More and more drivers are trying to take care of their vehicles by themselves. This outcomes in substantial cost savings because modern cars require more and more routine service and are done up of more and more technical parts that lead to new breakdowns or inconveniences. One of the complications that disturbs more and more BMW 3 Series owners is a clogged air flow meter, which will lead to a loss of power and black exhaust gases. Today we are going to look at how to clean the mass air flow sensor of your BMW 3 Series? . First, we will show you how your mass airflow sensor works and its usefulness, second, why it may be relevant to clean this sensor , and finally, how to clean the mass air flow sensor of a BMW 3 Series .
Utility and operation of the mass air flow meter of a BMW 3 Series
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So we begin our content page with the process and purpose of your BMW 3 Series flowmeter.
The intent of the mass air flow sensor on BMW 3 Series
The mass air flow sensor is a part that has been developed actually quite recently and principally supplied on diesel models. Obviously, with injection engines, the fuel and air intake has become very precise and it is so important for the ECU to know the exact volume of air injected into the engine to modify the actions of complementary intake parts such as the injection or the EGR valve, if you have problems with the EGR valve on your BMW 3 Series, do not hesitate to seek advice from our content page on this subject.
Mass air flow sensor operation on BMW 3 Series
Now, we are going to check out how it works, before trying to clean the mass air flow sensor of your BMW 3 Series , you must already find out how it functions to do this routine service action correctly.
The mass air flow sensor is therefore principally there to collect statistics on the air intake of your motor vehicle. To get this done, it must be mounted just after the air intake of your BMW 3 Series, i. e. just after the air filter. It is a pipe supplied with a sensor that will review the air in the intake and transmit the statistics to the ECU of your car.
Why clean the mass air flow sensor of a BMW 3 Series?
The mass air flow sensor of your BMW 3 Series can have complications and this is what we will try to see and understand what complications you may be struggling with!
Mass air flow sensor complications BMW 3 Series
Here are the different complications that the air flow sensor of your BMW 3 Series can generate:
- higher fuel consumption: Because a dirty flow meter will necessarily bring about higher fuel consumption due to poor air flow…
- Power loss: Associated with the same issue, this lack of air can generate a loss of power to your engine.
- Difficulties starting the automobile: Finally, one of the last classic complications connected to a dirty flowmeter will be that your BMW 3 Series will have more difficulties to begin the vehicle.
How do I clean the mass air flow sensor from a BMW 3 Series?
After looking at the operation and complications that the flowmeter can generate, we will look at how to resolve these complications by explaining to you how to clean the mass air flow sensor of your BMW 3 Series . You should know that this process is actually quite very easy to perform and you will not need advanced mechanical expertise to do it yourself, a good method to avoid a trip to the mechanic and a steep bill. See down below the different steps to stick to to perform this routine service act:
- After having located the mass air flow sensor of your BMW 3 Series , you will have to dismantle it. To get this done, action gently, but you will just have to disassemble it on both sides of the air duct and detach the electrical plug on top of it.
- Once taken apart, you will have the ability to carry on to the step cleaning the mass air flow sensor of your BMW 3 Series . 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 have the ability to collect data correctly, it is in this sense that it will affect the operation of the engine unit of your BMW 3 Series. The intent of this cleaning will be to remove all its impurities to enable it to work efficiently again.
- Let soak the lower part 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
- Now we’ll move on to the very delicate cleaning of the flow meter filaments. You have to be very watchful, otherwise your mass air flow sensor will be permanently broken. With the help of a fine brush and solvent, gently clean the two filaments of your mass air flow sensor . If you are too afraid of destroying it, you can also clean them with a brake fluid in the form of an aerosol by spraying the jet on these filaments.
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Now you know how to clean the mass air flow sensor of your BMW 3 Series , you should feel a noticeable difference in the behavior of your engine unit.
If you want more guides on the BMW 3 Series, go to our BMW 3 Series category.
