Ashton Automotive & Performance would be happy to answer the titled question. The mass airflow or MAF sensor indirectly creates black exhaust because it causes the main computer chip, the engine control unit or ECU, to add fuel to the combustion chamber when it doesn’t need it. When the engine burns the extra fuel away, it releases black exhaust smoke. A faulty MAF sensor can confuse the ECU by providing it with information that is incorrect regarding the incoming airflow into the engine. Black exhaust smoke is just one sign that you have a faulty MAF sensor. Here are other signs.
Acceleration Lag
Sometimes, the ECU will add extra air into the chamber by mistake and this will make your acceleration lag. When you have a fuel mixture that is air-heavy in the combustion chamber, you have a lean fuel mixture. This starves the engine of fuel and affects its ability to accelerate.
Rough Engine Idle
It also affects its ability to idle smoothly. Unfortunately, the engine will idle roughly and might even install because, again, the ECU has pushed extra air into the chamber. It’s easy to notice that your engine is idling roughly because it idles when you are sitting at a stop.
Performance Lag
As if the above were not bad enough, your engine’s performance is also going to lag if there is a lean fuel mixture in the chamber. The MAF sensor will continue to send incorrect data to the ECU, so the only way to resolve these performance problems is to replace the faulty sensor.
Surging Performance
Black exhaust smoke is not the only sign that the engine is burning too much fuel. You may also end up with a surging engine that increases its speed by itself. These speed surges are often unpredictable and make driving your vehicle difficult because you don’t know what it’s going to do.
Reduced Fuel Economy
By now, you are thinking that the MAF sensor can be a real pain, and it can because all of the above engine performance issues are going to cause your vehicle’s fuel economy to tank. Sorry. Pun intended. The engine cannot utilize the fuel efficiently if it is not running efficiently.
Hard Starts/No Starts
You may also start to have problems getting your vehicle started and receive a check engine warning because there is not enough air or fuel in the chamber to generate engine combustion. Consequently, the malfunctioning MAF sensor can actually make it impossible to start your car.
Call Ashton Automotive & Performance in Killeen, TX, today to set up an appointment if you are having any of the issues discussed above.