflow sensor is having serious problems, it’s possible that the combustion chamber will not have an air and fuel mixture that can be fired. When this happens, you may not be able to get your work truck started.
Poor Fuel Economy
You will also notice a difference in your truck’s fuel economy. This is because the engine is not running efficiently. A dirty mass airflow sensor, again, can skew the volume of fuel and amount of air found in the combustion chamber. Consequently, your fuel economy will take a hit.
Rough Idling
Finally, as with the engine performance issues discussed above, you will also notice that your diesel work truck’s idle is rough. This, again, suggests that there is too much air in the combustion chamber and not enough diesel fuel.
Bring your truck to Tri Valley Auto Repair & Diesel in Limon, CO, if it is experiencing any of the problems listed above.
