MAF error code, now what?

[TheTSiGuy]

My check engine light went on last night, when i was taking my indiglo's off, and when i put my biss screw back in.

This morning, i took it to my mechanic to see what error code it would throw. It came up to be the MAF.

Heres a pic of my MAF

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my mech said that the wiring was hacked to hell, and that could be a source of the problem. So ive been looking around on the trader for a new harness.

What should i do? and what else would throw the MAF error code?

help!

 

[TheTSiGuy]

anyone, anyone?

 

[92redman]

You could start by tearing all that tape off and making sure the joints are soldered and are making a good connection.

 

[TheTSiGuy]

How can i be sure that who-ever did that crappy job even made the right connections? Im assuming theyre right, cos the car was running fine when i bought it.

Also, what causes your MAF code to go off anyways?

 

[92redman]

An open or short in the Airflow sensor wires, or a bad ECU.

 

[92redman]

In the connector:

Pin 1 green wire/white tracer
Pin 2 green wire/blue tracer
Pin 3 Probably red
Pin 4 green wire/red tracer
Pin 5 nothing
Pin 6 green wire/black tracer
Pin 7 green wire/yellow tracer

They look like this looking at the connector on the MAS with tab up top:

1234
5678

 

[TheTSiGuy]

92redman,

Thanks! that was very helpful information. I appreciate it!!

 

[92redman]

If you need to know voltages just let me know, mitsu did bias the signal wires so you can just backprobe them and read it with a voltmeter. Good luck

 

[TheTSiGuy]

Hmm, could the sensor it self be crapped out?

What happens is my idle rpms flutter in a rhythmic cycle. so it sounds like im goosing the gas constantly, trying to race someone. It doesnt bode well with others :laugh:

So when i got the car back in the driveway tonight, i was curious to see what would happen if i unplugged the harness from my maf. Nothing happened. It continued to do its thing, being broke. does this confirm anything?

 

[92redman]

If it didn't change how you were running, that is not it. Unplugging the MAF when you are at idle shouldn't affect anything, only when you rev it because the air at idle is easily calculated with out the MAF. To find out what is causing what sounds like idle surge check this out: http://www.dsm.org/how-tos/tttt/tttt3.html

 

[TheTSiGuy]

wait, what?

So the car isnt supposed to change behavior at all at idle, when i unplug the wiring?

Ive been suspecting that my ISC is crapping out. think that may be an issue too?

I thought my fluttering RPMS were due to a crapped out MAF.

Now im confused?

 

[92redman]

if your problem doesnt go away when the maf is unplugged, it's not that. You should be able to unplug it on an idling car without affecting operation, when you give it gas is when you would have stuttering because now the ecu has to try and calculate airflow based on tps, cps and limpin values. So you sould look at other sensors for your idle problem. Your IAC could cause problems at idle and under load.

 

[92redman]

What code exactly did you get? There are a couple that have to do with the MAF. There is the baro, IAT, and airflow. If the airflow sensor is shot, it could give you the rough idle, but like I said it should idle fine when it is unplugged because the ECU can't look at the malfunctioning sensor anymore so it looks at other ones.

 

[TheTSiGuy]

From reading up on your link, i think my ISC could be the culprit of the fluttering idle. The symptoms sound alot like mine. flutters rhythmically between 1000-1200 rpms, and sometimes from 1200-1500 rpms.

I think my MAF is still a problem. The car runs like arse. Its running super rich, or something, cos i went through half a tank of gas on about 50 miles.

Also the car is sputtering, and bucking A WHOLE lot. I could believe this is a MAF issue