More and more drivers are trying to take care of their vehicles on their own. This results in significant savings because contemporary cars require more and more maintenance and are done up of more and more technical components that result in new breakdowns or inconveniences. One of the problems that impacts more and more Chevrolet Malibu owners is a clogged air flow meter, which will result in a loss of power and black exhaust fumes. Today we are going to take a look at how to clean the mass air flow sensor of your Chevrolet Malibu? . First, we will explain how your mass airflow sensor works and its advantages, second, why it may be important to clean this sensor , and finally, how to clean the mass air flow sensor of a Chevrolet Malibu .

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Utility and operation of the mass air flow meter of a Chevrolet Malibu

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So we begin our article with the process and purpose of your Chevrolet Malibu flowmeter.

The purpose of the mass air flow sensor on Chevrolet Malibu

The mass air flow sensor is a part that has been created actually quite recently and principally outfitted on diesel models. In truth, with injection engines, the fuel and air intake has become very precise and it is therefore essential for the ECU to know the exact volume of air added 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 Chevrolet Malibu, do not think twice to seek advice from our article on this subject.

Mass air flow sensor operation on Chevrolet Malibu

Now, we are going to have a look at how it works, before trying to clean the mass air flow sensor of your Chevrolet Malibu , you must already understand how it works to achieve this maintenance act properly.

The mass air flow sensor is therefore principally there to get data on the air intake of your car. To get this done, it must be installed just after the air intake of your Chevrolet Malibu, i. e. just after the air filter. It is a pipe outfitted with a sensor that will review the air in the intake and transmit the data to the ECU of your car.

Why clean the mass air flow sensor of a Chevrolet Malibu?

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

Mass air flow sensor problems Chevrolet Malibu

Here are the different problems that the air flow sensor of your Chevrolet Malibu can trigger:

  • higher fuel consumption: Because a dirty flow meter will necessarily end in excessive fuel consumption caused by poor air flow…
  • Power loss: Associated with the same issue, this lack of air can trigger a loss of power to your engine.
  • Difficulties starting the automobile: Finally, one of the last traditional problems associated with a dirty flowmeter will be that your Chevrolet Malibu will have more difficulties to begin the vehicle.

How do I clean the mass air flow sensor from a Chevrolet Malibu?

After going over the operation and concerns that the flowmeter can trigger, we will look at how to resolve these problems by describing to you how to clean the mass air flow sensor of your Chevrolet Malibu . You should know that this process is actually quite very easy to execute and you will not need advanced mechanical skills to do it your self, a good way to avoid a trip to the mechanic and a steep bill. See down below the different steps to follow to execute this maintenance act:

  • After having based the mass air flow sensor of your Chevrolet Malibu , you will have to dismantle it. To get this done, act 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 continue to the step cleaning the mass air flow sensor of your Chevrolet Malibu . This sensor will, as time passes, 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 properly, it is in this sense that it will affect the operation of the engine unit of your Chevrolet Malibu. The purpose of this cleaning will be to take out 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 take out most of the grime
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  • Now we’ll proceed to the very gentle cleaning of the flow meter filaments. You have to be very watchful, otherwise your mass air flow sensor will be permanently damaged. 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 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 Chevrolet Malibu , you should feel a noticeable difference in the behavior of your engine unit.

To get more tips on the Chevrolet Malibu, take a look at the Chevrolet Malibu category.