Switches & Sensors
Air Mass Sensor TroubleshootingTroubleshooting Clogged or defective air mass sensors will send faulty signals, or no signals at all. The symptoms are almost directly apparent as the vehicle may emit black smoke, suffer from a lack of power, or switch into the limp home function. Incorrect input signals from a defective air mass sensor can also cause the engine control unit to actuate other components incorrectly. For this reason, error messages such as "mixture control too lean/too rich" or "EGR flow rate too high/too low" may also indicate a defective air mass sensor. One factor is however of great importance when troubleshooting: Although air mass sensors are monitored by the on-board diagnostics system ("OBD"), they may not necessarily be the actual cause of the failure or fault.
Left: Air mass sensor in good condition with sensor element intact
Left: Air mass sensor in bad/defective condition with sensor element no longer intact
If the air mass sensor fails, the cause is often elsewhere in the system. Almost all air mass sensors submitted to Pierburg for warranty claims are full of oil or dirt or look "sandblasted". These symptoms indicate the possible true causes:
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