Located behind the air filter, the mass airflow (MAF) sensor is responsible for tracking the amount of air that flows into the engine. It lets the engine control module (ECM) know the air amounts. The ECM uses this information to adjust the air levels in the combustion chamber. Mazcare advises that if you are Mazda’s mass airflow sensor is bad, you will notice the following engine performance issues.
It’s Hard to Start the Engine
Fuel is the accelerant that gets the engine started. The combination of fuel and air is ignited by the spark plugs and, boom, your Mazda fires up. If it is getting difficult to get your Mazda to start, it’s possible that there isn’t enough fuel in the combustion chamber due to a faulty mass airflow sensor reading.
The Engine Starts But Then Stalls
Perhaps you did get your Mazda to fire up but then it stalled. This, too, is a sign that there is an air and fuel imbalance in the combustion chamber that is making it difficult for the automobile to keep running. This can be caused by miscalculations sent to the ECM by the MAF sensor.
The Engine Hesitates When Under Stress
Your engine will also hesitate when it is under stress if it does not have enough fuel to meet the excess power demands. Examples of engines being under stress include towing things and driving up steep hills or inclines. If your engine is hesitating under these conditions, the Mazda may have a faulty MAF sensor.
The Acceleration Hesitates and Jerks
Excess air in the combustion chamber can also cause your acceleration to hesitate and jerk. It may feel as if your Mazda doesn’t want to go faster when you press down on the accelerator. This indicates a fuel delivery problem or a malfunctioning mass airflow sensor among other things.
The Engine Hiccups and Sputters
You may also find that once you’ve picked up speed your engine will hiccup and sputter. Once again, the faulty reading from the MAF sensor has tricked the ECM into putting too much air into the combustion chamber. Consequently, your engine performance suffers.
The Idle Is Either Too Rich or Too Lean
Finally, your Mazda’s idle should be smooth and relatively quiet. It should not be too lean and cause the engine to act as if it’s going to stall or too rich and cause the engine RPMs to rev too high. If this is happening with your Mazda, it could be a bad MAF sensor.
Mazcare in Marietta, GA, can help. Bring your Mazda to our shop today.