More and more motorists are trying to maintain their cars by themselves. This outcomes in considerable cost savings because modern cars necessitate more and more maintenance and are done up of more and more technical components that result in new breakdowns or inconveniences. One of the complications that disturbs more and more Opel Astra owners is a clogged air flow meter, which will end in a loss of power and black exhaust fumes. Today we are going to look at how to clean the mass air flow sensor of your Opel Astra? . First, we will show you how your mass airflow sensor functions and its value, second, why it might be important to clean this sensor , and at last, how to clean the mass air flow sensor of a Opel Astra .

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Utility and operation of the mass air flow meter of a Opel Astra

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So we begin our content page with the procedure and aim of your Opel Astra flowmeter.

The intent of the mass air flow sensor on Opel Astra

The mass air flow sensor is a component that has been developed quite lately and specifically supplied on diesel models. In truth, with injection engines, the fuel and air intake has become very precise and it is so essential for the ECU to know the exact volume of air loaded into the engine to adapt the behaviour of complementary intake parts such as the injection or the EGR valve, if you have problems with the EGR valve on your Opel Astra, do not hesitate to seek advice from our content page on this subject.

Mass air flow sensor operation on Opel Astra

Now, we are going to examine how it functions, before trying to clean the mass air flow sensor of your Opel Astra , you must already figure out how it functions to achieve this maintenance action properly.

The mass air flow sensor is therefore specifically there to collect data on the air intake of your motor vehicle. To achieve this, it must be installed just after the air intake of your Opel Astra, i. e. just after the air filter. It is a pipe supplied with a sensor that will analyze the air in the intake and transfer the data to the ECU of your car.

Why clean the mass air flow sensor of a Opel Astra?

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

Mass air flow sensor complications Opel Astra

Here are the different complications that the air flow sensor of your Opel Astra can provoke:

  • higher fuel consumption: Because a dirty flow meter will actually end up in excessive fuel consumption due to poor air flow…
  • Power loss: Linked to the same issue, this lack of air can provoke a loss of power to your engine.
  • Difficulties starting the car: Finally, one of the last traditional complications linked to a dirty flowmeter will be that your Opel Astra will have more troubles to begin the vehicle.

How do I clean the mass air flow sensor from a Opel Astra?

After reviewing the operation and complications that the flowmeter can provoke, we will look at how to fix these complications by explaining to you how to clean the mass air flow sensor of your Opel Astra . You should know that this process is quite basic to perform and you will not need advanced mechanical abilities to do it your self, a good method to avoid a trip to the garage area and a steep bill. Discover below the different steps to stick to to perform this maintenance act:

  • After having found the mass air flow sensor of your Opel Astra , you will have to dismantle it. To achieve this, action gently, 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 move forward to the step cleaning the mass air flow sensor of your Opel Astra . 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 properly, it is in this sense that it will disrupt the operation of the engine unit of your Opel Astra. The intent of this cleaning will be to remove all its impure substances to allow 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
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  • Now we’ll proceed to the very delicate cleaning of the flow meter filaments. You have to be very careful, 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 Opel Astra , you should feel a noticeable difference in the behavior of your engine unit.

Whenever you have any additional questions about the Opel Astra, do not hesitate to consult our Opel Astra category.