AIR INTAKE
Mass Air Flow (MAF) Sensor
Small sensor that measures how much air is entering the engine.
Also called: MAF
Identification & Position
- Part name
- Mass Air Flow (MAF) Sensor
- System
- Air Intake
- Location
- In the intake tract between the air box and the throttle body.
- What it does
- Reports airflow to the control module so it can calculate how much fuel to inject.
- What it connects to
- • Air box
- • Intake tube
- • Engine wiring harness connector
- • PCM
- What is above it
- Intake plumbing / open bay.
- What is below it
- Intake tube.
- What is in front of it
- Air box.
- What is behind it
- Throttle body.
- Must be removed to access it
- • Electrical connector
- • Retaining screws or clamps
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Dependency path — the order things must come off
Reveals the order of everything that has to be disconnected or removed to reach this part.
Symptoms & Testing
- Common failure symptoms
- • Rough idle
- • Stalling
- • Hesitation on acceleration
- • Check engine light
- • Poor fuel economy
- How to test it
- 1. Read live airflow data with a scan tool and compare against expected behaviour.
- 2. Inspect the sensing element for contamination.
- 3. Check for unmetered air leaks between the sensor and the throttle body.
- 4. Verify power, ground and signal at the connector.
Symptoms narrow the list of possibilities. They never confirm a diagnosis on their own — test before replacing anything.
Part Numbers
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Difficulty & Time
Safety Warnings
- Never touch the sensing element. Use only MAF-safe cleaner if cleaning.
Tools Needed
- OBD-II scan toolReading codes and live sensor data
- ScrewdriversClamps, clips and covers
- Digital multimeterVoltage, ground and voltage-drop testing
Orientation
Where to look for it
- Side
- With the air box
- Front / rear
- Forward in the bay
- Above / below
- High, reached from above
Related Parts
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