More and more car owners are trying to take care of their vehicles on their own. This results in substantial cost savings because contemporary cars require more and more routine service and are done up of more and more technical components that lead to new breakdowns or inconveniences. One of the problems that affects more and more Audi A4 owners is a clogged air flow meter, which will end in a loss of power and black exhaust fumes. In this article we are going to take a look at how to clean the mass air flow sensor of your Audi A4? . First, we will show you how your mass airflow sensor operates and its value, second, why it might be important to clean this sensor , and finally, how to clean the mass air flow sensor of a Audi A4 .

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Utility and action of the mass air flow meter of a Audi A4

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So we begin our article with the procedure and intent of your Audi A4 flowmeter.

The goal of the mass air flow sensor on Audi A4

The mass air flow sensor is a part that has been created quite lately and specifically equipped on diesel models. Obviously, with injection engines, the fuel and air intake has become very precise and it is therefore important for the ECU to know the exact volume of air injected into the engine to modify the behaviour of complementary intake parts such as the injection or the EGR valve, if you have problems with the EGR valve on your Audi A4, do not think twice to consult our article on this subject.

Mass air flow sensor operation on Audi A4

Now, we are going to have a look at how it operates, before trying to clean the mass air flow sensor of your Audi A4 , you must already understand how it works to do this routine service act properly.

The mass air flow sensor is therefore specifically there to collect statistics on the air intake of your motor vehicle. To achieve this, it must be mounted just after the air intake of your Audi A4, i. e. just after the air filter. It is a pipe equipped with a sensor that will analyze the air in the intake and transfer the statistics to the ECU of your car.

Why clean the mass air flow sensor of a Audi A4?

The mass air flow sensor of your Audi A4 can have problems and this is what we will try to find out and figure out what problems you might be facing!

Mass air flow sensor problems Audi A4

Here are the different problems that the air flow sensor of your Audi A4 can bring about:

  • higher fuel consumption: Because a dirty flow meter will actually bring about more significant fuel consumption caused by poor air flow…
  • Power loss: Linked to the same issue, this lack of air can bring about a loss of power to your engine.
  • Difficulties starting the vehicle: Finally, one of the last traditional problems linked to a dirty flowmeter will be that your Audi A4 will have more issues to begin the car.

How do I clean the mass air flow sensor from a Audi A4?

After examining the operation and concerns that the flowmeter can bring about, we will look at how to fix these problems by describing to you how to clean the mass air flow sensor of your Audi A4 . You should know that this procedure is quite simple to execute and you will not need advanced mechanical expertise to do it your self, a good way to avoid a trip to the garage area and a steep bill. See below the different steps to stick to to execute this routine service act:

  • After having based the mass air flow sensor of your Audi A4 , you will have to dismantle it. To achieve this, act delicately, but you will just have to disassemble it on both sides of the air duct and disconnect the electrical plug on top of it.
  • Once taken apart, you will be able to carry on to the step cleaning the mass air flow sensor of your Audi A4 . This sensor will, over time, get dirty and its two “filaments” that will give information to your computer on the quality and temperature of the air will no longer be able to collect data properly, it is in this sense that it will disrupt the operation of the engine unit of your Audi A4. The goal of this cleaning will be to remove all its impure substances to enable it to work efficiently again.
  • Let soak the lower section of your mass air flow sensor (not the plug part) in acetone or another solvent for a few minutes , which will remove most of the grime
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  • Now we’ll move on to the very gentle cleaning of the flow meter filaments. You have to be very careful, otherwise your mass air flow sensor will be permanently broken. With the help of a fine brush and solvent, delicately clean the two filaments of your mass air flow sensor . If you are too afraid of harming it, you can also clean them with a brake fluid in the form of an aerosol by spraying the jet on these filaments.

Now you know how to clean the mass air flow sensor of your Audi A4 , you should feel a noticeable difference in the behavior of your engine unit.

To find more tips on the Audi A4, take a look at the Audi A4 category.