More and more motorists are trying to maintain their cars on their own. This outcomes in considerable savings because modern cars involve more and more routine service and are done up of more and more technical parts that result in new breakdowns or inconveniences. One of the problems that disturbs more and more Mazda 3 owners is a clogged air flow meter, which will lead to a loss of power and black exhaust fumes. Today we are going to check out how to clean the mass air flow sensor of your Mazda 3? . First, we will describe how your mass airflow sensor works and its advantages, second, why it might be important to clean this sensor , and at last, how to clean the mass air flow sensor of a Mazda 3 .

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Utility and operation of the mass air flow meter of a Mazda 3

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So we start our content with the operation and intent of your Mazda 3 flowmeter.

The goal of the mass air flow sensor on Mazda 3

The mass air flow sensor is a part that has been created quite not long ago and principally equipped on diesel models. Obviously, with injection engines, the fuel and air intake has become very precise and it is therefore necessary for the ECU to know the exact volume of air injected into the engine to change the behaviour of complementary intake parts such as the injection or the EGR valve, if you have problems with the EGR valve on your Mazda 3, do not think twice to consult our content on this subject.

Mass air flow sensor operation on Mazda 3

Now, we are going to look at how it works, before trying to clean the mass air flow sensor of your Mazda 3 , you must already understand how it functions to do this routine service act accurately.

The mass air flow sensor is therefore principally there to collect info on the air intake of your car. To do this, it must be mounted just after the air intake of your Mazda 3, i. e. just after the air filter. It is a pipe equipped with a sensor that will analyze the air in the intake and transmit the info to the ECU of your car.

Why clean the mass air flow sensor of a Mazda 3?

The mass air flow sensor of your Mazda 3 can have problems and this is what we will try to discover and figure out what problems you might be struggling with!

Mass air flow sensor problems Mazda 3

Here are the different problems that the air flow sensor of your Mazda 3 can cause:

  • 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 cause a loss of power to your engine.
  • Difficulties starting the vehicle: Finally, one of the last classic problems associated with a dirty flowmeter will be that your Mazda 3 will have more issues to start the car.

How do I clean the mass air flow sensor from a Mazda 3?

After examining the operation and complications that the flowmeter can cause, we will look at how to fix these problems by explaining to you how to clean the mass air flow sensor of your Mazda 3 . You should know that this process is quite simple to perform and you will not need advanced mechanical expertise to do it yourself, a good method to avoid a trip to the garage and a steep bill. See below the different steps to follow to perform this routine service act:

  • After having found the mass air flow sensor of your Mazda 3 , you will have to dismantle it. To do this, 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 Mazda 3 . 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 disrupt the operation of the engine of your Mazda 3. The goal of this cleaning will be to take out all its harmful particles to allow 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 take out most of the grime
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  • Now we’ll move on to the very delicate 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, 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 Mazda 3 , you should feel a noticeable difference in the behavior of your engine.

To find more tips on the Mazda 3, take a look at the Mazda 3 category.