More and more drivers are trying to take care of their cars on their own. This results in significant cost savings because contemporary cars require more and more routine service and are done up of more and more technical components that lead to new breakdowns or inconveniences. One of the complications that disturbs more and more Volvo XC90 owners is a clogged air flow meter, which will lead to a loss of power and black exhaust gases. In this article we are going to take a look at how to clean the mass air flow sensor of your Volvo XC90? . First, we will show you 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 Volvo XC90 .

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Utility and action of the mass air flow meter of a Volvo XC90

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So we begin our content with the process and role of your Volvo XC90 flowmeter.

The goal of the mass air flow sensor on Volvo XC90

The mass air flow sensor is a component that has been created actually quite not long ago and mainly equipped on diesel models. In fact, 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 modify the actions of complementary intake parts such as the injection or the EGR valve, if you have problems with the EGR valve on your Volvo XC90, do not hesitate to consult our content on this subject.

Mass air flow sensor operation on Volvo XC90

Now, we are going to take a look at how it works, before trying to clean the mass air flow sensor of your Volvo XC90 , you must already understand how it works to do this routine service work properly.

The mass air flow sensor is consequently mainly there to collect info on the air intake of your motor vehicle. To achieve this, it must be set up just after the air intake of your Volvo XC90, 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 Volvo XC90?

The mass air flow sensor of your Volvo XC90 can have complications and this is what we will try to discover and understand what complications you may be facing!

Mass air flow sensor complications Volvo XC90

Here are the different complications that the air flow sensor of your Volvo XC90 can bring about:

  • higher fuel consumption: Because a dirty flow meter will actually bring about excessive fuel consumption due to poor air flow…
  • Power loss: Related to the same issue, this lack of air can bring about a loss of power to your engine.
  • Difficulties starting the automobile: Finally, one of the last traditional complications linked to a dirty flowmeter will be that your Volvo XC90 will have more troubles to begin the vehicle.

How do I clean the mass air flow sensor from a Volvo XC90?

After going over the operation and problems that the flowmeter can bring about, we will look at how to fix these complications by showing to you how to clean the mass air flow sensor of your Volvo XC90 . You should know that this operation is actually quite basic to conduct and you will not need advanced mechanical skills to do it yourself, a good way to avoid a trip to the workshop and a steep bill. See below the different steps to stick to to conduct this routine service act:

  • After having located the mass air flow sensor of your Volvo XC90 , 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 detach the electrical plug on top of it.
  • Once disassembled, you will have the ability to continue to the step cleaning the mass air flow sensor of your Volvo XC90 . 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 have the ability to collect data properly, it is in this sense that it will affect the operation of the engine of your Volvo XC90. The goal of this cleaning will be to take out all its impurities 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 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 damaged. 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 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 Volvo XC90 , you should feel a noticeable difference in the behavior of your engine.

If you want more tutorials on the Volvo XC90, go to our Volvo XC90 category.