How To Trick A Mass Air Flow Sensor

A mass air flow sensor measures the volume of air entering your engine so that the engine computer can make the correct fuel injection adjustments. If it detects insufficient air coming into the engine, it will activate check-stop and fail the car’s emissions test. In other words, if your car fails an emissions test, it will not pass registration. To avoid this situation and trick your mass airflow sensor is a possible solution. You might be wondering how you can do that? Keep reading and learn more about how to trick a mass airflow sensor.

How To Trick A Mass Air Flow Sensor?

Change Your Driving Habits

The mass air flow sensor works by measuring the amount of air coming into your engine. If you change your driving habits to drive more smoothly, you can lower the amount of air entering the engine and trick the sensor into thinking it’s reading a lower volume. This can help you avoid getting a check engine light if the sensor is damaged because of bad weather or other external factors. However, this is not a long-term solution and you should find a mechanic to repair or replace the sensor as soon as possible.

Rev The Engine Before You Accelerate

If you’re driving in bad weather or your sensor is damaged, turning up the revs on your engine before you accelerate can trick the sensor into thinking the amount of air entering your engine is lower than it actually is. This can prevent your check engine light from coming on and may even allow you to avoid a sudden stop. However, this is not a long-term solution and should only be used until you can find a mechanic to repair or replace the sensor.

Drive Slower

If your mass air flow sensor is malfunctioning, you can trick it into thinking there is less air entering the engine by driving slower. You can also travel with the windows rolled up, which will also reduce the amount of air entering the engine and help to reduce the risk of the sensor giving false readings. Again, this is not a long-term solution and should only be used until you can find a mechanic to repair or replace the sensor.

Turn On The Ac

If you run the AC in your car, it will reduce the volume of air entering the engine by forcing out warm air. This can trick the sensor into reading a lower volume and prevent a Check Engine light from being triggered. However, this is not a long-term solution and should only be used until you can find a mechanic to repair or replace the sensor.

Roll Up The Windows

If your mass air flow sensor is damaged from extreme weather conditions, you can trick it into thinking there is less air entering the engine by rolling up the windows. This will also help to reduce the risk of getting your interior wet if it’s raining, which can also damage the sensor. However, this is not a long-term solution and should only be used until you can find a mechanic to repair or replace the sensor.

What Types Of Mass Air Flow Sensors?

There are two types of mass air flow sensors. One is heated, and the other is unheated.

Heated mass air flow sensors have a heating element that keeps the sensor warm and allows for better fuel vapor transmission. This is important because your engine computer uses the sensor readings to determine how much fuel to inject into your engine. If the sensor is cold or if it’s covered with too much oil or carbon buildup, your car might not start or it will run rough until it warms up.
Unheated sensors are typically used in-stock replacement applications. Because they are not heated, they are less expensive and can be used in a wide variety of applications. However, they are more prone to cold-start issues because they are not heated like the heated sensors.

Why Does A Car Fail An Emissions Test?

Dirty Air Filter: The air filter is located between the engine and the mass airflow sensor. A dirty air filter restricts the amount of air flowing into the combustion chambers, which in turn will cause the engine to run rich.
Bad O2 Sensor: The oxygen sensor is located after the catalytic converter and used to monitor the exhaust gases. If the sensor fails, it can cause the engine to run rich.
Bad Fuel Injectors: The fuel injectors spray fuel into the engine at the proper time and in the proper amount. If they are faulty, they can spray too little fuel, causing the engine to run lean and/or too much fuel, causing the engine to run rich.
Bad Fuel Pressure Sensor: The fuel pressure sensor is used to monitor the fuel pressure. A bad fuel pressure sensor can cause the engine to run lean.
Bad Engine Computer: The engine computer is used to calculate the correct amount of fuel to inject into the engine. If it is faulty, the engine can run rich or lean.
Bad Mass Airflow Sensor: The mass airflow sensor is used to measure the volume of air entering the engine. If it is faulty, the engine will run rich or lean.

Advantages Of Tricking A Mass Air Flow Sensor

Drive Around Bad Air Filter: If the air filter is dirty or clogged, the engine computer will make the fuel injection adjustments to compensate for reduced airflow. You can drive this car around with the bad air filter until you have time to replace it.
Drive Around Bad O2 Sensor: If the O2 sensor is faulty, the engine computer will make the fuel injection adjustments to compensate for the faulty sensor readings. You can drive the car around with a faulty O2 sensor until you have time to replace it.
Drive Around Bad Fuel Injectors: If the fuel injectors are faulty, they will spray too little fuel into the engine, causing it to run lean. You can drive the car around with faulty fuel injectors until you have time to replace them.
Drive Around Bad Fuel Pressure Sensor: If the fuel pressure sensor is faulty, it will not send a signal to the engine computer to increase fuel pressure. You can drive the car around with a faulty fuel pressure sensor until you have time to replace it.
Drive Around Bad Engine Computer: If the engine computer is faulty, it will make the fuel injection corrections based on the faulty information it is receiving from the sensors. You can drive the car around with a faulty engine computer until you have time to replace it.

Disadvantages Of Tricking A Mass Air Flow Sensor

Drive Around Bad Air Filter: While you are driving the car around with a bad air filter, the engine computer will make adjustments to compensate for the reduced airflow. This will cause the engine to run rich and increase exhaust emissions.
Drive Around Bad O2 Sensor: While you are driving the car around with a faulty O2 sensor, the engine computer will make adjustments to compensate for the faulty sensor readings. This will cause the engine to run rich and increase exhaust emissions.
Drive Around Bad Fuel Injectors: While you are driving the car around with faulty fuel injectors, they will spray too little fuel into the engine, causing it to run lean. When the engine is lean, it will produce more exhaust emissions.
Drive Around Bad Fuel Pressure Sensor: While you are driving the car around with a faulty fuel pressure sensor, the engine computer will not receive a signal to increase fuel pressure to compensate for higher altitudes. The engine will run lean and produce more exhaust emissions.
Drive Around Bad Engine Computer: While you are driving the car around with a faulty engine computer, it will make the fuel injection corrections based on the faulty information it is receiving from the sensors. This will cause the engine to run rich and increase exhaust emissions.