More and more car owners are trying to take care of their cars by themselves. This results in considerable cost savings because contemporary cars involve more and more routine service and are made up of more and more technical parts that result in new breakdowns or inconveniences. One of the problems that impacts more and more Ford Explorer 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 look at how to clean the mass air flow sensor of your Ford Explorer? . First, we will describe how your mass airflow sensor works and its value, second, why it may be important to clean this sensor , and at last, how to clean the mass air flow sensor of a Ford Explorer .

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Utility and action of the mass air flow meter of a Ford Explorer

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So we begin our article with the process and role of your Ford Explorer flowmeter.

The aim of the mass air flow sensor on Ford Explorer

The mass air flow sensor is a part that has been developed quite not too long ago and mainly outfitted on diesel models. Indeed, with injection engines, the fuel and air intake has become very precise and it is consequently essential for the ECU to know the exact volume of air injected into the engine to adapt the actions of complementary intake parts such as the injection or the EGR valve, if you have problems with the EGR valve on your Ford Explorer, do not think twice to consult our article on this subject.

Mass air flow sensor operation on Ford Explorer

Now, we are going to take a look at how it works, before trying to clean the mass air flow sensor of your Ford Explorer , you must already find out how it functions to do this routine service act correctly.

The mass air flow sensor is consequently mainly there to get statistics on the air intake of your car. To get this done, it must be installed just after the air intake of your Ford Explorer, 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 Ford Explorer?

The mass air flow sensor of your Ford Explorer can have problems and this is what we will try to see and understand what problems you may be facing!

Mass air flow sensor problems Ford Explorer

Here are the different problems that the air flow sensor of your Ford Explorer can trigger:

  • higher fuel consumption: Because a dirty flow meter will actually end in excessive fuel consumption because of poor air flow…
  • Power loss: Linked to similar problem, this lack of air can trigger a loss of power to your engine.
  • Difficulties starting the car: Finally, one of the last classic problems linked to a dirty flowmeter will be that your Ford Explorer will have more difficulties to begin the vehicle.

How do I clean the mass air flow sensor from a Ford Explorer?

After going over the operation and problems that the flowmeter can trigger, we will look at how to solve these problems by explaining to you how to clean the mass air flow sensor of your Ford Explorer . You should know that this process is quite simple to perform and you will not need advanced mechanical expertise to do it your self, a good technique to avoid a trip to the garage and a steep bill. Discover down below the different steps to follow to perform this routine service act:

  • After having found the mass air flow sensor of your Ford Explorer , 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 disassembled, you will be able to carry on to the step cleaning the mass air flow sensor of your Ford Explorer . 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 correctly, it is in this sense that it will affect the operation of the engine unit of your Ford Explorer. 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 move on 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 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 destroying 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 Ford Explorer , you should feel a noticeable difference in the behavior of your engine unit.

To find more tips on the Ford Explorer, take a look at the Ford Explorer category.