If the mass airflow numbers indicate there is less air in the engine than there actually is, the ECM will reduce the amount of gasoline flowing into the combustion chamber.

This can be attributed to the lean or rich fuel mixture being caused by the ECM because of the faulty MAF.

It can also stall while you are idling, as discussed above. Engine Stalls After Starting or When Idlingīecause the air and fuel mixture isn’t balanced correctly due to the faulty mass airflow sensor, your engine may stall very quickly after you finally get it started. Either condition will make it hard to get your automobile started, especially on a cold morning. A rich fuel mixture could be flooding the engine with too much diesel fuel or gasoline. A lean fuel mixture means that there isn’t enough fuel in the combustion chamber for the spark plugs to ignite. Difficulty Starting Your CarĪnother sign that the fuel mixture is off is problems starting your automobile. Your vehicle will have a hard time idling on either a lean or rich fuel mixture, and it will sputter and might even stall. The ECM may also increase the amount of fuel in the combustion chamber and create a rich fuel mixture. If the MAF is not reading the air influx correctly, the ECM may reduce the amount of fuel in the combustion chamber and create a lean fuel mixture. Mike’s Auto Service & Repair explains that this can throw the air and fuel mixture off and, as a consequence, you’ll notice the list of things below. The MAF communicates with the engine control module (ECM), and if it sends misread air amounts, the ECM will adjust how much fuel it allows into the combustion chamber. Tasked with keeping track of how much air flows into the engine, the mass airflow (MAF) sensor plays a key role in determining how much air needs to be in the combustion chamber.

Toyota mass air flow sensor problems