How to Reset Mass Air Flow Sensor?

The mass airflow sensor (MAF) in your car requires a reset after being serviced or replaced in many cars. If it gets too worn out and dusty, you’ll need to either get a new one or have a professional fix the old one for you. For this reason, I’ll explain in detail here how to reset the mass air flow sensor. Please follow me through to the conclusion.

How a mass flow sensor works ?

MAF is a device that measures the volume of air passing through a given area
Your car’s electronic fuel injection system uses components such as the Mass Air Flow Sensor (MAF) to measure airflow into the engine. Located in the engine’s intake manifold between the air filter and the manifold, it helps to regulate the flow of air into the engine.

In other words

The mass air flow [MAF] sensor collects data on how much air is being sucked into the engine and how much is being blown out.

In modern vehicles, the mass airflow sensor also contains an intake air temperature sensor (IAT). There are only a few variety of airflow sensors, but most modern vehicles use the hot-wire variant.

Symptoms of Malfunctioning mass airflow sensor.

When the MAF in your car is malfunctioning, it will give you a few warning signs. So, what are these signs and how do we know if their mass airflow sensor is malfunctioning?

When a mass airflow sensor is clogged with debris or malfunctioning, it will incorrectly report the volume of air passing through it. Because of this mass airflow sensor issue, the vehicle’s ECU injects an excessive amount of gasoline (MAF).

As a result, a faulty mass airflow sensor can result in a number of driving issues, including the inability to start the engine, a loss of power, and slow acceleration
Additionally, the Check Engine light on the dashboard may come on if the mass airflow sensor is faulty.

The automatic transmission’s shifting pattern may change erratically if the airflow sensor fails.

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The PCM logs a problem whenever the airflow sensor signal falls outside of the acceptable range, and it stores the fault code in its memory; this causes the Check Engine Light to stay on for some time.

With the help of a scanning tool, you may pinpoint the precise position of this error message. 

Common error codes recorded by a computer when a mass airflow sensor breaks down are as follows:

P0100: Mass Air Flow Circuit Not Working Properly

P0102: Low Mass Air Flow Circuit

P0103: High Mass Air Flow Circuit

P0104: inconsistent mass air flow

 P0171 and P0174: Contaminated mass airflow

How may a mass airflow sensor [MAF] be tricked?

You can monitor your mass airflow sensor at all times. However, as we are accountable for what we are saying, we do not suggest trying to trick the MAF. Reasons why are explained below.

This sensor, depending on the manufacturer, also measures the air’s temperature as it enters the engine, allowing the PCM to precisely control the fuel supply.

When the sensor fails to work properly, the data becomes confused. Using electrical components cleaner, you can restore proper operation to the sensor by cleaning any dust or debris that may have accumulated on it.

Obviously, you’ve run a diagnostic and seen a P-code for the MAF sensor, or someone has told you that the sensor is the problem. That sensor is essential, and ignoring or removing it would only cause more problems.

What could happen if I remove the (MAF) mass airflow sensor ?

This will get it started and running smoothly enough to get to a service repair shop. If you leave it disconnected for too long without getting it fixed, it can clog the spark plugs and cause other driving problems.

How might disconnecting the mass airflow sensor improve a car’s performance?

Your car’s computer has many responsibilities, and one of them is interpreting the data sent by the MAF sensor.It can be found inside the engine compartment.

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In the event of a faulty mass airflow sensor (MAF), the engine control unit (ECU) may make incorrect adjustments to the air-fuel ratio, leading to rich engine operation.

However, if the MAF sensor is removed, the vehicle’s electronic control unit (ECU) will switch to a safe/limp mode to protect the vehicle’s passengers. The vehicle’s performance will be throttled back and the turbocharger will be disabled, but normal driving can still be performed.

The MAF sensor is severely failing if the safe/limp mode gives more power than the regular mode. If you really want to, you can try cleaning it first, although it probably won’t help much.

How do I reset the mass air flow sensor?

The following is a detailed guide on how to reset the MAF on your car.

You can reset the mass air flow sensor. By letting the engine idle

  1. If you’ve been driving, turn off the engine and let it cool down.
  2. Take off the sensor’s plug and wire harness.
  3. Take the air flow sensor apart and clean it well.
  4. If you need to replace it, you should put the new MAF sensor in place of the old one.
  5. Start the car and leave it running for 5–6 seconds.
  6. Now, turn it off and connect the MAF sensor to its harness.
  7. You’ll see the message DTC P0102 on the dashboard.
  8. Clean the memory and start the car.

So, that’s all! Your new MAF sensor is set up and ready to go!

You can reset the mass air flow sensor, By disconnecting out the battery,

  1. Take off the old MAF sensor and put a new one in its place.
  2. Disconnect the battery out from ground cable before you connect the sensor to its harness.
  3. Don’t touch it for about 10 minutes.
  4. Everything will start over now. Connect the MAF sensor and start the car.
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Your new MAF sensor will now begin to work.

FAQ

Does my car’s MAF sensor need to be reset after I put a new one in?

The answer is in the manual that came with your car. After the MAF sensor is replaced on a lot of cars, it needs to be reset. But some new cars don’t need it anymore. You can find out if your car needs it by doing some research.

Will the old MAF sensor work if I clean it instead of getting a new one?

If your engine is misbehaving, you need to replace the sensor. But cleaning it and setting it back up might work as a short-term fix.

Can my car run without a MAF sensor?

Yes, you can. You might be surprised to find that your car is better to drive without a MAF sensor. But this is not a good way to drive for a long time. If you don’t have a MAF sensor, your engine won’t last as long. Also, you’ll have to pay more for gas than you used to.

How can I get the MAF sensor to last longer?

Your MAF sensor will stay in good shape if you clean the air filter often. You can take out the sensor every so often and clean the whole thing.

Final thoughts 

Well, do it after you put the sensor back in or replace it.

When the MAF sensor causes problems with the car’s engine, you’ll know it needs to be replaced.

Don’t be cheap just to save money. The cost of the fuel your engine will use can be a lot more than what it would cost to replace the MAF sensor.

And if you understand how to get around your car, it won’t be hard at all to replace the MAF sensor by yourself. Drive safe!

2 thoughts on “How to Reset Mass Air Flow Sensor?”

  1. I put all new senior on my chev truck and it still idle fast and went put it in drive it want take gas do I need to reset it if so how do I do it

    Reply

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