Mass Air FLow Sensor

Hi , my daughter and boyfriend are saying her 97 Acura needs a mass air flow
sensor and that the part alone is around $300 or so.

Before I bring it to a garage, was wondering if someone could tell me what
this is, and how much they usually cost.

I'm pretty mechanically inclined, though I don't know cars very much... is
this something I could install?


Pete

"Pete Derkowski" <craftydad RemoveThis @nycap.rr.com> wrote in message
news:zabVg.3183$484.1346@twister.nyroc.rr.com...
> Hi , my daughter and boyfriend are saying her 97 Acura needs a mass air
> flow sensor and that the part alone is around $300 or so.
>
> Before I bring it to a garage, was wondering if someone could tell me what
> this is, and how much they usually cost.
>
> I'm pretty mechanically inclined, though I don't know cars very much... is
> this something I could install?
>
>
> Pete
>
The Mass Air Flow sensor is installed in the engine air intake to tell the
ECU how much air the engine is breathing in, so the ECU can make a decent
guess about how much fuel to inject. The ECU then uses the signal from the
O2 sensor to finely control the fuel/air mixture. MAF sensors (also called
AMMs for Air Mass Meters) are fairly delicate and are not an uncommon
failure. Symptoms range from the engine running very badly to intermittent
severe jerking. In the '97 I'm sure the Check Engine light is lit and the
code(s) point to the MAF.

$300 is not an unusual price for a new MAF, but it is still outrageous. I'm
sure it is something you can install without too much inventive language,
and wrecking yards are a good source of a replacement at a much more
reasonable price. I recommend going to a yard that pulls the part and maybe
tests it, and offers the part with a 30 day warranty. If it works for a week
or two it should work for years. Call around for the best price. Note:
handle it like eggs or like a hard drive. Remember, I mentioned it is
fragile. If you don't drop it or let it roll around in the trunk on the way
home you should be okay.

Any service manual for your daughter's car should have enough detail for
this job. Your local library is a good place to start, and if they don't
have it an auto parts store probably does. Haynes makes a manual for the
Integra in that year, but if it's another model you may have to shell out
for a "real" manual from www.helminc.com or wing it. Once you get the
replacement part there shouldn't be any surprises.

BTW - You do have metric wrenches and sockets?

Mike