What is the mass air flow sensor on a VW Golf?
The mass air flow sensor or MAF sensor is part of the intake system in VW Golf responsible for measuring the amount of air entering the engine. Driving your Golf with a bad MAF sensor can damage the engine, so you must act urgently to avoid more expensive repairs.
How do I know if my VW MAF sensor is bad?
Symptoms Of A BAD VW MAF. Your VW car can display any number of different symptoms when the Air Flow Meter (MAF sensor) goes BAD but, the most common ones are: The car will not idle or idle rough. Black smoke coming from the tail-pipe. A tremendous lack of power upon acceleration.
What happens when you unplug the MAF sensor?
If you unplug your MAF and your car all of a sudden perks up, then the MAF is more than likely the problem, and cleaning the sensor is a great place to start. Warning: If your check engine light is not already lit up when you try this test, unplugging the MAF sensor will cause it to illuminate.
How many volts does a MAF sensor have?
These are 12 Volts and Battery ground to the MAF sensor. After that, we'll test the actual performance of the MAF sensor as the engine is running. Use a digital multimeter for all tests where a multimeter is called for. The MAF sensor produces an analog voltage signal.
How do you test a mass airflow plug?
0:586:09How to Test a Mass Air Flow (MAF) Sensor - Without a Wiring DiagramYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipUse clasp if you have to all right next we want to get our test lead and start testing these pins onMoreUse clasp if you have to all right next we want to get our test lead and start testing these pins on the harness side the harness side being the side that's not coming from your MAF sensor.
How do you know if your mass airflow is bad?
Here are some of the most common symptoms of a faulty mass airflow sensor:The engine is very hard to start or turn over.The engine stalls shortly after starting.The engine hesitates or drags while under load or idle.Hesitation and jerking during acceleration.The engine hiccups.Excessively rich or lean idling.
How do you test a 2 wire MAF sensor?
1:437:24How to Test a Mass Air Flow MAF Sensor - Without a Wiring DiagramYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipTurn it on and then turn our settings to 20 volts. Since we don't expect to see anything. More thanMoreTurn it on and then turn our settings to 20 volts. Since we don't expect to see anything. More than 12 volts when testing for voltage. We go to the next higher setting which is 20 volts in our case.
How do you check a mass air flow sensor with a multimeter?
2:5312:25How to Test a MAF or MAP Sensor With a Multimeter - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipNext you grab your multimeter. Turn it on and you want to choose 20 volts on the DC voltage scaleMoreNext you grab your multimeter. Turn it on and you want to choose 20 volts on the DC voltage scale next you'll ground your black test lead then remove the connector. That's going to your map sensor.
What happens if you disconnect the mass air flow sensor?
Q: Car runs with the mass airflow sensor unplugged. If you plug it in it will die if the car is running. If you unplug the mass air flow sensor the car will start. If you try to plug it in while it's running the car will die.
What will a bad mass air flow sensor cause?
Mass Air flow Sensor (MAF). As a result, a bad mass air flow sensor causes various driveability problems, including a no-start, stalling, lack of power and poor acceleration. In addition, a faulty mass air flow sensor might cause the Check Engine or Service Engine Soon light to come on.
Can you test a mass air flow sensor by unplugging it?
While unplugging the MAF sensor to test whether it's the cause of your problems is fine, you should not continue driving without it. The safe/limp mode is not optimal for long-term driving, and your engine needs the MAF sensor to run properly.
What happens if you unplug a MAP sensor?
With the MAP sensor disconnected, the fuel delivery will be excessive and could cause harm to the engine and exhaust system (catalytic converters). Your vehicle getting on the freeway accelerating, bogging down, and reaccelerating sounds like fuel starvation. It could be a fuel pump fault or a plugged fuel filter.
How many wires does a MAF sensor have?
two sensing wiresPut simply, a MAF has two sensing wires. One is heated by an electrical current, the other is not. As air flows across the heated wire, it cools down. When the temperature difference between the two sensing wires changes, the MAF sensor automatically increases or decreases the current to the heated wire to compensate.
How do I know if my MAP sensor is bad?
What to look out for in a failing MAP sensorRich air-fuel ratio: Look for rough idle, poor fuel economy, slow acceleration and a strong smell of gasoline (especially at idle)Lean air-fuel ratio: Look for surging, stalling, lack of power, hesitation on acceleration, backfiring through the intake, and overheating.More items...
What are the symptoms of a faulty MAP sensor?
Signs of a Broken MAP SensorPoor Fuel Economy. If the ECM is reading low or no vacuum, it assumes the engine is at high load, so it dumps in more fuel and advances spark timing. ... Lack of Power. ... Failed Emissions Inspection. ... Rough Idle. ... Hard Starting. ... Hesitation or Stalling. ... Check Engine Light.
How do I test a sensor with a multimeter?
0:302:36How to test a Car Sensor - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSet it to the M setting. Take our two leads. And we're gonna touch. Each side. And I'm getting allMoreSet it to the M setting. Take our two leads. And we're gonna touch. Each side. And I'm getting all over the place. Five eight nine between five and nine mmm.
How do I know if my mass is bad?
Six Signs My Car's Mass Airflow Sensor (MAF) Is BadLean or Rich Fuel Mixture. ... Difficulty Starting Your Car. ... Engine Stalls After Starting or When Idling. ... Engine Hesitation and Dragging. ... Engine Hesitation and Jerking. ... Engine Hiccups.
Will a bad MAF throw a code?
Mass Air Flow Sensor Symptoms A faulty MAF sensor can also trigger other codes, such as those pertaining to an air/fuel ratio imbalance or an engine misfire.
What are the symptoms of a bad oxygen sensor?
Signs That Your Oxygen Sensor Is BadA Glowing Check Engine Light. The bright orange Check Engine light in your dashboard will usually glow if you have a bad oxygen sensor. ... Bad Gas Mileage. ... An Engine That Sounds Rough. ... An Emissions Test Failure. ... An Older Vehicle.
How long do mass airflow sensors last?
Mass air flow sensors are designed to last the lifetime of your vehicle. In fact, they have no scheduled replacement interval. For this reason, the sensor is generally not replaced until it fails.
What happens when MAF sensor malfunctions in VW Golf?
If the MAF sensor is defective or dirty, it does not send correct measured values to the control unit of Golf. The optimal amount of fuel can no longer be calculated which results in either too little or too much fuel injected into the combustion chambers. The engine runs too “lean” or too “rich”.
What causes MAF sensor to fail in Golf?
The most common cause of a malfunctioning MAF sensor in VW Golf is dirt and grime accumulation on the sensor. Air filters are effective at cleaning the air to a certain extent. When the vehicle is running, dirt and other airborne particles that escape from the air filter can settle on the sensor.
How to check if the MAF sensor is bad in VW Golf?
Reading out the fault codes using a diagnostic device is relatively reliable. If you see P0100, P0101, P0102, P0103 or P0104 code in the OBD2 scanner, it indicates a problem with the mass air flow sensor. However, it can happen that there are no error codes. In case of doubt, the sensor may have to be replaced.
Cleaning dirty MAF sensor in VW Golf
Cleaning the mass air flow sensor can help the sensor measure the correct values again, but only if the erroneous readings are caused by dirt accumulation. However, caution is advised here, as the sensor parts are very sensitive to touch.
Use OBD2 scanner for diagnosis
Since VW Golf is equipped with on-board diagnostics (OBD), a fault diagnosis can provide initial indications of where the malfunction is located.
Conclusion
There are many reasons why MAF sensor is malfunctioning in your VW Golf. When looking for the reason, you should always start with the most obvious cause, dirty MAF sensor that only needs cleaning.
Faulty Mass Airflow Sensor Symptoms: Volkswagen Golf
When the mass airflow sensor has gone bad, you’ll definitely feel it. Here are the most common symptoms of a bad or failing MAF sensor:
Golf Bad MAF Sensor Diagnosis
If the MAF sensor has gone bad, it’ll trigger the check engine light and provide an OBDII trouble code. This is great because it helps you narrow down the problem. The two most common trouble codes in relation to the MAF sensor are:
Cleaning the Mass Airflow Sensor
Often, the mass airflow sensor really only needs cleaning when they go bad. Some folks recommend using alcohol because it’s usually on hand, and can clean the sensor. This is a bad idea, it can ruin the sensor. Uses mass airflow sensor cleaner. It’s really cheap and available at any parts store.
Conclusion
Replacing a bad MAF sensor can make your Golf feel like a new vehicle. Good luck with the diagnosis. If there is anything that you would like to add, please feel free to leave a comment below.