The most common symptoms of a bad mass air flow sensor are engine performance issues such as rough acceleration or rough idling, along with a check engine light on your dashboard
You may also notice changes in fuel consumpt…
With a noticeable loss of performance and high mileage, a defective maf sensor should definitely be considered
There is no fixed timeline for when.
I think you can see why any buildup of crud (including oil) on the heated wire would cause problems or even failure of the sensor
It takes the place of the old map (manifold absolute pressure).
Maf and map sensor faults cause power loss and rough running
Learn the symptoms, how to tell them apart, and whether cleaning or replacement will fix it.
He said the maf sensor is bad, and that i need to put the cat back on before i replace the maf or it wont fix
I dont want the cat back on and im pretty sure i dont have to.
Symptoms of a faulty mass air flow sensor a faulty mass airflow sensor will cause problems similar to low compression or low vacuum, and will also show symptoms similar to when your 1996 ford.
That is an issue with the tuned maf, it lies to the computer about the actual airflow
So when you unplug it and it goes into fail safe that programming is based on the original stock.