More and more drivers are trying to maintain 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 components that result in new breakdowns or inconveniences. One of the complications that impacts more and more Citroen C3 owners is a clogged air flow meter, which will lead to a loss of power and black exhaust fumes. Today we are going to examine how to clean the mass air flow sensor of your Citroen C3? . First, we will show you how your mass airflow sensor functions and its usefulness, second, why it might be important to clean this sensor , and finally, how to clean the mass air flow sensor of a Citroen C3 .

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Utility and operation of the mass air flow meter of a Citroen C3

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So we start our content with the operation and role of your Citroen C3 flowmeter.

The aim of the mass air flow sensor on Citroen C3

The mass air flow sensor is a part that has been created actually quite recently and specifically outfitted on diesel models. In truth, 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 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 Citroen C3, do not think twice to consult our content on this subject.

Mass air flow sensor operation on Citroen C3

Now, we are going to look at how it functions, before trying to clean the mass air flow sensor of your Citroen C3 , you must already understand how it functions to achieve this routine service work accurately.

The mass air flow sensor is therefore specifically there to collect statistics on the air intake of your car. To achieve this, it must be set up just after the air intake of your Citroen C3, i. e. just after the air filter. It is a pipe outfitted with a sensor that will analyze the air in the intake and transmit the statistics to the ECU of your car.

Why clean the mass air flow sensor of a Citroen C3?

The mass air flow sensor of your Citroen C3 can have complications and this is what we will try to find out and discover what complications you might be facing!

Mass air flow sensor complications Citroen C3

Here are the different complications that the air flow sensor of your Citroen C3 can bring about:

  • higher fuel consumption: Because a dirty flow meter will actually result in more significant fuel consumption because of poor air flow…
  • Power loss: Linked to similar issue, this lack of air can bring about a loss of power to your engine.
  • Difficulties starting the car: Finally, one of the last classic complications connected to a dirty flowmeter will be that your Citroen C3 will have more difficulties to start the car.

How do I clean the mass air flow sensor from a Citroen C3?

After reviewing the operation and concerns that the flowmeter can bring about, we will look at how to fix these complications by describing to you how to clean the mass air flow sensor of your Citroen C3 . You should know that this procedure is actually quite basic to execute and you will not need advanced mechanical expertise to do it yourself, a good technique to avoid a trip to the workshop and a steep bill. See below the different steps to follow to execute this routine service act:

  • After having located the mass air flow sensor of your Citroen C3 , you will have to dismantle it. To achieve this, work 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 have the ability to proceed to the step cleaning the mass air flow sensor of your Citroen C3 . This sensor will, with 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 accurately, it is in this sense that it will disturb the operation of the engine unit of your Citroen C3. The aim of this cleaning will be to take out all its harmful particles 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 cautious, 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 damaging it, you can as well 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 Citroen C3 , you should feel a noticeable difference in the behavior of your engine unit.

To discover more tips on the Citroen C3, take a look at the Citroen C3 category.