Breathe New Life into Your Engine (MAF sensor replacement)

If you’ve noticed your vehicle is hard to start, stalling, or has lost power, the culprit may be a part with an odd name: the MAF sensor. You may have never even heard of a MAF sensor, but it’s important that it be working correctly, or you may be experiencing some fairly significant engine issues.

All vehicles bring in air and direct it through an air filter before it goes into your engine, where it mixes with fuel to provide power to get you going. There’s a tube-like device with a sensor inside it that measures how much of that mass of air is passing through. That’s why it’s called a mass air flow sensor, or MAF sensor. If the MAF sensor isn’t working right, the engine’s computer can’t figure out the right amount of fuel to mix with it, and your engine may hesitate or stall. Sometimes this will cause your Check Engine Light to come on, and any time it does that, make sure you have your vehicle checked by a professional, so you’ll know what’s going on.

When you take your vehicle into your service facility, a technician will thoroughly check the system to see just where the problems are. If your air filter is dirty, your MAF sensor may get dirty too, which might be causing the problems. You may find your fuel economy isn’t what it used to be either.

There are other things that can cause the same symptoms, too, such as a leak in a vacuum hose. It’s also possible that the electrical connector between the MAF sensor and the engine has broken.

The technician can use electronic diagnostic equipment to help pinpoint the exact problem or problems, replace worn parts, and test drive your vehicle to make sure it’s working correctly.

It’s also a good idea to make sure your air filter is changed regularly. A dirty air filter can contribute to a MAF sensor failure. One of the big benefits of having your vehicle regularly maintained at one facility, is they know your vehicle. So, they keep track of which of your vehicle’s parts should be periodically replaced before problems develop.

If you keep clean air heading into your engine, it can help your engine work efficiently, and with the power it was engineered to deliver. Isn’t that a breath of fresh air?

Autotronics of St. Peter
111 Jefferson Avenue
St. Peter, MN 56082
507.934.9290
http://autotronicsstpeter.com

It’s (Not) Complicated (Engine Air Filter)

While many components of your vehicle are complex and composed of lots of mechanical and electrical parts, there’s one that isn’t complicated but still important. It’s your engine air filter.

(And, we should point out, the engine air filter isn’t to be confused with the cabin air filter. The cabin air filter cleans air that goes into the passenger compartment while the engine air filter cleans air that goes into the engine itself.)

Why does your engine need a filter? Think of all the stuff–dirt, dust, and debris in the air¬–that gets kicked up on the road. If that were to go unfiltered into your engine, it could damage other components.

There are many different materials used in an engine air filter, including paper, cloth (frequently cotton), and other synthetic fabrics. The material is usually folded tightly to maximize the filtering capability over a relatively small surface.

Before computers were employed to determine the proper mix of air and gasoline, a dirty air filter could contribute to a decline in fuel economy. But a study of engine air filters done by the U.S. Department of Energy in 2009 found that in modern fuel-injected engines, computers can maintain the correct air/fuel mix even when an engine air filter is really dirty, minimizing effects on fuel economy.

That same clogged air filter, though, can affect your vehicle’s performance, mainly how much power and acceleration it delivers. In testing three different vehicles, a dirty air filter made the vehicles slower by about 6-12%. That’s something you’d definitely notice if you were driving.

But it happens slowly, over the course of several months, so you might not even know your engine air filter is dirty unless you bring it to us and have a technician inspect yours.

There are many different types of engine air filters, from the ones made by the original vehicle manufacturer to aftermarket ones. Some can increase your engine’s performance; some can be washed and re-used but are generally more expensive.

Your service advisor can recommend several options for you, depending on the type of vehicle you drive and your driving habits. Dirty, dusty roads will require more frequent engine air filter changes than cleaner drive routes, and each vehicle manufacturer recommends when your filter should be changed. Keeping it clean will help your engine breathe a little bit easier.

Autotronics of St. Peter
111 Jefferson Avenue
St. Peter, MN 56082
507.934.9290
http://autotronicsstpeter.com

Out of Joint (CV Joint and Boot Replacement)

If you have a front-wheel-drive vehicle, it has components called CV joints which enable you to turn your wheels smoothly. The CV stands for “constant velocity.” In essence, it’s a set of gears that connect a shaft that allows power from the transmission to be sent to the wheels. When you turn the wheels, no matter what angle, the input velocity rotation will be equal to the output. Thus, the name, CV (constant velocity) joint. Other vehicles with 4-wheel drive and all-wheel drive also use CV joints.

If one of your CV joints isn’t working right, you may find your vehicle difficult to handle. If one breaks, your vehicle may stop moving. So, it’s important that CV joints be in top working condition. The joints need a lot of lubrication, so they are surrounded by grease. There’s a rubber enclosure around them called the boot which holds the grease in and protects CV joints from the elements.

The biggest problems come when one of those rubber boots cracks. Water and dirt can then get into the joint, causing it to wear down and lose all its vital lubrication. It’s important to have your CV joints inspected regularly so a technician can spot cracks before the CV joints are ruined. Sometimes just the boot can be replaced before any major damage is done. But when the joint does go bad, it must be replaced.

Signs your CV joint needs changing out? You might hear a clicking sound when you turn if the CV joint is worn out. You might notice some thick, black grease around your wheel or on the pavement where you park your vehicle. You might also feel your vehicle vibrate when you’re going fast.

If you suspect you might have a bad CV joint, bring your vehicle in so a technician can determine what’s going on. Keep your CV joints in good shape and reduce the risk of them seizing up at an inopportune time so you can avoid being stranded.

Autotronics of St. Peter
111 Jefferson Avenue
St. Peter, MN 56082
507.934.9290
http://autotronicsstpeter.com