The Air Flow Meter Keeps Things Smooth

The term “air flow meter” is a bit misleading because in some automobiles it is called an air flow meter and in some it is called the ECU or electronic control unit.

No matter what you call it, the function of the air flow meter is to measure the amount of air that flows into your internal combustion engine.

As you well know, an internal combustion engine runs because a spark is applied to a mixture of air and fuel, and once the spark is applied then the pistons start pumping and the vehicle starts moving. This process occurs millions of times and in order for things to be running smoothly you need the right amount of air mixed with the fuel.

What happens when the air flow meter wears out or fails? Your car will start running sluggishly and/or start missing; even a novice with no mechanical ability will be able to hear and feel the difference in the vehicle’s performance. You will also start experiencing worse engine emissions and you will know that because the “check engine light” or “malfunction indicator lamp” will go on telling you something is wrong.

The good news is that when there is a malfunction in the air flow meter it does not lead to engine failure, so you don’t have to worry about being stranded on the side of the road; however, you will get a much more unpleasant ride and your fuel efficiency will drop noticeably. It is possible that your engine will not idle if this engine part is not working properly. Unlike some car parts like the alternator or distributor or fuel pump, when the air flow meter stops working the engine can and usually does work.

Replacing one of these is not nearly as easy as it once was; now that most cars have fuel injection the air flow meter is much harder to reach and because we are also talking about the function of the engine’s computer system this is a bit tricky if you don’t have some car skills.

If you are one of the skilled car guys or gals, head on over to a salvage yard; there is no reason to pay more for a replacement part like an air flow meter if you don’t have to. If you go to a self serve salvage yard you will have to pull the part yourself; if you go to a full-service salvage yard they will pull the part for you; either way you will save big bucks.